Women Leading and Sailing Trophy | 25-26 March 2023

 

Sunday 26th March 2023 – As it ramps up its sports policy, Yacht Club de Monaco organised its first Women Leading and Sailing Trophy, an all-female J/70 regatta in collaboration with the Monegasque and French sailing federations and in partnership with FxPro and Xerjoff. The driving force behind this initiative is a group of YCM racers who have been sailing intensely under the Pink Wave banner for the last four years. A dozen teams representing four nationalities lined up on the start of this first edition.

 

Like a metronome

Three back-to-back races in a light 8-knot easterly required concentration and consistency, two qualities dominating the top three. Racing neck and neck for the first two races, the Monegasque team from Yacht Club de Monaco on Totally Spies and the Swedes from KSSS on Seagals swapped lead roles for most of the day. Sometimes in the lead at the windward buoy, sometimes at the leeward buoy the two led the way, closely followed by Etoile Pinkwave helmed by Olympic 470 champion, Saskia Clark.

In for the kill at the starts and mark roundings, the leading trio widened the gap with the rest of the fleet. “It was a great first day,” said Margaux Meslin on the Monaco boat, “conditions were ideal and we thoroughly enjoyed racing in contact with great sailors like Saskia”.

 

 

Bis repetita

Tougher southwesterly conditions on day two required all the teams technical skills, it being a question of constant anticipation and faultless manoeuvres to stay in the game. After a lack lustre first race, the Monegasques recovered in the second to snatch 2nd place at the finish having been lying 5th on the windward passage. In the final overall ranking, the Swedes from KSSS won the event, ahead of the Czech Republic crew on Twinky, equal on points with Totally Spies, a team of YCM staff members, to take a hard-fought 2nd place with the Monegasques in 3rd.

 

Next up on the nautical calendar on Thursday 30th March is the 4th Superyacht Chef Competition, organised by Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with Bluewater. This year’s Jury is chaired by two-time three Michelin star Chef Yannick Alléno, under the aegis of YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre to highlight gastronomy at sea as another facet of professions in yachting.

 

©Kathrinhoyos