Saturday 1st November 2025. From 29 October to 1st November, La Rochelle Nautique hosted one of the major dinghy events on the calendar, the ILCA Autumn National and French ILCA Championships. Over 300 international contestants, including a delegation from Yacht Club de Monaco, descended on the French city. It was another opportunity for the team of young Monegasque sailors to compete in a large highly competitive fleet at a major event.
A major event like this regatta is part of a much broader picture than a simple list of rankings. It’s central to the learning process at the heart of Yacht Club de Monaco’s mission to train young sailors that is taking place year-round in Monaco’s bay. The objective is to put its athletes to the test in the toughest fleets to build their confidence and teach them how to race alongside the best. It is an essential step in the development of Yacht Club de Monaco’s young competition athletes.
In ILCA 4 where 76 sailors competed in seven races, Mark Slotboom pulled off a superb 10th place, while Gabriel Lanteri Gaglio secured an encouraging 26th. Not far behind in 41st, Ennio Rostagni impressed with his consistency in a packed fleet where every start came down to mere metres.
In the ILCA 6 category where 104 sailors completed eight races, Maïeul Le Bagousse came 52nd, while Roman Lampert finished 60th.
Finally in ILCA 7, an elite class with 42 in the running, Mathis Duplomb pulled off a solid 16th place, confirming his progress in the Monaco fleet and ability to rise to the occasion at major national events.
For YCM’s young sailors, taking part in these events has a bigger role to play beyond results. It’s an opportunity for the Sports Section to work on reading the water, whatever the conditions, managing stress on the start lines, developing strategies given the challenges of a dense fleet, and cultivating autonomy and discipline on and off the water.
This vision is rooted in YCM’s DNA to train a new generation of sailors with the skills and stamina to endure long days of sailing. Racing is more than a competition. It’s an educative experience where they learn to accept the unexpected, make quick decisions, question their actions and work as a team.
La Rochelle marks a key stage in their preparations for upcoming national and international regattas. The young Monegasques are leaving with new points of reference and a confidence boost, but also aspects they need to work on. And that is what makes this type of trip so valuable as they progress within an overall project where sailing in Monaco is being built over the long-term.
