Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series – Act I

Since 2013, the best J/70 teams have been descending on Monaco to line up on the start of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series of monthly regattas organised by Yacht Club de Monaco. A winter tradition, these gatherings are an ideal opportunity for teams to continue racing at the highest level to prepare for next season.

This weekend many teams will meet for Act 1 with the final event ending at the same time as the Primo Cup-Trophée UBS (6-9 March 2025), the flagship event for the one design elite initiated by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco in 1985.

From Act 1, every boat will have a digital tracking system from Vakaros on board. Thanks to the GPS receiver, the device can obtain and provide accurate essential data to the organisers who can track the positions of each team in real time.

 

High stakes

After Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series overall champions Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda) in 2023 then Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot) in 2024, the 12th edition is another chance for all contestants to have a crack at the title. Twenty-five teams are on the starting blocks for the first act. Epic battles are in the offing with serious contenders lined up including the Monegasques on G-Spot, Charisma V helmed by Louis Samuel Poons, Pierrik Devic’s Ralph Seven Yacht and Graeme Peterson’s Moonlight II.

While the favourites will be approaching this weekend’s regatta with confidence, there’s no doubt every team will be pulling out all the stops to score crucial points towards the title over three days of racing. Last season saw 18 races completed over the four regattas which attracted some 40 teams in total.

Everything remains to be written for this 2024/2025 winter championship for the J/70 class which is very popular in the Principality. YCM has a fleet of nearly 20 boats among its members, one of the largest in the Mediterranean basin.

Rendezvous Friday 8 November at 12 noon for the first warning signal.