Countdown begins
Palermo-Montecarlo
The curtain has gone up on the 17th Palermo-Montecarlo which has just released the Notice of Race and officially launched registrations. Competitors will gather on Friday 19th August 2022 in the Gulf of Mondello for the start of this 500 nautical mile offshore race.
Organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia, in partnership with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and support from Tasca d’Almerita, the event is a highly anticipated date on the international summer sailing calendar.
Starting in Sicily, the course takes the fleet through a gate in front of Porto Cervo towards the tricky Strait of Bonifacio then up the west or east coast of Corsica (tacticians decision!) to the finish in Monaco.
The previous edition produced an outstanding performance by the impressive 100′ Maxi Arca SGR belonging to Guido and Alberto Miani. Skippered by Furio Benussi, the boat took line honours to win the Giuseppe Tasca d’Almerita Trophy. In corrected time, the J122 Joy belonging to Circolo della Vela Sicilia and skippered by Edoardo Bonanno had a great race to win the prestigious Angelo Randazzo Challenge Trophy in the IRC group.
Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot) keeps up the pace
Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series – Act III | Tenzor International Cup | 3-6 February 2022 – J/70
Sunday 6th February 2022. The 9th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series circuit continues. Fifty-two international teams were again on the start line for this third and penultimate meeting of the season which also marked the start of the international J/70 circuit, The Tenzor International Cup. All have their sights set on the upcoming J/70 World Championship that will be organised by Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with FxPro from 14-22 October 2022.
Sailing stars tackle Monaco race area
The Brit Paul Goodison, gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics in ILCA 7, with seven world titles in five different classes and participation in the America’s Cup on Artemis Racing in 2017, was sailing with the Swedes on Intermezzo which came 4th. Xavier Rohart, Star Olympic medallist, was also present as coach for young sailors in the south of France league, while the Finnish match racing supremo Staffan Lindberg, and the brilliant Finn sailor Ed Wright chose to compete in this meeting.
Locals take control
Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series – Act III – 3-6 February 2022 – J/70
Friday 4th February 2022. The third and penultimate Act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series kicked off today, with 53 teams from all over Europe and also USA. A line-up that confirms this meeting’s status as a benchmark for high-level winter regatta circuits. The Yacht Club de Monaco is also organising the J/70 World Championship, 14-22 October 2022, in partnership with FxPro.
Loïc Pompée takes the lead
On this first day the fleet took full advantage of the arrival of a 10-knot westerly to complete one race. A tense contest won by Monegasque Loïc Pompée (Sailing Racing Team), the red and whites being in fine form with Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot) claiming 2nd in the provisional ranking. The YCM member had also clinched 2nd place in Act II. The Swiss on Rhubarbe still managed to make a mark and secure their place on the day’s podium in 3rd.
Note also the positions of two Russian teams – Tenzor Sport helmed by Milena Nikitina and Andrei Pushkin’s Tenzor Legal – in the top ten. Act III of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series also marks the start of the Tenzor International Cup Russian circuit of regattas for the J/70s.
In the Corinthian (amateur) category, Yacht Club de Monaco’s all-ladies team on Pink Wave are currently lying 3rd just behind the Irish on Wild Card.
Provisional programme (subject to change)
Saturday 5th February:
11.00am : First warning signal
Sunday 6th February:
11.00am : First warning signal
1.00pm : (after finish line closes) Prize-giving
Worlds in their sights
Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series – Act III – 3-6 February – J/70
Thursday 3rd February 2022. It’s shaping up to be a tight contest for the third and penultimate Act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series. A high-quality meeting that attracts international J/70 teams, this season has special significance as Monaco is the stage for the J/70 World Championship 2022, organised 14-22 October by Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with FxPro.
Monegasques maintain momentum
Among the nigh-on 60 boats for this weekend, the Monegasques are the ones to watch. Current leader of the Winter Series with two Acts in the bag, Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda) is favourite and keen to maintain his upward momentum. Same goes for the team led by Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot): “For this season, we are focusing on the J/70 class and the World Championship,” said the helmsman who won the 2021 YCM Awards-Trophée Credit Suisse. Hence both have the bit between their teeth and ambition to prove their supremacy on home turf.
Twelve nations are represented including USA, Ireland, Germany and Sweden. Also here is the Star Olympic medallist, Xavier Rohart, the Frenchman having made the trip as coach to supervise young sailors in the south of France league who are competing this weekend. Australian Will Ryan, double Olympic medallist, and Finnish match race supremo Staffan Lindberg are also among well-known figures in sailing on the Principality’s pontoons.
Another American victory!
12th Monaco Optimist Team Race – 13-16 January 2022
Sunday 16th January 2022. They did it – after their victory in 2020, the American national team clinched another win at the 12th Monaco Optimist Team Race that saw 60 young sailors out on the water from 15 nations. Organised by Yacht Club de Monaco with support from FxPro, Eventica, Fonbet, technical clothing supplier Slam and boatyard Erplast, this regatta has been a reference for international sailors in this discipline since 2010. “It was a success. By putting our Club at the service of youth, we are building the future. It’s about passing on a passion. Seeing these youngsters from different backgrounds interacting and creating bonds of friendship sends a strong message of peace, all values that are part of our Club’s Monaco Capital of Yachting approach,” said YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri.
Victory within their grasp
12th Monaco Optimist Team Race – 13-16 January 2022
Saturday 15th January 2022. For the 60 young sailors in competition these two days of the 12th Monaco Optimist Team Race have followed a similar pattern, with 19 match races held today in a light easterly under sunny skies, conditions conducive to a range of strategies.
Top trio is not an illusion
Is it possible to cut the Americans invincibility down to size a little? Hard to believe the results table at the end of the round robin phase’s second day. The provisional leaders are looking unassailable and with zero defeats they are clearly sailing a notch above the others. “They are really strong and sailing faster than everyone else,” concedes Matteo Asscher from the Yacht Club de Monaco team which is lying 8th this evening.
Americans take the lead
12th Monaco Optimist Team Race – 13-16 January 2022
Americans take the lead
Friday 14th January 2022. The 12th Monaco Optimist Team Race, an international regatta for the team racing elite in this class kicked off today, organised by Yacht Club de Monaco with support from FxPro, Eventica, Fonbet, technical clothing supplier Slam and boatyard Erplast.
Fifteen nations and 60 under-14 sailors are in Monaco for this meeting which got off to a flying start. “It’s a real pleasure to welcome the new sailing generation to our race area and so satisfying to see how enthusiastic they are about this international event,” said YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri at the opening ceremony yesterday.
Racers in the arena
First into battle were the Swiss in a duel with the Netherlands, galvanised by the impatience of youth. In all, there were 60 team-on-team duels on this first day in a 12-knot southwesterly, ideal for bringing out the best in these talented youngsters. Tomorrow, all meet again for the next phase of the round robin that will take the total to 105 encounters. The best go through to the quarter finals for a place in the semis and on to the finals.
2022’s all about competition!
YCM sailing rendezvous
Friday 7th January 2022 – The new year kicks off a busy programme of popular international regattas at Yacht Club de Monaco with back to back one design meetings. Without a doubt, 2022 looks set to be synonymous with outstanding events for the Club, a reference on the international sailing scene.
Monaco Optimist Team Race (12-16 January 2022): future promise
First up, 60 under-14s will be descending on the Principality next week for the 12th Monaco Optimist Team Race which attracts the world’s team racing elite in the Optimist class. The 15 nations represented include Uruguay, USA, Finland, Turkey and for the first time Chile whose young team have just arrived in Monaco.
This original format enables teams of four to compete on equal terms in the form of duels. A round robin phase when all teams get to compete against each other is followed by the quarter- then semi-finals before the highly anticipated grand finale. “This international challenge for young sailors is all part of our Monaco Capital of Yachting approach,” explains YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri. “Beyond the sporting aspect, the event is a great opportunity for these budding young athletes to meet others of their own age from different cultures and backgrounds – all passionate about sailing – around unifying values of conviviality, fraternity and solidarity”.
By way of a warm-up, the teams from Ukraine, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Monaco and France will take part in a Clinic (10-12 January) run by Philippe Gomez, jury and big name in the team racing world who is also responsible for the regulatory aspect for French teams. The focus will be on team-work, communication and consistency.
A reminder that the last edition was won by the USA’s national team, with the Swedish KSSS in 2nd and the Monegasques completing the podium.
Tenzor Consulting Group
New partner of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series (2021/2022) organised by Yacht Club de Monaco
In recent years, Russia has been increasing its presence in the sailing world and since 2020 a major new project has seen the light of day. A leading company in the yachting sector became the Russian-based financial company Tenzor Consulting Group, with its Tenzor Sport LLC structure responsible for a brand new regatta series. Since 2020 the company has successfully organised the four-stages Tenzor Cup Series which earned J/70 Russian Cup status, attracting the best teams in this class.
Keen to further develop and expand the geographical reach of Russian sailing, the Tenzor Consulting Group and Yacht Club de Monaco agreed to a collaboration to share their common interests, experience, values and rich traditions of sailing.
For 2022, the Tenzor Consulting Group presents its international programme and a new series called the Tenzor International Cup (TIC). The presentation and “promo stage” of the new series, with a separate ranking for competitors, will take place 3-6 February 2022 in Monaco as part of Act 3 of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series 2021/2022, organised by Yacht Club de Monaco.
Entry is free, all competitors of ACT 3 of MSWS 2021/2022 are invited to join the Tenzor Intrnational Cup “promo-stage” to fight for the podium and a special prize fund which will be established for the top three winners.
For the 2021/2022 season, the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, when many international teams make the Principality their winter training base, takes on a new dimension as one of the stages in the Tenzor International Cup. This series of monthly regattas, organised since 2013, will culminate with the 38th Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse. All these regattas represent a great opportunity for teams to familiarise themselves with the Monegasque race area, ahead of the J/70 World Championship, organised in Monaco by YCM 14-22 October 2022.
It is all part of the ‘Monaco Capital of Yachting’ drive, initiated by Yacht Club de Monaco in 2012, the ambition being to position the Principality as a centre of excellence in this sector.
Andrey Pushkin (General Partner of Tenzor Consulting Group):
“Implementing serious sports projects, such as the Tenzor International Cup, requires compliance with high standards of organisation, safety and media-coverage, as well as constant work to modernise the event’s concept. Our collaboration with YCM is a very important step to achieve the goals set. I am sure that it will give everyone great new opportunities for further development. It will increase the level of competition among participants by strengthening the composition of foreign teams, as well as creating a basis for the development of international sports ties, and thereby increase the significance and reputation of the series in Russia and the world. Thanks to YCM for your confidence in us and this privileged relationship”.
Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio recognised
Yacht Club de Monaco publicly recognises their best sailors at the annual YCM Awards-Trophée Credit Suisse, a ceremony that precedes the traditional Winter Cocktail to welcome new members. Attended by the Club’s President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, this year’s gathering was an opportunity to report on the unifying ‘Monaco Capital of Yachting’ approach initiated in 2012 in the Principality, a forward-looking responsible vision that is a core element of Yacht Club de Monaco’s public service remit.