Noah Garcia the new French ILCA 4 Champion
French Espoir Championship – 20-25 August 2022 – Martigues
Thursday 25th August 2022. Results are not just down to the generation as evidenced by these young sailors from Yacht Club de Monaco, flying the flag to the highest level with the France Espoir Champion title in ILCA 4 (former Laser 4.7). That was the title awarded to Noah Garcia from the Sports Section who leaves this event in Martigues with honours.
Promising beginnings
It was at a Summer Camp in 2016 when the very young Noah, like other kids before him, discovered sailing on Optimists. He progressed rapidly up the rankings, gaining experience with every season and clearly enjoying himself. If there is one over-riding trait in his character it’s his good nature. Sailing to win, yes, but always for fun!
After coming 2nd in the 2019 Monaco Optimist Team Race, that same year he won the YCM Youth Awards prize presented by YCM President, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Lady First III and Tonnerre de Glen big winners of 17th edition
The 17th Palermo-Montecarlo, a classic offshore race on the Mediterranean circuit, has just ended. Organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia in partnership with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 2005, the 480 nautical mile event is a stage in the Italian Offshore Championship circuit (organised by the Italian Sailing Federation), IMA’s Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge and the Class40 Mediterranean Trophy. “Wind and sea conditions were quite difficult this year, which made it all the more exciting,” said a delighted Agostino Randazzo, President of Circolo della Vela Sicilia.
Lady First III crowned
Once again, the meeting pulled in the crowds with some 40 teams from nine nationalities competing. As the first to make a beeline for the Principality, Lady First III coped admirably with the vagaries of the course from the start in Palermo, Sicily, on Friday 19th August at midday. Departing from Gulf of Mondello in a fleet of seasoned sailors, Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Lady First III helmed by the talented Nicolas Berenger crossed the finish Sunday evening at 23:47 after 2 days 11 hours 47 minutes 6 seconds of racing. “Everything went well,” explained Nicolas Berenger, “we had quite tough conditions for the first part of the course, crossing the Maddalena Archipelago then the Strait of Bonifacio and then managed to escape the whims of the Corsican coast to end on a good crossing from there to the continent, with the wind pushing us along in the right direction. Despite the last 25 miles being difficult, we managed to stay ahead of our rivals”. No question then that this crew well deserved to win the Giuseppe Tasca d’Almerita Trophy (first to finish in real time).
Lady First III takes line honours
It took 2 days 11 hours 47 minutes 6 seconds for Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Lady First III with French sailor Nicolas Berenger, already winner of the event in 2018 (Tonnerre de Glen), on board to cover the 480 nautical miles between Sicily to Monaco. An hour and minutes later another Frenchman, Dominique Tian on Tonnerre de Glen crossed the line to tie up in the YCM Marina, followed by the Italians on Carbonita. And so the record set in 2015 by the Maxi 100 Esimit Europa 2 of 47 hours 46 minutes 48 seconds remains intact.
Option taken pays off
Four boats had raced away from the fleet from the start on Friday 19th August in the Gulf of Mondello. Lady First III, Tonnerre de Glen, Sisi and Carbonita ate up the miles, keeping a good distance from the rest of the peloton before moving into top gear. Very quickly options emerged for this small group.
Cracking start for 17th edition
The 17th Palermo-Montecarlo, a 470 nautical mile race between Palermo in Sicily and the Principality of Monaco, got off to a cracking start in the Gulf of Mondello for the nigh on 40 boats taking part in an event that has established its place in the offshore racing calendar since 2005.
Big names
Organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia in partnership with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the meeting always attracts big names as it has done again this year with the likes of Frenchmen Kito de Pavant (HBF Reforest’action) and Nicolas Berenger (Lady First III) in action.
Among the favourites is the Neo 570 Carbonita belonging to Manolis Kondilis, Circolo della Vela Sicilia’s boat and his crew of experienced sailors, and the Austrian Farr 65 Sisi, respectively first and second to the first mark followed by the French Solano of Pascal Feryn.
Nine nations are represented including three Monaco boats: Andrea Statari’s Gorilla Gang, K’Mena and Andreas Feichtinger’s Lung’Ta with two young members of the YCM Sports Section on board, Oscar Royneau and Jessica Klimeck, reflecting the Club’s ongoing commitment to fire up a passion for sailing among future generations.
Of note this year is the strong showing of professional sailors on small boats (circa 15m) with carbon masts whose weight ups the ante on the power of these vessels.
Nearly 40 boats set to line up!
Wednesday 10th August 2022 – Just over a week to go for competitors registered for the 17th Palermo-Montecarlo 2022 which starts from the Gulf of Mondello in Palermo. The offshore race has been organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia in partnership with Yacht Club de Monaco Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 2005.
The start gun will be fired at midday Friday 19th August to launch a race in which many sailing champions are again taking part, reinforcing an already consolidated tradition for this challenge.
Among those in competition is the Circolo della Vela Sicilia local team on Manolis Kondilis’s Carbonita which will have onboard Tommaso Chieffi, Alberto Bolzan, Gaetano Figlia di Granara and Diego Battisti, co-ordinated by co-skippers Edoardo Bonanno and Paolo Semeraro. Other big names include Ambrogio Beccaria and Alberto Riva (Alla Grande Pirelli), Gabriele Bruni and Giuseppe Angilella (Spirit of Nerina Lauria), Andrea Caracci (Solano), Mauro Pelaschier (Elo II), Stefano Raspadori (Karmak) and Frenchmen Kito de Pavant (HBF Reforest’action) and Nicolas Berenger (Lady First III).
Competing alongside them are three Monaco boats namely Gorilla Gang led by Andrea Statari, Andreas Feichtinger’s Lung’ta and K’Mena.
Curtain down
Italia Cup – J/70 – Riva del Garda – 15-17 July
Sunday 17th July 2022. The J/70 Italia Cup Championship ended this weekend after four stages, this last one being in Riva del Garda. Nearly 100 teams joined the Italian J/70 Class for the season, representing 16 nations from three continents.
Eight races were completed by the 70 boats present for this last meeting. They included seven teams from Monaco among them Pierrik Devic (Leonteq) who ranked 16th ahead of Cesare Gabasio (Tinj70) 33rd, Loïc Pompée (Sailing Racing Team) 34th, Nico Poons (Charisma V) 36th, Graeme Peterson (Moonlight II) 46th, Stefano Roberti (Piccinina) 58th and Leandro Casali (Zero) 61st.
The European Championship in Hyères mid-September is the next major event for the J/70 fleet before the long-awaited World Championship, held for the first time in the Principality (14-22 October 2022) when 90 boats will be out on the water.
Back to back victories
Coppa Europa Smeralda 888 – Porto Cervo | 8-10 July
Sunday 10th July 2022. After winning the Corsica Cup, class President Charles de Bourbon des Deux Siciles again topped the leaderboard in 1st place at the Coppa Europa, fifth stage of the circuit. Seven teams made the trip including Timofey Sukhotin (Beda), 2nd, followed by Paolo Rotelli / Nicolo Stimamiglio / Achille Onorato (Black Star). Francesco Vauban (Botta Dritta) came in 4th, Blandine Médecin (Monaco Plaisir – Show Lapin) 5th and Valter Pizzoli (Ange Transparent), 6th. Next meeting is 23-26 Setember for the Régates Royales de Cannes.
Yacht Club de Monaco jumps into the water
As it does every year, Yacht Club de Monaco welcomes young and old for the Fête de la Mer celebrating St Peter, the patron saint of fishermen, as a reminder of the timeless link the Principality has with the Mediterranean.
2nd place for Ludovico Fassitelli
J/70 Italia Cup – Alassio | 20-22 May 2022
Sunday 22nd May 2022. The competition had time to watch his transom, as Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda) demonstrated total control of his J/70 in the five races. After winning the 2021/22 Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, the Yacht Club de Monaco member is riding high a few months befor the J/70 World Championship being organised for the first time in Monaco (14-22 October 2022).
It seems the Monaco teams are used to occupying leading roles as evidenced by an excellent 5th place for Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot). Meanwhile, Pierrik Devic (Leonteq) came 22nd ahead of Cesare Gabasio (TinnJ70) 25th, Graeme Peterson (Moonlight II) 28th, Loïc Pompée (Sailing Racing Team), 30th and Matteo Scandolera (Irruenza), 37th.
Serious opponents
J/70 Cup – Punta Ala | 22-24 April 2022
Sunday 24th April 2022. We already knew it but the facts confirm that the Monaco teams are up there with the best at major J/70 meetings. Present at the start of Act 1 of the Italian Championship held in Punta Ala, the red and whites were on fine form, like Loïc Pompée (Sailing Racing Team) who won the event, beating a tough international field.
The conditions could not have been more different over the two days, with a light unstable wind on the first day that had the whole fleet on their toes when it came to choosing the best tactics. It was all change on the second day with 18/20 knots gusting 30 to 35.
The Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series title holder Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda–Banca del Sempione) finished 5th with Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot) 13th ahead of Graeme Peterson (Moonlight II) in 15th, and Pierrik Devic (Leonteq) and Cesare Gabasio (TinnJ0) 22nd and 24th.
The number out racing rises with every meeting as the J/70 World Championship being held in Monaco 14-22 October approaches.