Graeme Peterson and Océane Schroeder the big winners of 2024 A celebration of sporting and maritime excellence
For the YCM Awards and its prestigious UBS Trophy, the great Yacht Club de Monaco family gathered under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. This event pays tribute to sporting achievements and officially welcomes new members to the Club. In his speech, the Sovereign recalled YCM’s dual mission as a private club dedicated to its 2,500 members (81 nationalities) and its public service remit that contributes to “making Monaco THE destination of reference for yachting, combining as it does innovation and sustainability”. These values are reflected in its collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ which positions the Club as a key player in protecting the oceans and promoting maritime innovation.
In contact with the best
From 5-15 December, Argentina’s Mar de Plata hosted the 70th Optimist World Championship. With 227 contestants representing 52 countries it proved yet again Optimists popularity as a dinghy that acts as a springboard to sporting excellence in sailing.
Argentina and the Optimist class: a long-standing relationship
It is not the first time Argentina has hosted the World Optimist Championship. First Mar del Plata hosted it in 1992 and then Buenos Aires in 2014. Given its rich maritime history and difficult courses, Mar del Plata is an ideal venue to test the skills of budding young sailors.
A hard-fought intense championship
During six days of racing, contestants completed 11 races in demanding conditions. A stiff 25-knot breeze on the first day with waves up to 3m high and strong current put participants to the test. On day two a light 4 to 8 knot breeze but very strong current required technical precision, while day three an 8-13 knot wind combined with a rough sea and constant chop made tactical decisions critical to success. The last three days continued to pose major challenges. Facundo Rubinelli from Yacht Club de Monaco improved with every race, showing remarkable progress throughout the event, notably securing a 3rd place on the penultimate day. He finished 206th in an extremely competitive fleet, gaining valuable experience against seasoned opponents.
Optimist: a springboard for the sailing elite
For kids starting out in sailing, the Optimist dinghy remains the world’s number one beginner’s boat and essential step in the career of any sailor. Results from the recent Paris Olympics 2024 confirm its reputation as a training class, with all gold medals being won by sailors who started their careers on Optimists and competed internationally. Fifteen of the 18 medallists had also competed in the Optimist class on the international stage. To top it all, seven of the Paris Olympic medal winners had competed in the 2008 Optimist World Championship, poof of its lasting impact when it comes to training champions.
Cape Leeuwin ahoy!
The Vendée Globe is legendary as it requires all competitors to round three famous, if not infamous, capes. Today, Yacht Club de Monaco’s Boris Herrmann is passing Cape Leeuwin, another key stage in his adventure aboard Malizia-Seaexplorer. The passage is a turning point in the race and attention will focus on the skipper’s performance.
Young sailors on the ascendance
As it does every year, the 40th Meeting Internazionale del Mediterraneo at Sanremo gathered Optimist class sailors from all over Europe. An unmissable event for many with 90 participants this year from Switzerland, France, Monaco and Italy divided in two categories, Cadet (2014-2015) and Junior (2009-2013).
Yacht Club de Monaco’s young sailors did amazingly well in very contrasting weather conditions. Friday saw a fresh 17 up to 20 knot easterly accompanied by a challenging swell that really put contestants to the test, with the rest of the weekend being more clement with a moderate 6-8 knot southwesterly.
G-Spot dominates with aplomb
Sunday 8th December 2024. Act II of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series produced a lovely weekend of racing in Monaco bay. Variable conditions saw the 30 teams of J/70s from seven nations having to combine strategy, precision and flexibility to stay in the game, but one thing is for certain they were set on widening the gap in the rankings.
In the hands of a master
Mild autumnal weather explained yet again why these winter regattas are so popular, with some 30 boats out on the water for Act II of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series 2024/2025. A steady easterly breeze on a calm sea saw three races completed to the delight of all those impatient to get out on the water.
Who will take the controls?
The J/70 fleet is set to conclude 2024 in style with Act II of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series of monthly regattas organised by Yacht Club de Monaco, now in its 12th edition. Thirty-one J/70 teams representing eight nationalities have three days of tough competition ahead of them. Also racing alongside them are the Cape 31 and ClubSwan 28 boats.
Welcome to the Southern Ocean
The 22nd day of racing marked a new chapter for Boris Herrmann from Yacht Club de Monaco aboard Malizia-Seaexplorer as they officially entered the Southern Ocean after rounding Cape of Good Hope, gateway to Southern Hemisphere waters.
YCM at the helm of inclusion
The 2nd Navicap Challenge – Trophée Elena Sivoldaeva, organised by Yacht Club de Monaco, ended Sunday after three days during which some 60 international teams of able-bodied and sailors with a disability put on a fantastic display in the bay of Monaco. In variable weather conditions, contestants from six nations (England, France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Monaco) competed in a spirit of competition but above all sharing and solidarity, values at the heart of this inclusive regatta. On Sunday morning YCM President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco came to meet and chat with sailors and volunteers on the quay, bowled over by their dedication and enthusiasm. Alongside him, the event’s patron, Elena Sivoldaeva and YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri, were keen to stress the regatta’s importance. “This event is fully in line with the collective Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting approach, initiated by YCM, and reflects the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, one of which is to ensure access to water sports for all,” said Bernard d’Alessandri.
YCM on form
41st Campionato Invernale West Liguria – Gorilla Gang Cup & Trofeo Statari
A high-energy atmosphere with tightly fought contests at sea and social gatherings marked the second weekend of the Campionato Invernale West Liguria. Once again it attracted a large fleet vying for the Gorilla Gang Cup and Trofeo Statari. Yacht Club de Monaco members seized the opportunity to race on Ligurian waters at this regatta organised by Yacht Club Sanremo.