5th place for Leopard 3
Palma de Mallorca’s bay came alive again as it hosted sailing enthusiasts from around the world during the PalmaVela, the first event of the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge 2024. With over a hundred boats out on the water in 13 categories, the 20th edition promised some thrilling contests. Among those competing was Joost Schuijff from Yacht Club de Monaco who clinched 5th place on board his Farr 100 Leopard 3.
A podium to kick off the season
The 2024 season promises to be thrilling for the TP52s and their crews, who are determined to keep audiences on the edge of their seats while defying all predictions. In this class, where the level of competition is so evenly matched, victories are even more rewarding and significant. Crews compete with experience and talent, striving for supremacy.
Among the contenders, Alegre, led by Andres Soriano of the Yacht Club de Monaco, is a well-known contender in this class. In an unusual turn of events, the seasoned sailor demonstrated all his potential during the races, finishing in 2nd place. Federico Michetti, also from the Yacht Club de Monaco, secured 1st place aboard Quantum Racing American Magic.
The 52-foot boats will head across the Atlantic to Newport starting June 10 for the season’s second event.
YCM top the leaderboard
A major event, this regatta brought together the best in ILCA class sailors from southern France as well as many Europeans. A technically challenging race area, Saint-Raphaël is popular and lived up to expectations with five races completed.
First solo race this season for Boris Herrmann
The 15th edition of The Transat CIC got off to a good start from Lorient (Morbihan) in Brittany with 48 boats in competition in the Class40, Vintage category and IMOCA class including Boris Herrmann from Yacht Club de Monaco. It is the first event of the season for the German skipper on Malizia-Seaexplorer, the 60-footer of Team Malizia founded by YCM Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi.
Italian J/70 season gets underway with the Cala Galera -Italia Cup
The first stage of the Italia Cup got off to a fine start with the Cala Galera regatta that saw 49 teams in the J/70 class line up on the start including four from Yacht Club de Monaco. It was a good opportunity to shake down with five races completed. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G Spot) came 16th while Pierrik Devic (Raph Seven Yacht), Stefano Roberti (Piccinina) and Lorenzo Bortolloti (Black Swan) finished 24th, 25th and 29th. The Italia Cup continues with the second event scheduled 28-23 June in Riva del Garda.
Second for YCM flagship
Organised by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez by invitation only, Les Dames de Saint-Tropez is a unique regatta as only women take the helm. Limited to 20 classic yachts, this year’s meeting gathered over 250 sailors. Ashore as at sea, every year the programme leaves everyone with unforgettable images and memories. And for the crew on YCM’s flagship Tuiga (1909), helmed by Anne Rodelato, it was especially memorable as they came 2nd in the overall ranking in the vintage boat category.
Successful event for the Monegasques
The event is well known to all young racers and each year brings together more than 300 sailors aged between 10 and 14, from all over France and a large part of Europe. The aim? To battle it out in the hope of qualifying for the European and World Championships. The Monegasques were out in force with a delegation of around ten racers from the Section Sportive du Yacht Club de Monaco. And the racers were well served by the weather conditions, with 6 to 25 knots, chop, swell and current.
In the Minimes class, there were 128 competitors. In this category, the young sailors from the Y.C.M. were outstanding, evading the pitfalls of the Rochelais waters, like Océane Schroeder who finished 14ᵉ and 1ᵉ girl, while Alexandra Santelli finished 21ᵉ and 3ᵉ girl. Roman Lampert finishes 51ᵉ ahead of Frederik Holst 67ᵉ, who also takes 3rd place in the silver round. Facundo Rubinelli takes 76ᵉ place.
In the benjamins, Joséphine Dobbelaere finished in a very fine 30ᵉ position out of 97 runners. Pietro Carlevaris finished 32nd, while Victor Holst, Louis Pompee, Louis Faivre, Jules Huon and Anastasyia Verpeka Dolling placed 50ᵉ, 59ᵉ, 71ᵉ, 81ᵉ and 95ᵉ.
First event and victory of the season for Viola
For Viola of Yacht Club de Monaco her first regatta of the season was a winner as Kostia Belkin and crew clinched 1st place in the La Mise en Bouche regatta at La Rochelle. Seven classic boats were competing including the gaff cutter which made top step of the podium in her category in the overall ranking and also won the Ostréo Trophy. Conditions were good with four races completed during the event.
Victory for G Spot
Swan- The Nation League 2024 – Swan Tuscany Challenge
18-21 April
The Swan family headed to Scarlino in Italy for the first stage of The Nation League 2024. A successful appetiser for crews and owners like Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio (G-Spot) who clinched victory in the Swan 36 after winning three of the seven races. Leonardo Ferragamo (Cuordileone) and Graeme Peterson (Moonlight) in the Swan 50 came 4th and 7th respectively.
Canard à l’Orange wins the day
After the Primo Cup-Trophée UBS then Trofeo Luigi Carpaneda in Alassio, the Smeralda 888 fleet were out racing again in Saint-Tropez for this keynote event in their calendar. For the 17th Hippocampe Cup, light wind conditions were enough for the eight teams to enjoy another tight contest with Achille Onorato (Canard à l’Orange) in 1st place just ahead of Morten Kielland (Mathilde) followed by Luigi Guarnaccia (Capocaccia).
Timofey Sukhotin (Beda) completed the ranking in 4th, with Germano Scarpa (Giada) and Marco Favale (Millenium Falcon) 6th and 7th. The gentleman racing helmsmen will be back out on the water 28th June in Italy at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda for the 4th stage in their season’s calendar.