19th Palermo-Montecarlo: an unforgettable edition
Be they seasoned pros or they just love sailing, those competing in the 19th Palermo-Montecarlo will remember this edition for a long time. Organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia, in collaboration with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, this offshore race never fails to throw up memorable moments such as the extraordinary duel between event favourites Black Jack 100 and Lucky.
19th Palermo-Montecarlo: record broken after nine-year wait
They had to wait nine years for the Palermo-Montecarlo record to be beaten. The accolade goes to the Maxi Black Jack 100 helmed by Tristan Le Brun from Yacht Club de Monaco who covered the 500 nautical miles separating Palermo in Sicily from Monaco in 1 day 20 hours 34 minutes 22 seconds, that’s three hours faster than the previous record set in 2015 by Esimit Europa 2, the former name of Black Jack 100.
Preliminary Regatta kicks off
37th America’s Cup – Barcelona | 22 August 2024
Thursday 22 August 2024. Battle has commenced for the AC75 boats with the first duels on Catalan waters taking place from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 August in the Preliminary Regatta. Aboard these revolutionary foiling monohulls, that can top out at 100km an hour, a succession of races saw teams achieve 35-40 knots off Barcelona today, giving those watching a glimpse of what the 37th America’s Cup has in store. On the programme: the Preliminary Regatta, the Louis Vuitton Cup and of course the America’s Cup finale itself starting 12 October. One Defender and five Challengers will be going all out in a contest to lift the oldest sports trophy in the world. This is the first time since 2010, when Alinghi lost to Oracle, that the Cup has returned to the Old Continent.
Spectacular start for 19th Palermo-Montecarlo
The 19th Palermo-Montecarlo, a 500 nautical mile race organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia in collaboration with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, had a spectacular start in challenging weather conditions.
Dark clouds and clear skies chased each other across the Caribbean-like backdrop of hills around the Gulf of Mondello. At sea, conditions were also ideal with a brisk westerly topping 18 knots and waves.
Three Yacht Club de Monaco members on start of 19th Palermo-Montecarlo
The 19th Palermo-Montecarlo, an offshore race organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia in collaboration with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, had a spectacular start in challenging weather conditions. Dark clouds and clear skies chased each other across the hills of the Caribbean-like backdrop of the Gulf of Mondello. At sea, conditions were also ideal with a brisk westerly topping 18 knots and waves.
Yacht Club de Monaco shine at Trofeo Mario Formenton
The prestigious Trofeo Mario Formenton attracted a diverse fleet of cruising and race boats to compete around the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago. Dedicated to the memory of Mario Formenton, a man “with the sea in his eyes”, this regatta has established itself as a race not to be missed for anyone passionate about sailing. Among participants at the 33rd edition two Yacht Club de Monaco members made their mark, Adalberto Miani on Botta Dritta clinched 11th place in the Voiles Blanches category while Roberto Tamburelli aboard Forrest Gump III came 7th in ORC.
Solid achievements
For the second event in the Italian summer season, the young Optimist sailors from Yacht Club de Monaco’s Sports Section faced tougher conditions than the first event, with stronger winds making the task more difficult for boys in the younger Benjamin group totalling 73 entrants. Pietro Carlevaris managed a very good 13th place ahead of Jules Huon 19th and Louis Faivre 27th. In the older Minime category of 434 participants YCM’s sailors like Alexandra Santelli 179th, Océane Schroeder 205th and Joséphine Dobbelaere 310th showed great determination as they continue to build on their achievements with a view to next season.
Youth in the spotlight
A regatta without borders has just concluded with the Trofeo Simone Lombardi at Malcesine on Lake Garda where 450 young sailors from 25 nations were competing. All competitors completed five races with some nations out in force like the Monegasques from Yacht Club de Monaco. The first Italian event of the summer was successful for Jules Huon who clinched a well-earned 5th place in the younger Benjamin category, with other budding young sailors from the Sports Section putting in good performances like Louis Faivre and Sacha Mousny in 18th and 31st place out of an 80-strong fleet.
Moonlight on the podium
Over 120 teams representing 23 nationalities from all walks of life met in Palma bay for the 42nd Copa del Rey. Whether aficionados, America’s Cup winners, The Ocean Race stars or Olympic medallists all contestants in the eight classes enjoyed good conditions for back to back races. As is tradition, the ranking in the ClubSwan 50 was tight. The seven-strong fleet included seasoned sailors like Yacht Club de Monaco members, Graeme and Raquel Peterson, who clinched 3rd place on the podium on Moonlight.
A new edition crowned with success
Created in 2016, this event is open to a wide range of boats, both monohulls and multihulls, as well as to sailors, whether professional or amateur. Ninety participants took part in this fifth edition, including yachtsman Oren Nataf from the Yacht Club de Monaco aboard the Multi 50 Rayon Vert. “I come to the DRHEAM-CUP to enjoy myself. It’s a great race and one of the few that offers a bit of distance to cover,” he said.
The 2024 edition featured a 600-nautical-mile course, taking competitors from Cherbourg-en-Cotentin to La Trinité-sur-Mer.