Oren Nataf winner in multihull
A superb victory for Oren Nataf who won the multihull category (elapsed and corrected time) of this event aboard his Pulsar 50 Rayon Vert. The Yacht Club de Monaco skipper alongside François Seruzier and Cristiano Sereni crossed the finish line at 10:34 (UTC) Friday 24 January. The pair won the Line Honours Multihull, an impressive result and fitting end to a masterful and fast crossing. “I am very proud to be the skipper of this boat with a great crew,” commented Oran Nataf. “This was a long race for us because both our small and large gennaker exploded early in the race. This meant we had to sail wider wind angles with a smaller sail area. I did not think we would be first, but the strong wind at the end of the race really helped us. Thank you to the RORC for organising a great race. It is the perfect way to sail across the Atlantic. It takes a lot of energy, but a fair competition makes it so much more interesting than cruising across the Atlantic.”
A new generation full of promise!
Training and passing on knowledge and passion to the next generation is at the heart of Yacht Club de Monaco’s Sports Section’s mission. To this end, 11 young Optimist sailors were at the 8th Coach Regatta in Marseille, organised by the YCPR and ASPTT Marseille. The event has become a reference for this type of regatta on the national and international scene and this year saw six nationalities represented by 84 contestants in the Minime (older group) and 56 in the younger Benjamin category.
Oren Nataf from YCM on the start
On Sunday 12 January 2025, sails will be set to fly on the start of the 11th RORC Transatlantic Race, a 3,000 nautical mile race from the Lanzarote Marina in the Canaries to the Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada in the Caribbean.
Big win for Jérémy Moutout in ILCA 7
The 2024 EurILCA Europa Cup Malta concluded Sunday 22nd December after four intense days of racing organised by the Malta Young Sailors Club. The penultimate event of the season attracted 79 sailors from 18 countries competing in the ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 categories.
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.
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.
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.
Wind in the sails for YCM
During the 12th Optimist Halloween Cup, the team from Yacht Club de Monaco faced the challenge of windy conditions up to 25 knots on Lake Garda head on.
The regatta was a chance for sailors to prove their determination and resilience, particularly the youngest (born 2013-2015) who adapted well to the conditions and improved their techniques to boot. Nine races were held over the three days.
Spectacular end to the season
A thrilling season on the RC44 circuit concluded with the 44Cup Nanny Cay in British Virgin Islands waters. The fifth and final stage lived up to all the promise to give spectators and crews a regatta full of suspense and intense races that went down to the wire. Up to the final day, several crews were in the running for victory, testimony of the on-a-par high level that holds sway in this fleet.