Leopard 3 a winner
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup organised by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the International Maxi Association ended in style this weekend. Reserved for 60-foot and over boats the event this year was part of the first edition of the Rolex Maxi World Championship. Those competing were grouped into different classes, according to type and performance, and all took part in coastal races winding their way through the La Maddalena islands. The Maxi 1 and 2 classes also demonstrated their potential on windward courses.
Final rehearsal before Vendée Globe for Malizia-Seaexplorer
IMOCA – 14th Défi Azimut – Lorient
For five days the IMOCA world are in Lorient for the 14th Défi Azimut – Lorient Agglomération. It is the last chance for these racing machines to compete against each other weeks before the start of the next Vendée Globe. Among them is Malizia-Seaexplorer, helmed by Boris Herrmann from Yacht Club de Monaco.
A win for Vamos mi Amor
The penultimate meeting of the season saw the Smeralda 888 fleet competing in Barcelona for the second year in a row. It was an opportunity for these gentlemen racers to see how they stand up against the competition before the grand finale in Monaco 11-13 October.
Ehlen on target
Kitesurfers were to be found on the magnificent Lake Traunsee in Austria from 4-8 September for the Upper Austria Kitefoil Grand Prix.
This major competition marked the start of a new Olympic cycle in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles games. For contestants it was a highly anticipated event with the introduction of new equipment approved for Formula Kite racing on the Olympic circuit. Sail size limits also now apply, the maximum size for men is now 21sqm and for women 19sqm. The Monegasque Alexander Ehlen more than held his own in this competition finishing 6th after 12 races, seven of which he was in the top five.
Consistency at all costs
TF 35 – Les Voiles de Choisi – Geneva
Another event, another superb result for Esteban Garcia from Yacht Club de Monaco. His TF35 Realteam Sailing, led by Jérôme Clerc with Sébastien Col on tactics, won Les Voiles de Choisi with a comfortable five-point lead over Sails of Change 8 to put the crew on the podium’s top step. This was an important win for the Realteam Sailing formation to stay in contention for this contest. Next stage is again in Geneva for the Realstone Cup when two teams face off in a finale that promises to be spectacular.
Downwind all the way for YCM’s young racers at the France Espoirs Championship
Organised by La Rochelle Nautique under the aegis of the French Sailing Federation, the France Espoirs Championship saw 600 young contestants aged 13 to 25 competing across 12 categories. Among them was a delegation of six sailors from Yacht Club de Monaco’s Sports Section who made the trip to Porte Océane.
Vladimir Prosikhin the new World Champion
The RC44 World Championship ended on Sunday on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland after a fierce battle between Vladimir Prosikhin’s Team Nika from Yacht Club de Monaco and Igor Lah’s Ceeref Vaider who finally conceded victory after four days of racing. “It was one of the happiest events of my life as to be honest it was so difficult,” said Vladimir Prosikhin after he was pushed into the water as is tradition for the winners. “It’s a really tough class as everyone is on the same high level – almost any boat could win the Worlds which is why it’s so rare”.
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.