J/70 World Championship | 14-22 October 2022
Thursday 20th October 2022. The date is historic for Yacht Club de Monaco which is organising the J/70 World Championship for the first time. Built in 2012, this Alan Johnstone designed class has shot up the popularity polls of one designs appealing to the biggest names in sailing. Proof if it were needed is in the presence of 90 teams with at least 60 big names among them. The event is also an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the commitment of all those who make it possible to organise such a big regatta.
Behind the scenes
There are nearly a hundred of them, members of YCM staff, the jury and safety, and the Flotte des Commissaires (stewards et al), many of them YCM volunteers, lifeblood of the Club. All highly professional, they make a massive contribution to the organisation, ensuring a quality reception and excellence at the Club’s many regattas, positioning it as a reference in sports events.
Quality ashore and at sea
In the last few days, the YCM Marina has been transformed into a vast pool of 90 J/70 boats moored on all the pontoons, framed by the bows of superyachts. The Yacht Club wanted to limit the number of entrants to ramp up the level of competition and ensure race goers were comfortable. Everyone has been given a guest member card so they can enjoy all the facilities in the Clubhouse, a building designed by Lord Foster to hold major international events which are all part of the ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach
To stand the test of time
Mindful as always of the need to protect the marine environment, Yacht Club de Monaco has electric tenders, dynamic positioning buoys and biofuels for all its fleet including the committee boat. What’s more its recently installed eco-friendly bamboo pontoons, with recyclable polymer floats, which have mooring arms, not chains, to protect the seabed.
Hall of fame
From the start, crews have been champing at the bit to see how they will measure up to what has turned out to be a breathtakingly high level fleet with around 20 Olympic athletes, as many World Champions in all classes, America’s Cup tacticians and old hands at the Volvo Ocean Race. The star-studded list of trophy winners continues to excite, women like Saskia Clark, gold medal in the 470 in Rio and silver in London. She is sailing on Pink Wave, the only all-female Monegasque boat: “it’s an extraordinary fleet, the level is super-high with all these sailors who are heroes in my eyes”.
Tomorrow, teams meet at 9.00am in the Meeting Room for a skippers briefing before the first warning sign at 11.00am.
©LaPresse ; ©Studio Borlenghi
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