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.

Before heading out to sea, the 50 boats in competition had to pass the infamous Cap Gallo north of Palermo, an unstable zone where changeable difficult to predict winds alternate with sudden gusts and periods of calm.

There was no respite for sailors who after a demanding start were head-long into the race. Barely had they crossed the line when technical options were seen to be taken. Among the Maxis, event favourite Black Jack 100 skippered by Tristan Le Brun from Yacht Club de Monaco chose to reef the mainsail, while Balthasar and Lucky kept all sails up. It was only once they were off Capo Gallo that they found a more stable west-north-west 15-16 knot wind forcing the fleet to sail a long close-hauled tack towards the Porto Cervo gate.

Rankings shaping up

By the afternoon, the American Bryon Ehrhart’s 27m Lucky was in the lead. Skippered by New Zealander Stuart Wilson, she has former Kiwi America’s Cup sailors on board, Dean Phipps and Simon Daubney. Just behind them are Black Jack 100 and Balthasar neck and neck. Both are familiar with this offshore race as Black Jack 100, belonging to Remon Vos, is the former Esimit Europa 2, holder of the Palermo-Montecarlo record since 2015 of 47 hours 46 minutes 48 seconds. The second, a 21m Maltese-flagged racing yacht has participated in eight crewed round-the-world with stopovers Whitbread, which became the Volvo Ocean Race. The three Maxis very quickly upped a gear to pull away from the fleet that remained compact. Among the latter are two Monegasque boats, the Comet 45s Gorilla Gang XL of Andrea Statari and Paul Basson’s Swan46 Foreign Affair.

 

A decisive first night

A critical tactical choice has to be made, whether to stay in the centre of the Tyrrhenian Sea to avoid a forecasted wind hole due to high pressure on Sardinia’s east coast or head to Sardinia to pick up the coastal breezes. It will be a decisive moment in this 19th Palermo-Montecarlo.

The weather forecast for the next few days sees the return of high pressure over the north-east Mediterranean with medium-light winds prevalent. The larger boats could remain in phase with the wind until they go up Corsica while the smaller ones may find already light airs around the mandatory gate at Porto Cervo.

To follow the race: https://cf.yb.tl/pm2024

List of registrations: https://www.palermo-montecarlo.it/iscritti/?y=2024