It was a question of getting to grips with how the boats handled, the fourth edition being the first to be contested on RS21s. In the end, the Virginie Hériot Trophy was won by Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, just ahead of Club de Voile de Lausanne, followed by Hamburger Segel-Club in 3rd place. Twenty-two crews representing ten nationalities gathered for the all-women event, organised by Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with FxPro and North Sails, supported by the French and Monegasque Sailing Federations. Tied on eight points, the battle between the German and Swiss teams went down to the wire, with Hamburger Segel-Club completing the podium on nine points.
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and Club de Voile de Lausanne were neck and neck throughout the qualifiers and final, with both teams finishing on an eight-point tie-breaker that ultimately favoured the German team. Hot on their heels, Hamburger Segel-Club remained in contention to clinch 3rd place. Thanks to tightly controlled mark roundings, excellent starts and bold tactics, these three teams put on a spectacular show to finish separated by just one point.
Launched in 2018, the one design RS21 keelboat is designed for racing, and added extra spice to the weekend as an unknown factor. After the J/70s in 2025, some competitors were new to this class and were discovering the boats provided by the organisers for the first time. Norddeutscher Regatta Verein were quick to find their feet. But for the 2025 winners, Royal Thames Yacht Club, the change proved more challenging. The British team finished 15th this time, just one year after dominating the event, ahead of Club de Voile de Lausanne.
Three teams from Monaco took part in the event. Pinkwave II achieved the best result with a 9th place and 1st in the Silver group, while Spectre finished 11th and PinkWave 19th. All three are part of the Pink Wave initiative, a proactive collective of female sailors who are YCM members. A date is already in the diary for the fifth edition to take place on the waters off Monaco from 14-17 October 2027.
A string of weekend regattas lie ahead for the YCM, starting with the Grimaldi Trophy (23-25 October 2026), a coastal race between Sanremo and Monaco, followed by Act I of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series (5-8 November 2026). This series of monthly regattas culminates in the 43rd Primo Cup-UBS Trophy (10-14 March 2027), an iconic event for one design racing in the Mediterranean that kicks off the season for international teams.
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