It was a little after 11am this morning when the maxi-catamaran Amaala Explorer pointed the tip of its stems at the entrance to Port Hercules. Direction the Marina of the Yacht Club where the Sovereign was waiting to the sound of Love the Ocean, a hymn to the sea specially composed by the Monegasque artist Olivia Dorato.

 

 

 

 

The first notes of the anthem echo on the pontoons of the Yacht Club Marina. Under clear skies and the most clement weather, Amaala Explorer begins the maneuver under the eyes of the Sovereign and many personalities who have come to welcome it. At the helm, Yvan Griboval is focused on the reactions of this giant of the seas and its 33.50m hull length, more designed for ocean racing than to slip, like a dancer, in the narrow alleys of a port. In a few minutes, however, the catamaran was in a good position alongside the pontoon. Passage of moorings between the Sovereign in crew uniform and Yvan Griboval. The two men have in common a passion for the ocean and the preservation of the environment. During his two-week expedition between Monaco, Italy, Spain and France, Yvan Griboval and his crew will have, in fact, collected eight samples of seawater according to very rigorous protocols, which were then handed over to scientists at Ifremer on Wednesday. This precious help was welcomed by Ifremer officials. While Love the Ocean accompanies the arrival of the sailor, the Prince, the crew of the sailboat and a whole host of leading personalities including, among others, Theresa Zabell, woman among the most successful in sailing on the planet, former MEP and at the origin of the Ecomar foundation, a small photo shoot. Already, Yvan Griboval’s eyes seem to be turning out to sea. And plans for a new expedition around spring are looming on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

© Georges-Olivier Kalifa / La Gazette de Monaco