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YACHT CLASS N°30 (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022)
In each issue, discover the latest news of all the yacht clubs around the world twinned with the Monegasque club.
Clube Naval de Cascais (CNC)
44Cup : Charisma’s revenge
Last february, they ended up last in the 44Cup in Lanzarote. In Cascais, Charisma, the boat of Nico Poons, a member of the Yacht Club de Monaco, and his crew defied all predictions and challenged a belief that 44Cup races are always decided in the last gybes of the last race. From the start of this competition, which was the second stage of the 2022 circuit of this class of high-performance yachts helmed by their owners, the YCM member set the bar very high after winning all first three races. And if the results of the next three days were not as clear-cut, Charisma, with professional sailor Álvaro Marinho from the Clube Naval de Cascais on board, finished the weekend with five victories out of the eleven races contested, including the final leg of the competition. He won the 44 Cup Cascais with 12 points before Igor Lah’s Ceeref. Chris Bake’s Team Aqua completes the podium.
Quantum Racing crowned Rolex TP52 World Champions
Last June, the TP52 Super Series circuit made a stop in Cascais, for its second stage, which also counted as the world championship of this class. And the least we can say is that the Portuguese waters are very good for the American crew of Quantum Racing. The 2022 winners won their third back-to back regatta and their second worlds title there. Despite being a four-time champion in this decade-old competition, the title is a bit special to tactician Terry Hutchinson and the crew as it is the first won with owner-driver DeVos at the helm. After four days of precision positioning and challenging tactics on an unusually open and light wind race arena, the northwestly trade winds finally hit the course at 20-22 knots providing great racing conditions for the nine boat fleet. With seven podiums out of the ten races during the leg, Quantum Racing won on consistency with a seven point ahead of Harm Müller-Spreer’s Platoon and eight ahead of Andy Soriano’s Alegre. A high ranking victory considering how close the class is at the moment. Wins and losses – especially upwind – were often down to metres, or fractions of a metre.
A competitive demonstration of inclusive sailing
It is one of the CNC’s flagship programs. For the past ten years, “Vela Sem Limites” (Sails without Boundaries) has offered thousands of free adapted sailing sessions to people with disabilities. Last year, the club acquired an Inclusion 6.5 catamaran, a boat specially designed to make sailing accessible to all, which can accommodate ten people, including four in wheelchairs. Early June, the Portuguese club hosted its traditional annual adaptive sailing competition, the Saúde Prime Cup – Sailing Without Boundaries, sponsored by Saúde Prime, a brand of the Future Healthcare Group, which is a strong supporter of the program. A true celebration of the CNC’s adaptive sailing program, from which several talented athletes have emerged and represent the club in Portugal and abroad.
Kieler Yacht Club (KYC)
Kiel revives the Olympic flame
August was a busy month on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Two months after the world-famous Kiel Week, the city of Kiel took another look at its history with the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics, for which it hosted the sailing events. The Schilksee Olympic Center took a step back in time and welcomed once again the 1972 Olympic classes, such as the Tempest, Star, Dragon and Flying Dutchman, for a revival competition. “We are particularly pleased to be able to welcome back sailors who participated in the original event. For example, Ullrich Libor, bronze medalist in 1972, will be back at the start of the Flying Dutchman after 50 years”, explained Martje Uecker, general manager of the KYC, one of the organizing members of these events. But before this beautiful adventure in the past, the future and the youth were in the spotlight since the Kieler Yacht Club hosted from August 10th to 16th the combined international championship of the German youth which gathers every four years all the classes of youth boats. More than 650 junior boats were registered for the event, including just under 300 in the Optimist class.
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS)
The club hosted the World championship 2022
This is one of the many large-scale and prestigious events that the YCCS hosts this year. From June 24th to 30th, the ORC World Championship 2022 was organised at the YCCS, in collaboration with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), under the aegis of World Sailing and the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV). This year again, this high-flying competition gathered no less than 69 boats of 16 nationalities, divided into three classes (A-B-C) according to the type and performance of the boats, in order to obtain homogeneous groups. And the event lived up to its promise. The wide various weather conditions and the winds of up to 30 knots that animated the water body offered the crews an intense week with no less than seven races – an offshore one of more than 24 hours and six coastal races. In terms of results, Karl Kwok’s TP52 Beau Geste, world champion in 2018, won the A class, ahead of the Swan 45 From Now On of Argentinean Fernando Chain, winner of the offshore race and author of regular performances during the coastal regattas. The third step of the podium and the Corinthian victory went to Milù III, a Mylius 14e55 owned by Andrea Pietrolucci. In the B class, the trophy remains in the hands of the reigning world champion Catalin Trandafir (Grand Soleil 44 Essentia). He was followed on the podium by Sideracordis, owned by the president of the Compagnia della Vela di Venezia, Pier Vettor Grimani, who also won the Corinthian classification. In Class C, Ott Kikkas’ 98 Sugar 3 remained unchallenged with a series of five first places and a second in the long offshore race. Next year, the ORC World Championship will be held in Kiel, hometown of another club twinned with the Yacht Club de Monaco, the Kieler Yacht Club.
Yacht Club Italiano (YCI)
Lisa R wins the 69th Rolex Giraglia, Magic Carpet Cubed line honours
The years go by and the mythical Rolex Giraglia has never lost any of its glory. As usual, this week of racing in three acts began with the 60 miles night race between Sanremo and Saint-Tropez. For this leg, no less than 56 boats from 16 different nations, including some flying the flag of Uruguay, Argentina, Turkey and the Cayman Islands, were present this year. After a navigation in light winds, Adriano Calvini’s Felci 71 Itacentodue first crossed the finish line in Saint-Tropez. The jetset capital was also the venue of three days of coastal racing and as usual, it provided fantastic conditions to the 164 boats spread over two courses: a windward and leeward course off Pampelonne for the Maxis, a 13 mile coastal course for the others. At the end of the inshore racing, time had come to head offshore, for the main race heading to Genoa and the Yacht Club Italiano, via the Giraglia Rock, off the coast of Corsica. This year again, the record of 14 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds set in 2012 by Esimit Europa 2 remained unbeaten. Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones’ Magic Carpet Cubed crossed the finish line after a navigation of slightly over 34 hours. The compensated time victory went to Giovanni Di Vicenzo’s Ker 46 Lisa R, who finished in 41 hours 08 minutes, more than two hours ahead of her direct rival, Adriano Calvini’s Felci 61 Itacentodue (2nd in the IRC category). The ORC class was won by Chilean J/122 Anita, followed by the Dufour 40 Lady. These were ahead of Andrea Zaoli’s One-Tonner, Resolute Salmon, who won the Super Combined (winner in the largest group having participated in all races). See you next year for the 70th anniversary of this legendary race!
Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC)
An exceptional Volvo Cork Week for the oldest yacht club of the world
It should have taken place in 2020 and served as a celebration for the 300th anniversary of the Royal Cork Yacht Club. It was finally this year that the 21st edition of the Volvo Cork Week (finally) was held in the Irish city’s bay, after four years of absence. And with the art and the manner! The event, already considered as the most important regatta organized in Ireland, saw this edition become one of the biggest ever organized. No less than 192 boats and nearly 2 000 sailors from all over the world (Ireland, France, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United States…) and divided into fourteen classes (IRC, Dragon, Classics…) gathered for five days of festivities on land and proud battles on the water, under a wonderful sunshine. Note that for some classes, the event also counted as a national championship – for the ICRA (Irish Cruiser Racing Association) – or European, for the 1720, who came in force with 43 boats. The famous Beaufort Cup, reserved for volunteers and uniformed personnel, saw this year’s victory of Crosshaven Royal National Lifeboat Institution aboard Annemarie Fegan and Denis Murphy’s Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo. Winner of the Fastnet Race in real time, Nieulargo dropped back to fourth place after the IRC time correction, before moving back into the lead with four wins in the inshore races. Thanks to this strong performance, the Crosshaven RNLI wins the 10 000 € prize money of this race.
Société Nautique de Genève (SNG)
A book for the 150th anniversary
On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, the Swiss club has published a 200-page book entitled: “La Société Nautique de Genève: 150 ans de passion du lac et de la navigation”. The culmination of a year’s work by historian Tristan Gaston-Breton, who went through the club’s archives and interviewed key witnesses in order to relate the major stages of this club, which boasts four sections: rowing, yachting, light sailing and propeller. This book “that can be read like a novel” offers “a story full of twists and turns, as much linked to the extraordinary century and a half that the club has gone through as to its internal developments. The Société Nautique de Genève has been able to stay the course through victories and storms, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that it can continue to be proud of its mark in the years to come,” explains Pierre Girod, the SNG president. Thus, this book retraces the major stages of this club since its creation in 1872, including its first major international regattas, the development of its twinning arrangements and its participation in the America’s Cup, won twice in 2003 and 2007… “150 years of involvement in the history of Geneva, both social and sporting, at regional, national and international level,” the president recalled, before wishing “good reading and vivat, cresceat, floreat SNG*.”
*”may it live, grow, flourish” in Latin
Décision 35 w-team wins the 83th Bol d’or Mirabaud
There was a real ballet on Lake Geneva on June 11th and 12th during the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, the most important regatta in the world in a closed basin. Over a 123 km course from Geneva to Bouveret and back, this competition has brought together hundreds of boats and thousands of professional and amateur sailors every year since 1939, and has been a showcase for Swiss sailing and technological innovation. For its 83rd edition, there were actually many prototypes among the fleet of 438 sailboats. This year, the new event village in the heart of the SNG was fully operational and hosted the festivities. In terms of results, this edition was marked by very light wind conditions, which favored the older multihulls and impacted the foiled ones that could not get out of the water. The victory went to the crew of Christian Wahl, on the catamaran Décision 35 w-team, who crossed the finish line after 12:24:16. With his record of eight victories, the sailor from Geneva is now the most successful racer in the history of the Bol d’Or. He is followed on the podium by Loïc Peyron and his TF35 Artexplora, then by the young sailors of the Okalys Youth Project helmed by Arnaud Grange. In the monohull category, Libera Raffica won the Bol de Vermeil for the third time.
A great anniversary
150 Years, this is something to celebrate! From July 18th to 24th, the Swiss club celebrated the anniversary of its foundation during the Jubilee Week, during which the four sections of the club were honored. On the program of the festivities, onshore activities of course at the event village, with food trucks, live concerts and DJ sets… Lake Geneva also had its share of celebrations as it was the scene of numerous regattas as part of the Sailing Week, but also of wakeboard and wakesurf demonstrations, water skiing exhibitions… The 8mJI, who were participating the following week in their world championship, organized at the SNG, took advantage of the opportunity to do some training. The club also organized the 150th anniversary parade on Friday, with Geneva and its famous Jet d’eau in the background. To celebrate this stage in beauty.
Circolo della Vela Sicilia (CVS) – Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS)
Palermo-Montecarlo 2022: back to normal
As this magazine went to press, the Palermo – Monte Carlo was about to set off from the Sicilian capital for a 17th edition all about racing, onshore festivities and a return to normalcy. Organised by the Circolo della Vela Sicilia (CVS), in collaboration with the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), this 500 nautical mile tactical race links the Gulf of Mondello, off the coast of the CVS, and the Principality, via a gate off Porto Cervo and the YCCS, and a passage either to the east of Corsica or to the west through the Strait of Bonifacio. Note that this event also counted as a stage in the Italian Offshore Championship organised by the Italian Sailing Federation,in the Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge by the International Maxi Association and in the Class40 Mediterranean Trophy. At the end of July, the event was already looking promising with around 40 crews registered, including Ambrogio Beccaria (Alla Grande), winner of the 2019 Mini Transat, Kito de Pavant (Reforest’action), the French crew of Tonnerre de Glen skippered by Dominique Tian and Christian Kerl’s Class 40, Blue Planet. So who will follow Guido and Adalberto Miani’s 100-foot Arca SGR, winner in real time, or the Circolo della Vela Sicilia boat, J122 Joy, who won the overall IRC and ORC International?
The answer in our next issue!
Written by Aurore Teodoro
