NEWS FROM THE TWINNED CLUBS (N°23)

Yacht Class n°23 (Dec 2020- Jan-Feb 2021)

In each issue, discover the latest news of all the yacht clubs around the world twinned with the Monegasque club.

YACHT CLUB PUNTA DEL ESTE (YCPE)

A graceful restart

Uruguay did not escape the wave of Covid-19 either. Always very active on the international scene, the Yacht Club Punta del Este organized no less than 120 races between October 2019 and March 2020 (Optimist, Laser and J70 national championships, the Clipper round-the-world race, South American J70 and the Rolex South Atlantic circuit) before the virus Covid-19 arrived to the country and the health measures caused the club to close. Fortunately, Uruguay has now the situation under control, and the club has gradually reopened its services and has been able to resume its sailing school and competitions once the southern winter over. Thus, in October, the YCPE held the Laser Nationals as well as the Optimist qualification to international events and annual ranking. A smooth restart of activity, always respecting safety protocols, before resuming its normal rhythm. The club is now planning the J70 races that will take place during the southern summer as well as many Optimist races for the younger ones, and also the traditional Rolex Championships of the South Atlantic Circuit and the Punta del Este Classic Week, to be held in January 2021. To make up for lost time!

YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE (YCF)

The Autumn Cup

On Sunday September 27th was held the traditional YCF Autumn Cup took place. This 23-mile liaison race between the Régates Royales de Cannes and the Voiles de Saint-Tropez (our article page 94) brought together 24 classic boats this year. The Bermudian sloop Il Moro di Venezia won the race in real time. In terms of rankings, this “rally” regatta rewarded Palynodie II in the Classic Marconi category, Scud (Auric Period), Comet (Marconi Period) and Nirvana (Spirit of Tradition).

REPUBLIC OF SINGAPOUR YACHT CLUB (RSYC)

Stay & Cruise

With the Covid-19 crisis affecting almost every country in the world hard, everyone is trying to be creative to offer context-specific solutions. Like the RSYC, which has created a new vacation package – Stay & Cruise – for during the year-end school holiday. Since travel is restricted, it offers a staycation: a stay at the RSYC Marina Lodge, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, combined with a five-hour cruise on board a private yacht around the southern islands of Singapore. Perfect to relax and enjoy the view of the beautiful blue ocean and sky. A true invitation to sail away from all the worries of the moment.

The return of International One Meter

Last September, the RSYC saw the return of International One Meter (IOM) radio control sailing return to the. As part of the RSYC Metazone initiative to bring all sorts of sailing to the members, the RSYC hosted 14 IOM sailors to its first RSYC IOM Sail and Mini Regatta. A second RSYC Metazone regatta was scheduled for the last weekend of November 2020, when we put to bed this issue.

Offshore training for the RSYC-Metazone Racing Group

This is one of the latest news from the RSYC. The club has announced the addition of IRC handicap racing which brings the Metazone Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) group closer to sailing and racing larger sailboat in the sport keel boat category. RSYC-Metazone Big Brother Big Sister racers have 2 fast and competitive IRC rated boats. BBBS just added the IRC boat XtraMile, an 8 meter Cork 1720 to the RSYC racing fleet and to the other IRC boat Heatwave, a Young 8.4 meter. This is in addition to the SB20 one design sport boats, whose SB20 class racing group returns to the water and training after the long Covid-19 shutdown.

CLUBE NAVAL DE CASCAIS (CNC)

Passing of the torch

After 14 years of good and loyal services (2006-2020), the Commodore of Clube Naval de Cascais, Miguel Horta e Costa passed the testimony to José Sotto Mayor Matoso (left picture), who is no stranger to the club since he was its president from 2008 to 2014. During a dinner with a small amount of members and guests – thanks once again Covid-19 – the President of the club, Gonçalo Esteves, spoke and thanked Commodore Miguel Horta e Costa for his fantastic commitment and dedication over the years.

A great autumn for Pedro Mendes Leal and his crew

A few days after hosting the 25th edition of the H.M. King Juan Carlos Trophy (August 28th-30th), the Dragons had another rendezvous at the Clube Naval de Cascais for the Portuguese National Championship of the class. Favourite after their victory in the 25th H.M. King Juan Carlos Trophy, the crew of Pedro Mendes Leal, Jorge Ferlov and Pedro Rebelo de Andrade quickly took the lead with three victories out of three races achieved on the first day. A leadership they never left during the three days of regattas, since they won five out of the six races in total. They were followed by “Jupiter” skipped by Francisco Pinheiro de Melo and by “Peggy” by Miguel Magalhães.

20th edition of the Cascais Vela

This is one of the major events of the CNC. Early October, the Portuguese club organised the 20th edition of the Cascais Vela, which offered its 67 participants, divided into three classes (NHC, ORC and SB20) three spectacular days of sailing. In ORC class – Trophy Quebramar, division A, the victory went to the José Carlos Prista’s “Xekmatt”, who also wins the general classification of the class. He is followed by two CNC members: Miguel Graça’s “Rational German Kitchens” and Alexandre Kossack’s “Giulietta 2 – Marina de Cascais”. The B division was won by Nunos Neves’s ONE-Syone. In NHC class – Regatta of the Marina de Cascais, the winner was Francisco Brito e Abreu’s “Cristina A”, followed by José Vozone’s “Metralha” and “VO65 – Mirpuri Foundation Racing For the Planet”, won also won the NHC trophy for real time. As for the SB20, the Mitsubishi Challenge was won by the Dom Pedro Hotels, followed by the Youth Team Portugal -98.1 Radio Marginal, two CNC boats. Edward Russo’s French team completed the podium.

1er Trophée SailCascais

The CNC has just added a new competition to its already busy calendar: the SailCascais Trophy, a three-day regatta dedicated to the SB20 class. For this great premiere, which took place from August 28th to 30th, the club gathered no less than 27 SB20 on its water body. With good wind conditions, they were able to do seven races that saw the victory of the current champion of Portugal Henrique Brites and his crew Portugal Youth/Radio Marginal.

YACHT CLUB COSTA SMERALDA (YCCS)

A new commodore

A new chapter has begun at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Riccardo Bonadeo, its commodore since 2008, stepped down. “I have always felt a strong sense of belonging to our Club. During my career as an owner I felt particularly proud to fly the YCCS burgee on international regatta courses. My experience as Commodore has allowed me see the Club as an extended family, to which I have had the privilege of devoting much of my time. My mandate has ended but I can guarantee that I will give all the support necessary to my successor so that the helm of the YCCS rests securely in his hands.” And to replace him, the General Assembly of the YCCS elected Michael Illbruck. A member since 1987, Illbruck has enjoyed a long and significant sporting career, including winning the 2001-2002 VOR or the World Champion in the Melges 20 class in 2016. “I am honoured by the faith that has been placed in me in giving me this role and I want to thank everyone for it. I will do my best to guide the YCCS from today onwards, and will honour the path set out by its founders in 1967. My objective will be to develop new initiatives that will have ever-greater appeal for the younger generations” Michael Illbruck declared, after his election.

Young Azzurra continues

It should have taken place from February 18th to March 12th 2021, between the Prada Cup and the 36th edition of the America’s Cup. These two will take place, but the very first Youth America’s Cup, which was supposed to welcome 19 teams from 13 nations in New Zealand, was unfortunately a collateral victim of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, this has not discouraged the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, which has been working hard to put together the crew – two boys and two girls, aged between 18 and 25 – of its Young Azzurra team that will represent the club and Italy. For several months now, Ettore Botticini, the skipper, aboard the Persico 69F, a 6.90 m One design monohull fitted with two V-shaped foils, has been pratictising and participating in the class circuit, alternating different sailors in crew roles, with the aim of forming the best possible team of new Italian sailing talents. In September, the team officially welcomed flight controller Federico Colaninno (double Italian champion in Finn), then more recently, Francesca Bergamo and Erica Ratti who will alternate in the role of mainsail trimmer. To continue training until the situation gets back to normal…

The Audi Sailing Champions League final 2020

Like for the European football clubs, sailing also has its own championship league, the Audi SAILING Champions League. A “championship of national champions” that, since 2013, gathers the most successful National Sailing League clubs to compete for the title of “Best Sailing Club of the Year”. This competition, in several qualifying stages, offers short formats, with a standardised course and one-design boats. And this year the sailing elite met in Porto Cervo for the grand final organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, with the support of its One Ocean Foundation and institutional partner Audi. The first international event organised by the club since the pandemic began, this champions league offered the 27 crews, representing 13 nations, four magnificent days of racing, with all kinds of weather conditions and gusts at up to 30 knots. In total, the 14 flights and 56 races disputed led to the victory of the Germans of the Segel-und Motorboot Club Überlingen. They were followed by the Italian team Aeronautica Militare and the Swiss Seglervereinigung Kreuzlingen. Note that, in line with its environmental commitment, the YCCS also offered a focus on raising awareness on the issue of safeguarding the sea, with the presentation of a study currently being carried out by its One Ocean Foundation and the CNR of Oristano regarding the quality of the waters off Sardinia’s coasts and the presence of Yvan Griboval’s expedition OceanoScientific, which left Monaco a few days before.

IATE CLUBE DE SANTOS (ICS)

A record 70th Regata Santos-Rio

It is one of the key events of the Iate Clube de Santos. The Santos-Rio Regatta, created shortly after the birth of the Brazilian club, is one of the most popular events for shipowners. As proof, this year, they were 68 yachts on the starting line, a record in the history of the competition! On board were many of the leading figures in the world of Brazilian sailing, including Olympians such as the Grael family, Isabel Swan, Samuel Albrecht, Maurício Santa Cruz… All of which promised a great competition at sea, in addition to the great celebration on land, since the departure took place on Friday, October 23rd, in front of more than 5 000 spectators, after an opening parade, accompanied, on land, by the band of the Military Police of Guarujá and the Minister of Mines and Energy of Brazil, Admiral of the Squadron Bento Costa Lima Leite de Albuquerque Júnior. And this 70th regatta brought its share of spectacle, since during the first 24 hours, the competitors had to face waves of up to three metres and winds of up to 38 knots. The arrival of the east winds made the 180 nautical miles between the two cities the most challenging in the history of the competition. In terms of results, Sorsa III of Celso Quintella was the first to cross the finish line and won the Blue Ribbon for the third time in a row. The ORC class saw the victory of the Ventaneiro 3, while the C-BVela Rudá and Pangea and the Orama/Pinguim won the IRC, RGS and Mini 6.5 respectively. This 70th Santos-Rio also had a “Classics” category, and for the occasion awarded the La Belle Classe trophy, in reference to one of the oldest classic sailing regattas in the world organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco (The Iate Clube de Santos has been an ambassador of the Belle Classe since 2013, see page 174, editor’s note). This category saw the victory of the 1957 Aventura, skipped by Jorge Bastiani, who also won the La Belle Classe trophy.

Written by Aurore Teodoro