Yacht Class n°41 (june-july-august 2025)
The Primo Cup – UBS brought the elite of international sailing to Monaco for a spectacular 41st edition.
Written by : Nicolas Massines – Photos : DR
Once again, the Monegasque waterbody lived up to all its promises. From 6th to 9th March, the best international crews competed in the first One-Design event of the year. The first, but also the last, since the Primo Cup – UBS also marks the final stage of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series 2024/2025, a winter championship that runs from November to March. This 41st edition offered a stiff easterly breeze to the 90 boats and over 400 sailors who competed for three days in the purest Monegasque tradition. Although regattas have been held in the waters of the Principality since 1800, it was not until 1985 that H.S.H. Prince Albert II, President of the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM), created this event, which has since become a fixture on the international sporting calendar.
Bringing together five classes (J/70, Smeralda 888, ClubSwan 28, Longtze Premier and Cape 31), the 41st edition of the Primo Cup – UBS reflected all the technological diversity of one-design series, attracting once again world champions and Olympic medallists alike, proof of the competitors’ undeniable commitment to the event. In the ClubSwan 28 class, an 8.5 m boat with a carbon mast that was actually making its debut on the international circuit, the Japanese Hatari beat the Swiss Anya Race, while Black Swan from the YCM completed the podium. The J/70 category, the most represented class, was won by Monegasque G-Spot, followed by Eurovoiles and Ailoa. For J/70 sailors, this event also counted 4th and final stage of the winter regatta season.
The Smeralda 888, a class designed by the famous naval architect Germán Frers that can accommodate four crew members, saw Giada prevailed over her rivals, who were no match for her two wins and a third place. YCM members Django and Millenium Falcon were respectively second and third. The Longtze Premier, these high-performance 7-metre sailboats with colourful sails designed by Steve Thompson, offered a great show. The Swiss Shensu scored a fine victory ahead of its compatriot QI and the German Xialong Racing. Last but not least, in the Cape 31 series, the planing hulls designed by Mark Mills and fitted with asymmetric spinnakers, victory was a family matter, as the Follin brothers won ahead of Ireland’s Adrenalin. Adrien Follin on Give me Five took the win, beating his brother Robin on Solano. The next edition of the event will take place from 6th to 8th March 2026
