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Yacht Class n°32 (march-april-may 2023)
The Yacht Club de Monaco’s (YCM) monthly training regatta is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. An opportunity to review this true championship that has turned the Principality a winter base for one-design sailing.
Written by: Aurore Teodoro – Photos : Carlo Borlenghi, Stefano Gattini & Francisco Ferri / Studio Borlenghi, Franck Terlin, Nathalie Couloud, Mesi / Yacht Club de Monaco & DR
Ten years after their creation, the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series (MSWS), the monthly winter training regattas organised between November and March, have become a international championship that attracts dozens of crews from all over the world every year. Five things to know about the competition.
1) The idea came from a club member
Valentin Zavadnikov was the driving force behind the MSWS. “He was looking for a winter training base for himself and his friends in Melges 20”, explained Thierry Leret, YCM race director, who was then in charge of the sports section. “At that time, we organised two J/24 regattas a month for club members. Valentin Zavadnikov had the idea of opening up the event to outside racers. The Monaco Winter Series is a combination of both.” The first season, launched in October 2013, attracted around thirty One-design in Melges 20, SB20 and J/24. The latter were rapidly replaced by the J/70, the club’s new flagship. The J/70 has been the backbone of the event ever since, although occasionally other series have been invited such as the Smeralda 888 or the M32. The GC32 also attended under the impulse of Pierre Casiraghi, whose Malizia adventure began with this boat. “The J/70 really meets the owners’ and crews’ expectations. It is relatively inexpensive and requires few crew members. It is easy to manage”, reminded Fanny Brouchoud, project manager for the event. “Many sailors have left for this series that has now taken over. The class has always been present in Monaco since its creation. It was even one of the very first national classes to develop.”
2) The Primo Cup – Trophée Crédit Suisse is one of its acts
The Primo Cup stands out in the Winter Series calendar. Launched in 1985 at the instigation of YCM President Prince Albert II, this major winter one-design event has naturally become part of the MSWS. “When we created this winter championship, the Primo Cup already existed. It would have been strange not to integrate it, but it is still a bit apart”, underlines Thierry Leret. If it counts as an act for the MSWS boats, it differs in the many series that attend each year. “It’s really a gathering of different One Design. We bring in other series depending on what’s new and how they are evolving,” said Fanny Brouchoud. Over the years, the competition has thus welcomed Stars, Dragons, Longtze Premier, Smeralda 888… Initially organised in February, the Primo Cup has become the grand finale of these winter regattas a few years ago. ” We realised that we had more series and more people if we organised it in March”, Thierry Leret explained. A good way to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring!
3) An unparalleled event
The recipe for success? A turnkey formula that allows the crews to come for the first act and leave their boat in Monaco, rigged and stored, between events. Making logistics and crew movements easier. We can also mention the mild Mediterranean winters, the attractiveness of Monaco and “the fact that we were a forerunner in the class, the proximity of the airport and the welcome of the YCM”, added Fanny Brouchoud. The competition has also benefited from the club’s new, larger and more modern facilities on Quai Louis-II. “Our marina can welcome 40 to 50 boats from one weekend to another, both on the water and on land. This capacity contributes to the quality of the event”, said Thierry Leret. With dozens of boats each year, the event has found its public. Last season was even a record-breaker as many crews came to discover the Monegasque waterbody ahead of the world championship held there last October. In this post-championship year, despite an expected slowdown, the club still welcomed some forty J/70s. “We are almost disappointed… But this is a great attendance. There is no other club that manages to gather 40 boats for a winter regatta”, underlined the project manager
4) A competition appreciated by the sailing elite
As in any sports, intensity is the key to success. With one event per month between November and March, the MSWS offers a unique opportunity to prepare for the season. Over the years, these winter regattas have become much more than simple training sessions. “The MSWS are very important to us club members. You could say that it is a small European winter championship. Crews come from all over the continent, and even beyond,” confirmed Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda). Among these international sailors is the elite of the sailing world. Renowned athletes like Paul Goodison, Laser gold medallist (2008), Olympian Christian Nehammer, Italian world champion Roberto Benamati, Elliot Willis, a member of the British 470 sailing team, and Brazilian Marcelo Ferreira, three-time Olympic star medallist, have sailed in Monaco. “The level calls for the level. The best sailors attract the best sailors”, said Thierry Leret.
5) A spirit, a team, a club
The Winter Series also provides an unparalleled playing field for the Monegasque fleet. Among them are young sailors of the sports section. They get a valuable experience, and sometimes more. “At first, the youngsters are together, four or five of them, and they learn the ropes. And a few of them always emerge and are invited by professional crews. We are very proud to have Martin Lemarchand, world vice champion in 2022 (on board Pierrik Devic’s Leonteq) or Leonardo (Bonelli) who was Optimist champion and is now a tactician on Ludovico Fassitelli’s boat. For us, this is a final goal and these youngsters are a driving force for the next generations”, underlined Thierry Leret. This spirit of passing on, so dear to the Club, is also shared by its own members. “The YCM is one large family. One club, one spirit,” confirmed Ludovico Fassitelli. “It’s easy to have pros, you just have to pay them. For me, it’s important to have young sailors. The challenge was to be at the level with them. Three years ago, I put together a team with some of the club’s youngsters. We had some very good results. There is still Leonardo who joined us when he was fifteen. Now he is a little man. It’s a great satisfaction to be able to pay it forward”.
