Races and Events scheduled for the occasion
By Martina Coppola
A busy program of events for the Yacht Club de Monaco which in 2023 celebrates the 70th anniversary of its foundation by Prince Rainier III. Chaired since 1984 by Prince Albert II of Monaco, this private club continues to honor its public service mandate by holding world-class promotional events. His agenda moves in the wake of the ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ initiative, launched to position the Principality as a center of excellence in this field.
The festivities begin, January 11, with the 13th Monaco Optimist Team Race which brings together the international elite of this discipline with 64 under-14 sailors representing 16 nations to compete on the water.
Participants compete in 120 matches in the knockout rounds leading up to the finals, which require skill, tactics and above all teamwork. To hone their racing techniques ahead of the challenge, the teams are already on site to take part in an international clinic (9-11 January 2023) supervised by Chris Atkins.
The spotlights will then be on one design with the 10th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series (February 2-5) and the 39th Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse (March 2-5). The best teams in the J/70 category, who train in the Principality, will meet again for Act III of the 10th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, now a fixed appointment in the calendar of international teams.
Racing promises to be tight for the fleet, currently led by YCM’s Ludovico Fassitelli on Junda followed by YCM’s Graeme Peterson (Moonlight II) and Stefano Roberti (Piccinina). The Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series season culminates for the J/70s with the fourth and final act taking place on the same weekend as the 39th Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse (March 2-5) and will bring together Smeralda 888, Longtze Premier and RS 21.
During Monaco Ocean Week, organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco and the Monaco Science Centre, the YCM is responsible for the nautical component focused on ocean protection.
There will be four appointments at the YCM on Thursday 23 March, starting with the 12th Environmental Symposium dedicated to the 10th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge on the theme of ‘Encouraging the Future for a more Sustainable Yachting’, with the aim of promoting more sustainable boating. It will then be the turn of the 27th Captains’ Forum, which brings together owners, captains and leaders of the superyacht sector under the theme ‘Superyacht Commitment: Management, Leadership & Mentoring’.
Following the success of the Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous (next to be held at the YCM, 24-25 September 2023), M3 (Monaco Marina Management) launches the first Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous, a networking event continuing on Friday 24 March culminating with the Smart Innovative Yacht Awards.
Supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Credit Suisse and innovation specialists for a sustainable economy, Blumorpho facilitates exchanges between the entire ecosystem to make it more virtuous and promotes innovations that could bring about major changes to the sector.
Thursday March 23 concludes with the 3rd YCM Explorer Awards of La Belle Classe Superyachts. Organized under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II since 2019, it is dedicated to shipowners who stand out for their commitment to protecting the marine environment, both in the design of their yacht and in its navigation. Different categories of awards assigned by a Jury of professionals: Technology & Innovation, Mediation & Science, Adventure & Environmental Ethics.
The Art de Vivre la Mer is the motto of the Yacht Club de Monaco. To illustrate this and to shine the spotlight on gourmet cuisine at sea as a further facet of the nautical professions, the YCM will organize the 4th edition of the Superyacht Chef competition on 30 March, with an international jury chaired by three-times-starred chef Yannick Alléno.
Helping build the future of tomorrow is a key priority for YCM, an ambition it pursues through the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge with a focus on alternative energy sources. For ten years, this event has brought together young engineers from technical institutes and universities around the world with the protagonists of the nautical industry.
The goal is to stimulate their creativity by leading them to design eco-responsible alternative propulsion systems, sharing information on open source. A series of novelties marks this tenth edition, in collaboration with Aqua superPower. Among these is the first E-Boat Rally: the protagonists are the electric boats already on the market to show the public what a cleaner future could look like.
Also new is the mentoring program to encourage industry professionals to support students. As a club linked to its sailing heritage, the YCM will organize the 16th Monaco Classic Week – La Belle Classe.
This unique biennial offers a journey through time, synonymous with the famous motto l’Art de Vivre le Mer. For the public, it is an opportunity to see some of the world’s most prestigious classic sailing yachts, vintage motor yachts and speedboats from It’s time to create such a show in the YCM Marina. This edition also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Prince Rainier III, founder of the YCM in 1953, a Prince so passionate about the sea and boats.
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