Monaco 2K Team Racing and Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series
by Isabelle Andrieux 10 Mar 2014 15:17 GMT
8-9 March 2014
Monaco 2K Team Racing © Franck Terlin
Keelboat duels in the Principality
Victory for the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club in the Monaco 2K Team Racing and the Monegasques in the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series – Melges 20
After the 30th Primo Cup which brought more than 800 sailors to Monaco barely a month ago, the Yacht Club de Monaco hosted the final of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series – Melges 20 this weekend, a winter training programme of 5 Acts that started in October 2013.
Also this weekend the Club, always a proactive player in the harbour, organised the 2nd edition of the Monaco 2K Team Racing, a match race competition between teams of two J24s that attracted eight international crews aged between 20 and 30.
Monaco 2K Team Racing: Costa Smeralda Yacht Club champion face to face
Under the supervision of International Umpire Bruce Hebbert, with the invaluable assistance of three YCM society members, Ian Ilsley, John and Josh Warren, Monaco launched the season with a new race formula, the 2K Team Race, which ran until October having passed through several European Yacht Clubs.
If the first day of competition on Friday resulted in no racing, there were a succession of races every ten minutes or so over the weekend, only interrupted by a change of crew aboard the eight J24s provided by the Yacht Club de Monaco and its society members.
Attracted by the mild Côte d'Azur climate, young sailors from Northern Europe made the trip to launch their season like for example the Irish from the Royal Cork Yacht Club, and the English from Oxford University.
Having also been at last year's regatta, it was the Sardinians from Porto Cervo, society members of the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club, who won this second edition with six race wins out of the seven run, ahead of the Oxford University (Spinnaker Auspicous) team and the Dutch from the Dutch Match Racing Association. We salute the Monegasques determination, who closed the rankings in a racing format that is still not very common in the Mediterranean.
Overall Results:
1st Costa Smeralda Yacht Club (ITA)
2nd Spinnaker Auspicious (GBR)
3rd Dutch Match Racing Association (HOL)
Grand finale for the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series – Melges 20: the unbeatable Nakhimov Racing
Part of the Club's sports policy the first Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series attracted 20 teams who participated in all five stages.
Starting in October 2013, the programme of winter regattas was aimed at professionals or amateurs keen to prepare for the Mediterranean season at the highest level. A concept that attracted a number of tacticians from Italy and Eastern countries who set up their winter quarters in Monaco, including the American Ed Baird who assisted Pierre Casiraghi in the first act.
Act 5 saw an amazing performance by the Monaco Racing Fleet crew, helmed by Guido Miani who won three of today's four races. It was enough to clinch third overall for the weekend, just behind the Italians on 3Menda, who finished second.
The undisputed leader from the start, the Monegasque Ivan Babich (Nakhimov Racing, 126 pts) kept his lead and maintained a consistent performance throughout. This weekend he not only won the regatta but also enters the history books by winning the first edition with 89 points, ahead of the Russians on Granitogres (215 pts) with Valentin Zavadnikov (Synergy, 220 pts) completing the podium.
Following the success of this first edition, the Yacht Club de Monaco has already announced that the second edition will start on 24th October 2014. Other keelboats, like the SB20s and J70s have expressed their wish to join the Melges 20 fleet.
Act 5 Results:
1st Nakhimov Racing (MON) 18pts
2nd Menda (ITA) 23pts
3rd Monaco Racing Fleet (MON) 25pts
Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series 2013/2014 Results:
1st Nakhimov Racing (MON) 126pts
2nd Granitogres (RUS) 215pts
3rd Synergy (RUS) 220pts