Esimit Europa 2 sets new record in the XIth Palermo-Montecarlo race
by Isabelle Andrieux 23 Aug 2015 21:35 BST
23 August 2015
Esimit Europa 2 sets a new record in the Palermo-Montecarlo race © Carloni
The 100' Maxi Esimit Europa 2, flying the Yacht Club de Monaco's flag, crossed the finish line of the 11th edition of the Palermo-Montecarlo at exactly 11 hours 46 minutes 48 seconds, setting a new speed record.
Having left Palermo on Friday (21st August), the team put together by Igor Simcic and skippered by Jochen Schümann, two-time America's Cup winner and three-time Olympic medallist, has again set the bar high after completing the course in less than two days in 47 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds, smashing their previous record of 48 hours and 52 minutes 21 seconds, set in 2010.
After this victorious finish, Jochen Schümann, the skipper of Esimit Europa 2 said: "It is a very surprising result that we finished in a record time on top of the line honours victory. The result is based on the very good start that we had, also on very good up and down sailing at the beginning that already enabled us to open up good lead, so that throughout the race we felt free to make our own racing decisions. I must say that our navigator Tom Addis did a great job and made very good decisions at some of the very crucial points during the race, around the Strait of Bonifacio and later on, so that we never stopped, which is very important in this race. This result is a great compliment to the team and the yacht just a few days before the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the project which will take place here in Monte Carlo."
Absent in last two editions due to competing in North European competitions and other offshore races Esimit Europa 2 has pulled off a remarkable return to this 500nm offshore race that it won in real time in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
"After the Volcano Race and the Giraglia Rolex Cup, the Palermo-Montecarlo was a priority on our 2015 race programme, since it is a very special one for us, as it finishes in Monte Carlo, where our home yacht club is and where we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of our project of connecting business, diplomacy and sport. We are proud to sail for the Yacht Club de Monaco and bring another victory crowned with a record back home." said Igor Simcic, Esimit Europa 2, clearly extremely proud of his crew.
Esimit Europa 2 well and truly widened the gap as the other 37 competitors, who remain in a relatively compact peloton, led by Francesco de Angelis on the TP52 B2 which is only just passed the Strait of Bonifacio, followed by the VOR 70 SFS II, skippered by Lionel Péan, who have taken a different option, up Corsica's east coast closely followed by Ville de Genève.
Note also that the team on Uunet, composed of youngsters from the Yacht Club de Monaco's Sports Sections, supervised by Philippe Monnet and Thierry Leret, are on course to pull off an excellent race as they are currently lying in 8th position.
To follow their progress visit www.ycm.org or www.palermo-montecarlo.it