Monaco Swan One Design at Yacht Club de Monaco Day 2
by Nautor's Swan 11 Apr 2019 20:08 BST
9-13 April 2019
Monaco Swan One Design - Day 2 © Martina Orsini / Nautor's Swan
The second day of racing at the 2019 Monaco Swan One Design ended in disappointment for the competing crews, despite the best efforts of the Yacht Club de Monaco Race Committee; the sole race of the day abandoned just before the second windward mark.
The YCM had kept everyone ashore while waiting for the breeze to fill in and a start was eventually organized at 14.45. Frustratingly, the stability of the already fragile wind deteriorated sufficiently during the race for the officials to call a halt and send the yachts home for the day. Racing is planned to resume tomorrow.
With no race today, the standings from the first day remain unchanged. Skorpios (RUS) leads ClubSwan 50, Porron IX (ESP) heads Swan 45 and Far Star the ClubSwan 42 division. Italy is top country in The Nations Trophy.
"It would have been nice to have completed the course today, but that's the way it goes," said Andrea Masi, owner of the ClubSwan 50 Ulika (Italy). "For me it is the first time racing here in Monaco, so it's a new experience. The yacht club and atmosphere are wonderful. So, so far, so good."
A former Swan 45 owner, Masi is finding the step up to the ClubSwan 50 class to be a high one, but he is entirely happy to have made it. "This is just the beginning. We plan to do all The Nations Trophy Mediterranean League calendar and The Nations Trophy in October. I raced the Swan 45 for 12 years and it is in my head, but this boat, the 50, is a real an evolution. I am very happy, it is fast and I enjoy using it for cruising too."
Masi is looking forward to the next events on the calendar even if he has a small concern about the number of ClubSwan 50s expected in Palma for The Nations Trophy. "I think it will be too much!" he laughs, with no effort to conceal a huge grin. "When there are 19 boats on the start it will be really competitive, every error will be costly. It will be very difficult to recover from a bad position." One suspects that secretly he relishes the prospect.
The country versus country competition is another aspect of The Nations Trophy Mediterranean League that attracts him. "I think this adds something to the contest, it is certainly a good idea."
For Christophe Wargny, the owner of the ClubSwan 42 Zappy's, this is not just the first time racing in Monaco, but the first serious one-design campaign he has embarked upon with his 42. "We decided to race one-design this year, which was a big decision since it meant a new suit of sails," Wargny explained. "I am really, completely happy with the decision. Even, despite the loss of racing today. We cannot do anything about the weather!" Wargny is another planning to do the Mediterranean League with the trip to Scarlino coming up very shortly. "The organization that we have experienced so far is just perfect. We are very, very happy to have come to Monaco for the first time and we will certainly be back next year too. We will be in Scarlino, at the Rolex Giraglia and then in Palma for the Copa del Rey" continued Wargny.
Wargny sails with a mix of family, friends and others. "The core of five or six remains the same throughout the season and then we add family or friends to complete the crew," he advises. "We have a really good tactician in Adrien de Belloy from Cogolin. Today is really annoying because we were beating everyone when the race was stopped!"
Ulika, Zappy's and all the 12 other competing crews are hoping for a better day tomorrow. Certainly, from a social perspective, there is plenty to look forward to with the Owner's Dinner on Friday, 12 April, at the Yacht Club de Monaco, The dinner is being supported by Banor, an international wealth management group focused on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors. Banor is among the signatories of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) with the aim of fostering a greater awareness of sustainability.
During the evening, there will be an auction to support the projects promoted by Marevivo, a not-for-profit NGO with over 30 years' commitment to the protection and enhancement of marine environments. Banor is honoured to be contributing to this event and, in turn, such a good cause. And, because being sustainable will be a core mission within the organisation and development of all Nautor's Swan events going forward, the company is delighted that two of its partners have joined forces at the first event of The Nations Trophy Mediterranean League 2019.
Racing at the Monaco Swan One Design continues tomorrow, 12 April, with the first signal scheduled for 11.00 CEST.
For more information about the 2019 Monaco Swan One Design, visit here