The Yacht Club of Monaco welcomed representatives of IMOCA class, race Management and skippers, on February 27, 2018, to unveil the preliminary program for the new Monaco Globe Series, from June 1-8, 2018, a qualifier test for the famous Vendee Globe 2020. The YCM, under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II, continues to ramp up its competitive sailing program with the organization for the first time in its history of an IMOCA 60 mono-hulls stage on the circuit.

Pierre Casiraghi and Boris Herrmann on board Malizia 2017@Mesi

PCFCY_2000@Carlo Borlenghi-17

From Left to Right – Boris Herrmann, Pierre Casiraghi, Paul Meilhat and Alexia Barrier@mesi

From June 1-8, a dozen teams will gather in the Principality for the first time to take the start of a double-hander offshore race, without scale and without assistance, on a course that embraces some of the most emblematic landmarks in the western Mediterranean. Pierre Casiraghi, YCM Vice-President commented: “The arrival last year of Malizia II, the Yacht Club de Monaco’s offshore flagship, is part of our Club’s sailing policy, the ambition being to encourage our young sailors to dream and think about new vocations. Following our participation with Boris Herrmann last year in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2017, then the Transat Jacques Vabre, we were keen to host these 60’ mono-hulls for the first time in Monaco. We want to offer them a course that showcases the beauty of the Mediterranean and its enormous potential for sailing.”

The competition will cover 1,300 nautical miles, during four days and three nights of racing. Scheduled to depart from Monaco on June 3, the fleet races will sail down Corsica’s west coast, then will go through the Strait of Bonifacio, heading to the Aeolian Islands, where they tack in front of Stromboli and head for Palermo in Sicily. The fleet then sets course for the Balearic Islands before returning to Monaco. 
This challenging first stage departing from Monaco, marks the start of the new IMOCA 2018-2020 championship, renamed the Globe Series, with a system of points and weightings over a four-year period. The goal for sailors is to rack-up a maximum number of points to qualify for the bigger offshore races, with the Vendée Globe as the Holy Grail.

Skipper Alexia Barrier brings feminine touch to legendary race

Experienced female skipper Alexia Barrier,a business entrepreneur in the Principality and who counts with the support of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, will participate with a teammate in the Monaco Globe Series, as the first race to gather points to qualify for the next Vendee Globe qualification. Alexia declared with enthusiasm: “I am so happy that my story in Vendee Globe starts in Monaco.” 

Alexia Barrier @Claudia Albuquerque

Alexia Barrier @Stan Cast

Alexia will depart for the Vendee Globe in 2020 on board a monohull she renamed 4myplanet, that has a prestigious history and knows the route very well; it is the IMOCA of Romain Attanasio that finished 15th in the Vendee Globe 2016/17, also winner of the Fastnet Race with Catherine Chabaud, then the Velux 5 Oceans with American skipper Brad Van Lieu, that finished 10th in the VG 2012 and 8th of the TJV 2013.

Monaco Globe Series Provisional Program

Friday June 1, 2018

Exhibition day for teams and their sponsors

Runs and courses in Monaco Bay

Globe Series Opening Ceremony

Saturday June 2, 2018

Gala Dinner

Exhibition day

Runs and courses in Monaco Bay

Sunday June 3, 2018

Start of 1,300 nautical mile race

Friday June 8, 2018

Prize-giving ceremony

IMOCA 60

These 18.28m (60 ft); draft: 4.5m Mast: 29m max, mono-hulls made their entrance onto the race scene in 1986 at the BOC Challenge and are among the fastest modern racing hulls. Made of composite materials, they are designed to be as light as possible for speed, yet sturdy enough to defy oceanic weather conditions.

The Monegasque boat Malizia II, former Gitana 16 that belonged to Sébastien Josse, is a newcomer to the YCM fleet and embodies the new generation of its kind, considered one of the best mono-hulls competing in the last Vendée Globe. Fitted with a standardized keel and mast, the hull’s voluminous bow improves performance, not forgetting foils in place of the straight dagger board of previous IMOCAs.

While the class may have decided to constrain its ratings for safety reasons, IMOCA boats have continued to embrace innovations. Fixed keels became canting, hulls are more powerful (with more volume in front) and of course foils have made an appearance. These “Dali moustaches” take the weight of the hull and reduce hydrodynamic drag allowing the boat to go faster on certain points of sailing.

Today’s Quote

“A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.” Franklin D. Roosevelt