MONACO, Dec. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (LaPresse)  - To celebrate an eventful 2023 and the 70th anniversary of the Yacht Club de Monaco, Prince Albert II of Monaco, president of Yacht Club de Monaco, rewarded the Club members at the usual winter cocktail.  An event aiming not only to reward the Club's ambassadors but also to celebrate the arrival of new members and reveal the roadmap for the next season. "These celebrations have allowed us to celebrate seventy years of navigation and unforgettable encounters", said Prince Albert II.

“Yachting is also synonymous with sporting performance and values that are close to my heart,” continued the Sovereign. Gold medal at the Small States Games in the ILCA 4 category, world champion titles in the Finn, RC44, Swan50 and 5.5 categories, a victory at the Voiles de Saint-Tropez for Tuiga, the Club's flagship: this year's performances have marked the life of the Club, which continues to grow and shine through its members. 2024 will be a year dedicated to sport with the organization of the Olympic Games and the possible selection of a sailor from the Club, the 37th edition of the America's Cup which will be held in Barcelona and where some members of the Club will take part, without forgetting the Vendée Globe. The IMOCA Malizia-Seaexplorer of the Malizia team, founded by Pierre Casiraghi, vice-president of the Y.C.M., and skippered by Boris Herrmann, will once again take part in the round-the-world race. "The idea is to cover as many miles as possible before the start," explains Pierre Casiraghi, "we are trying to gain experience on our IMOCA so that we know it as well as possible".

The highlight of the evening was the awarding of the Ubs YCM Sailor of the Year 2023 trophy. This year's winner is Nico Poons, world champion in the RC44 category. Poons said he was very "honored" to receive this award. "There are five world champions in this club. I've won before, 14 years ago, but competition has since then very much improved. 2023 was a very good year for us. We had 5 regattas in this season and one of them is the 'Worlds' which I have won but I also won the whole season and it's more of a prestation then only the Worlds", he said.  Among the nominated expert helmsmen, all members of the YCM: Edward Wright, world champion Finn and 5.5, Leonardo Ferragamo, world champion Swan50, Benoît de Froidmont, victorious in the IMA Inshore Challenge, Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio, world champion in Swan36 , Vladimir Prosikhin, 3rd in the RC44 world championship, Graeme Peterson, vice-world champion in the Swan50 and Joost Schuijff, winner of the Rolex Middle Sea Race (Monohull Line of Honours). "This is a very important night in the life of the club. 2023 was an exceptional year, with five world titles. It illustrates the passion that unites us with our members," said Bernard d'Alessandri, Secretary and General Manager of the Yacht Club de Monaco.

The younger ones were also in the spotlight with the presentation of the 2023 YCM Youth Awards. For the third time in his career, Noah Garcia won recognition for an outstanding season with a gold medal in the Small States Games in ILCA 4, then a 4th place in the French championship in ILCA 6.

Sustainable boating, another protagonist of the evening. “The best way to predict the future is to create it". Paraphrasing the theorist Peter Drucker, Prince Albert II of Monaco recalled the importance of the work done today to build a sustainable future. Through the SEA Index, the first system to calculate the carbon footprint for yachts, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge which brings together industry and a new generation of engineers to test and develop new technologies and alternative energies, without forgetting the YCM Explorers Awards “which echo the first expeditions led by my great-grandfather, Prince Albert I”, the Sovereign welcomed the action of the Y.C.M. and encouraged their research.

The opportunity was also taken to return to the commitment of the shipowners, “witnesses to the state of the planet, like our friend Mike Horn, who left Monaco for a 4-year adventure around the world, called Whats'Left". A Ycm delegation also had the privilege of joining him for a few days in Greenland, on board his vessel Pangea.

“It is our responsibility to lead the way and serve as a model for promoting practices in sustainable recreational boating. Because collectively we must prepare for the future to write the new pages of our history which I hope are decidedly environmentalist" continued the President of the Club. 2024 will mark the 10 years of new Club House. Designed by Lord Foster, the Monaco Yacht Club provides an active contribution to the Principality's action, with a proactive and committed policy. “We work closely with the main players in the sector, through our think tank, to develop international actions” thus allowing Monaco to position itself as a reference in cutting-edge yachting, echoing the collective approach 'Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting '.

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