MONACO, Sept. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curtain falls on the 16th Monaco Classic Week - La Belle Classe organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco. The big winner of this edition is The Lady Anne (1912), one of the last three 15 M JIs still sailing alongside Tuiga (1909), flagship of the Y.C.M. and Mariska (1908) which welcomed on board a delegation from the Manhattan Yacht Club led by its Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh. On Saturday Prince Albert the II of Monaco stopped by the quay to greet the crews, the owners and a the volunteers.  He then visited the exhibition dedicated to his father Ranieri III entitled ‘The Prince and the Sea’, that shines a light on some of the beautiful boats owned by a man who loved the sea and boats.

The Monaco Classic Week “is unique in its kind since it brings together the most beautiful classic units in Monaco so that the public can see what yachting was like 100 years ago. If we don’t preserve history, what are we left with? History can tell us what the future will be like,” commented Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, president of the jury and the first man to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. The Monaco Classic Week Trophy takes into account not only the sporting result but also the quality of the restoration appreciated by a Jury of specialists who noted the respect of the original plans, the materials used for the construction of the boats and the know-how of those who restored them.  And the winner was the ‘Lady Anne’. Commissioned by George Coats and built in the famous Fife Family shipyard, located in the small Scottish village of Fairlie, by William Fife III, The Lady Anne sailed with a Bermudian rig until the 1920s, subsequently becoming a ketch which was used during the second war for the transport of ammunition. After spending a few years in Spain, The Lady Anne was found on the English River Hamble and completely renovated by Fairlie Restoration near Southampton. In 1999 she was then bought and restored by the present owner, Gonzalo Botin. “We’re very happy. It’s always difficult to win here in Monaco, the conditions are normally very complicated. We’ve been coming here for 6-7 year and this is the first time we win so we’re very very happy,” adds Botin. 

130 boats, including around forty traditional sailboats, around ten vintage motor-yachts, around sixty old motorboats and twenty 12' Dinghies, were invited to the unique biennial event created in 1994. They all used their strengths to seduce the jury chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston but also the public who came to stroll through the event village. “This event is an integral part of our traditions and values. The units present have a lot of charm, and already had a certain technology at the time in which they were built. It is therefore our duty to do everything so that these boats can continue to stand the test of time in accordance with their original plan,” says Bernard d’Alessandri, Secretary General of the Yacht Club de Monaco. 

After a week immersed in maritime heritage, the Yacht Club de Monaco is setting course for the future of yachting on September 24 and 25 on the occasion of the 3rd Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous organized by Monaco Marina Management and whose objective is to encourage the creation and development of virtuous marinas by connecting the entire ecosystem against a backdrop of sustainable tourism. 

For more information:
Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

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