High-end yachting and maritime eco-sustainability return to the spotlight at the Principality of Monaco again for 2024. After Yacht Club de Monaco’s 70th anniversary celebrations last year, festivities continue in 2024 with commemoration of 10 years in the new Clubhouse designed by Lord Foster. Once again the calendar lives up to the ambitions of the collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach, initiated by YCM to position the Principality as a centre of excellence in this sector.
14th Yacht Club de Monaco Optimist Team Race
The Yacht Club de Monaco’s 2024 initiatives calendar opens on January 10-14 with the prestigious Optimist youth team race. This year 17 nations (USA, Sweden, Uruguay, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, France, UK and Monaco) are represented by 72 under-14 sailors as the event’s popularity grows.
The match racing format pits two teams of four boats in each race which totals 153 races in the knock-out rounds leading up to the finals and requires finely tuned skills, tactics and teamwork to hone their race techniques and knowledge of the race area.
Yacht Club de Monaco: 16th Business Symposium
For yachting professionals, the first important event in Monaco will be on February 8th at the 16th Business Symposium, an annual industry meeting that takes stock of the market and economic weight of the yachting industry on the Côte d’Azur. Organized in the form of a dinner-debate, the La Belle Classe Superyachts Business Symposium gathers owners and professionals to analyse the yachting sector, explore its evolution and gain a deeper understanding of its challenges and issues.
11th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series and 40th Primo Cup-Trophée UBS
From February 8-11, top international J/70 teams who’ve established their winter base in the Principality meet for Act III of the 11th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, monthly regattas that have become a fixture on racing calendars.
Act IV (7-10 March) coincides with the 40th Primo Cup-Trophée UBS when G-Spot, Smeralda 888, Longtze Premier, RS 21, Cape 31 and historic stars of the event, Surprise, will also be out on the race area. Launched in 1985 on the instigation of YCM President HSH Prince Albert II this major regatta awards the top three teams in each class with Slam sailing gear and has established itself as the biggest European gathering of one designs in the Mediterranean.
2nd Women Leading and Sailing Trophy
The Principality March calendar ends on a high note with the 2nd Women Leading and Sailing Trophy regatta (15-17 March), an all-female event organised in partnership with the Monegasque and French sailing federations.
Monaco Ocean Week
During Monaco Ocean Week, organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation alongside the Monaco Oceanographic Institute and Monaco Scientific Centre, Yacht Club de Monaco is responsible for the yachting component of this week dedicated to protecting the oceans, from March 18-22. There will be three events on Thursday 21st March: the 13th Environmental Symposium, the 2nd Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous and the 4th YCM Explorer Awards by La Belle Classe Superyachts.
Yacht Club de Monaco: Superyacht Chef Competition
For the fifth year in a row, chefs working on superyachts will be at the Yacht Club de Monaco for the Superyacht Chef Competition, organized by the Club in partnership with Bluewater. The principle is simple: bring nine chefs together to compete on the quay at work stations based on small galleys in certain yachts, conjuring up dishes from a basket of mystery ingredients.
“Held under the aegis of YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre, it attracts professionals and the public and offers a unique perspective of yachting professions,” says YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri.
The 5th Superyacht Chef Competition will take place on April 4th, 2024.
Monaco Energy Boat Challenge
Helping build tomorrow’s yachting future is a key priority for YCM, an ambition it pursues through the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge for alternative energy sources and technologies for yachting. From July 1-6, the event will be bringing young engineers from technical colleges and universities into contact with yachting industry players.
