How is the Palermo-Montecarlo going?

The 18th edition of the Palermo-Montecarlo, the 500-mile long race from the capital of Sicily to the Principality of Monaco via Porto Cervo, kicked off on Tuesday. Forty-eight boats entered, including five maxis, an all-female crew and one of young sailors with an exceptional master at the helm: Mauro Pelaschier. The regatta, organized by the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, currently has the 100-footer Black Jack (30.48 meters), owned by Australian shipowner Peter Hamburg, in the lead, expected as early as tonight in the Principality. In second place was Claudio Demartis’ Shockwave 3 Prosecco DOC, the 90-footer (27.43 meters) racing for Circolo della Vela Sicilia, with Roberto Ferrarese at the helm.

Black Jack the maxi in the lead at Palermo-Montecarlo

There are five maxi entries in the 18th Palermo-Montecarlo. Among them Black Jack, Peter Harburg’s 30-meter Reichel Pugh, is leading the fleet with only 80 miles to go, sailing at a speed of 7.5 knots. The former Alfa Romeo 2(read its story here) has a super crew on board. The skipper is Mark Bradford, former winner of the 151 Miglia Trofeo Cetilar and the Rolex Giraglia. Also on the crew are New Zealand tactician Brad Butterworth (five America’s Cup campaigns, including two wins with New Zealand and two with Alinghi), helmsman and strategist Joao Signorini (Olympians in Finn and Volvo Ocean Race) , and navigator Alex Nolan.

After a second night of becalmed weather, his dream of breaking his own record that has stood since 2015 (47 hours and 46 minutes) faded. Stranded without wind along the west coast of Corsica, Black Jack is expected tonight on the finish line.

Second Shockwave 3 Prosecco DOC by Claudio Demartis

Claudio Demartis’s 90-footer Shockwave 3 Prosecco DOC, which races under the Circolo della Vela Sicilia banner along with that of the Yacht Club Monfalcone, is in second place. Just 15 miles behind I Love Poland, Gregor Baranowski’s 2011 VOR70 designed by JUAN K, one of the most innovative designers boating has seen in decades (his latest designs include the brand new ClubSwan 28).

Heeling I Love Poland, somewhat surprisingly, is Italian-Swiss owner Franco Niggeler’s Cookson 50 Kuka3, with a great former Olympian aboard as skipper: Australian Mitch Booth (two Olympic medals: bronze in 1992 and silver in 1996).

Mauro Pelaschier with the guys from the Italian Yacht Club

The iconic face of Italian sailing, helmsman of Azzurra, Mauro Pelaschier for this 18th edition of the Palermo-Montecarlo sailed aboard ELO II, the Italian Yacht Club’s 14-meter prototype. On board is a crew of young YCI athletes including Lorenzo Donati, Giacomo Ivaldi, Dario Burlando, Matilde Garaventa, Andrea Chiappe, Mattia Santostefano, Michele Cutaia, Andrea Cupaioli, Giacomo Sarno and Luca Riccobene, with an average age of 20 years and a variety of experience in the Olympic Classes.

ELO II is part of a project designed to give the Club’s young athletes the opportunity to gain experience alongside professional sailors who take turns on board as coaches. In the first 2 years of regattas – recall that ELO, after being donated to the Club by Member Beppe Sorda, was refitted in its entirety by the Club’s youth during the Covid years – In the role of skipper were on board: Pietro d’Alì, Ambrogio Beccaria, Alberto Riva, Tommaso Chieffi and Mauro Pelaschier.

The all-female crew

There is also an all-female crew at the Palermo-Montecarlo. In her first experience in this regatta, the small Moogli, an 11-meter Dufour 36, is now in 34th place overall, ahead of Cala Gonone. On board, owner and skipper Caroline Petit, from Marseille, a 25-year member of the Societé Nautique de Saint-Tropez, tells “sailing is still a predominantly male sport, but boats can be steered by both women and men. Female sailors can successfully fill any role on board, including those traditionally reserved for men. I am convinced of this and we want to set an example.“.

The characters of the Palermo-Montecarlo

The star regatta? There are many characters present at this end-of-summer regatta. Here are some of them in this photo taken before the start together with Circolo della Vela Sicilia President Agostino Randazzo. From top left and clockwise, seen are: Mauro Pelaschier, Brad Butterworth, the president, Pietro D’Alì, Roberto Ferrarese, Matteo Plazzi, Alessandro Torresani, Marco Guerra, Ivica Kostelic, and Andrea Casale.

James Barbaro