salle de sport yacht club monaco

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Yacht Club de Monaco

Founded in 1953 this yacht club is an integral part of Monaco

Many of the world’s most prestigious private yachts fly the Yacht Club de Monaco’s burgee, testimony to its unique position on the international yachting scene.

The Yacht Club de Monaco’s Sports Section offers a wide variety of courses all year round to give people a range of experiences whatever their level and learning objectives. From summer camps for children to improvement and competition courses for experienced yachtsmen, this club can provide a programme to suit your needs.

This is a course for complete beginners that runs most Saturdays and several evenings during the week. In addition, those who are passionate about yachting and classic yachts can enjoy training sessions on these magnificent boats.

The club hosts a variety of competitions throughout the year and is heavily involved in many of the larger events that are hosted in the waters of Monaco.

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How the Yacht Club de Monaco Became the World’s Most Exclusive Club—And What’s Next

• Rachel Ingram
• October 10, 2024

Yacht Club de Monaco © MC-Clic / Soirée d'intronisation Yacht Club de Monaco

As yacht club de monaco celebrates a decade in its new building and 40 years of hsh prince albert ii’s presidency, we discover what’s on the horizon for the fabled nautical hub..

The Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM), founded in 1953 by Prince Rainier and presided over by HSH Prince Sovereign Albert II since 1984, brings together more than 2,500 members from across the globe. Many of the world’s most prestigious private yachts fly the club’s burgee, which is testimony to its elite position on the international yachting scene.

In 2014, the club moved into its current location in a yacht-inspired clubhouse, designed by esteemed architect Sir Norman Foster. It’s since become not only a hub for the global yachting industry, but a centre for innovation and sustainability.

As YCM celebrates its 10-year anniversary in the building, the club’s general secretary Bernard d’Alessandri talks us through some of the key accomplishments of the last decade—and what we can expect in the coming years.

What does this key milestone signify for YCM?

Bernard d’Alessandri: The past 10 years reflect the diversity of actions undertaken by the Club, which has become a reference in the yachting world. The building designed by Lord Foster has proved to be an exceptional tool serving our dual missions: as a private yacht club dedicated to its 2,500 members, and through our public service remit to put Monaco on the global nautical map.

We offer many more services and activities to our members, who see the Club as a home from home for all the family, while also being a communication platform for professionals working in the sector. On both levels, YCM unites all those who love the sea, whether sailing, cruising or just messing about on boats, but crucially also those committed to protecting the environment, shaping yachting’s future and promoting the Principality and its influence internationally.

Monaco has always been a major yachting destination, and YCM plays a key role in preserving the “Art de Vivre la Mer”, encompassing naval etiquette, solidarity, fine cuisine, environmental protection and maritime heritage. These are values that drive YCM’s La Belle Classe label, which extends beyond the membership to unite owners and all yachting stakeholders.

Central to our vision for the future is a long-standing environmental policy that informed the design of the Clubhouse and the advanced facilities we have. YCM now hosts many more international regattas and hundreds of crews, enhancing the appeal of yachting. Through its La Belle Classe Academy training centre, it supports industry professionals in their careers. As a nautical hub, it strengthens relationships between key yachting players who freely exchange ideas on current topics at the many conferences we organise here.

What are your proudest moments from the last decade?

One of our defining accomplishments in this field is the annual Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (12th edition: July 1st-5th). Since its launch in 2014 it has gone from strength to strength to be a cornerstone for promoting alternative propulsion systems and sustainable yachting solutions. It attracts both young engineers and key industry players, fostering collaboration and pushing the boundaries of what’s technologically possible.

A notable example is the recent partnership between Vita and Evoy, who met at the YCM just one year prior to their announcement and together are now Europe’s leader in high-power electric marine propulsion for inboard and outboard applications. Synergies like this underscore the pivotal role YCM plays in driving innovation and shaping the yachting industry’s future. The sector is on the brink of a major transition and we are actively participating in it. We place great emphasis on building the future with the new generation. We also support yacht owners in this transition, a prime example being the development and roll-out of the SEA Index®, most recently into 15 marinas between Menton, Saint-Tropez and Bonifacio in Corsica and Monaco, including both YCM Marina and the Ports of Monaco (SEPM).

I’m also proud of our Club’s international influence. YCM is regularly cited as an example and sought after by other destinations who want to draw inspiration from our structures and values. This is how we set up and developed La Belle Classe Destinations, a label that allows us to establish a standard of excellence in terms of the quality of facilities, services and events offered. The ambition is to establish an exclusive network of yacht clubs and marinas that fully respects the unique character of each destination while promoting sustainable yachting on an international scale.

Why has it been so important for the club to drive innovation and sustainability?

In the past decade, the Yacht Club de Monaco has indeed evolved into more than just a hub for the global yachting industry; it has become a beacon for innovation and sustainability. This transformation was crucial because we recognise that the future of yachting and our planet hinges on our ability to innovate and adopt sustainable practices. The yachting industry is at a pivotal moment where cutting-edge technology and eco-awareness must go hand in hand.

This is where the annual Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous (4th edition, September 22nd-23rd) has a critical role to play. It’s another major YCM initiative, alongside the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, that fosters dialogue and synergies between the 250+ delegates that attend, all key stakeholders and experts in the marina, real estate and technology sectors. Discussions focus on promoting and progressing smart sustainable marinas, thereby advancing solutions that benefit not just the yachting community but the wider maritime industry.

It’s not just about keeping pace with change but about leading it. We believe that by championing innovation and sustainability, we are not only preserving the beauty of the oceans but also securing the future of yachting for generations to come. This commitment is reflected in every initiative we undertake, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact we are making.

What are your key aspirations for the next 10 years to come?

My wish is that the Club continues its momentum and remains a major player in the yachting world and the environmental transition. I hope the industry will continue its eco-responsible evolution and become a model to follow. I hope that at my level and with my means, I will have contributed to this change. Above all I want to share my passion for yachting with the new generation, who are the key to everything.

Regulations are changing rapidly, and we must be ready to adapt. For Monaco, yachting plays a crucial role. We want to continue to promote this activity, but not in its current form. It’s imperative to find ways to reduce fuel consumption, to embrace innovation and to focus on the significant contributions of the younger generation. We need to show that we are actively driving change.

I’m optimistic about the future. For too long we have neglected the oceans. Now it’s time to act. The process will be long and hard, but we are not alone. We are working with renowned proactive organisations such as the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Together we can make significant progress towards a sustainable future for yachting and marine conservation.

Thinking about the future also means inspiring vocations through transmission, particularly by encouraging young people to learn to race. We have two remarkable ambassadors: Tuiga, celebrating thirty years under the YCM pennant during Monaco Classic Week (September 10th-13th, 2025), and Malizia, the IMOCA yacht of Team Malizia initiated by YCM vice-president Pierre Casiraghi and skippered by Boris Herrmann, who will line up on the start on November 10th for his second consecutive Vendée Globe—the world’s greatest solo, non-stop and unassisted sailing race. YCM will also be proudly participating in the Admiral’s Cup in July 2025, reinforcing our commitment to excellence in sailing.

We want to inspire the new generation to ensure they enjoy going to sea. Our ultimate goal is to create momentum and a genuine project for the new generation. Young people need to know that they can build a career in yachting, and we are here to support them.

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For the YCM Awards and its prestigious UBS Trophy, the great Yacht Club de Monaco family gathered under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. This event pays tribute to sporting achievements and officially welcomes new members to the Club. In his speech, the Sovereign recalled YCM’s dual mission as a private club dedicated to its 2,500 members (81 nationalities) and its public service remit that contributes to “ making Monaco   THE destination of reference for yachting, combining as it does innovation and sustainability”.  These values are reflected in its collective ‘Monaco, Capital of  Advanced  Yachting’ which positions the Club as a key player in protecting the oceans and promoting maritime innovation.

A major player in the Principality committed to innovation and sustainability

To this end the Club has ramped up initiatives like the 1 2 th  Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (1-5 July 2025) which will focus on artificial intelligence, and the SEA Index®, an environmental benchmark for owners of pleasure boats.  The latter is a tool now being applied in 15 harbours and marinas in the Mediterranean and in the Seychelles to assess CO2 emissions of yachts over 24m. Its methodology now includes fuel cell technologies and raises awareness of noise pollution.

A year of outstanding performances

For the first time, two YCM members reached the finals of the America’s Cup.  Ineos Britannia  led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe won the Louis Vuitton Cup, while the Defender  Emirates Team New Zealand  headed by Matteo de Nora won the Silver Ewer for the third time in a row. “ A real feat”,  commented the Sovereign. Sporting achievements are also a byword for adventure for the YCM, which is supporting Boris Herrmann in his second crack at the Vendée Globe aboard  Malizia-Seaexplorer . Currently racing, he had recorded a message a few hours earlier: “ I am at 57° South. There are albatrosses and huge depressions. It’s blowing 29 knots and I’m sailing between 20 and 30 knots, so conditions are intense,”  he said before ending with a  Daghe Munegu  [Go Monaco! in the Monegasque language] widely taken up by the assembly. A passion for the sea also applies to motorboating as evidenced by the Offshore World Champion title won by YCM member Tomaso Polli.

A balance between tradition and modernity: countdown to 2025

While the gaff cutter  Tuiga  celebrates 30 years under Yacht Club de Monaco’s flag in 2025, YCM’s participation in the upcoming Admiral’s Cup, an event making its return after a 22-year absence, was previewed. Led by Pierre Casiraghi , YCM Vice-President and founder of Team Malizia , alongside Peter Harrison, the project was welcomed by HSH Prince Albert II: “ These sorts of challenges inspire us. They awaken in us an interest in new vocations and ambitions”.

Graeme Peterson: YCM Sailor of the Year

After awarding  HRH   Prince Charles de Bourbon des Deux Siciles  for his ninth victory in the Smeralda 888 International Championship 2024, and  Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio , winner of the Monegasque J/70 Championship, the ceremony ended with the YCM Awards-UBS Trophy being presented.  Joost Schuijff , 1 st  in the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship,  Vladimir Prosikhin,  RC44 World Champion,  Kostia Belkin , winner of the Vele d’Epoca,  Benoît de Froidmont , European IMA Maxi Vice-Champion,  Graeme Peterson , World ClubSwan50 Vice-Champion, and  Massimiliano Ferruzzi , winner of the Grandi Regate Internazionali, were among the nominees. In the final analysis it was the British sailor Graeme Peterson who won this prestigious award to become YCM Sailor of the Year 2024. Delighted, he said: “ It is real honour and source of great pride for my family and crew ”. Among the youngest in the youth sailing section, Océane Schroeder was awarded the ultimate honour for her win in the girls category at the International Spring Cup in La Rochelle. An emotional Océane expressed her gratitude and desire to continue improving: “ My goal is to win overall in regattas, not just in the girls category ”.

Thanks to its members passion and quest for excellence, Yacht Club de Monaco has established itself as a flagship institution at the crossroads of innovation, heritage and sustainability.

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© Le Yacht Club de Monaco fête cette année ses 70 ans (Photo © Yacht Club de Monaco)

Where elegance and yachting combine, the yacht club is one of the most exclusive places in Monaco. The building, whose shape is reminiscent of a ship, houses luxurious lounges, theatres for prestigious ceremonies, private parties and other official presentations. A nautical club founded in 1953, it has nearly 1600 members and brings together owners of classic and modern boats, motor-yachts as well as recreational and regatta sailboats. The club has been chaired by Prince Albert II since 1984.

In 2005, the President of the club launched the “La Belle Classe” label, to unite shipowners around a Charter, defending essential values: respect for etiquette, protection of the environment, preservation of the heritage of classic yachts and innovation for superyachts.

Then, on 20 June 2014, the Yacht Club began a new venture, with the opening of its new Club House, in a building approved by Lord Norman Foster. This showcase of Monégasque Yachting has encouraged – in accordance with the Sovereign’s wishes – the creation of the “Yachting Monaco” Cluster and “La Belle Classe Academy”. The latter is a training centre specialising in super yachting.

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History of the Yacht Club de Monaco

Le yachting, ou l'art de vivre la mer.

Home » Yachting Around The World » History of the Yacht Club de Monaco

Yacht Class n°21 (june-july-august 2020)

The Yacht Club de Monaco, along with the Automobile Club, is one of the most prestigious and active sports and social institutions in Monaco. Created in 1953 by Prince Rainier to become one of the key components of the economic and tourist development of the port of Monaco, it has managed over the years, by combining high level sport, social and mundane life, to make Principality of Monaco, the world’s capital of Yachting. This success is a result the three essential criteria to the launch of any enterprise : political will, skills and means.

Written by Noëlle Duck – Photos : Gilles Martin-Raget, Carlo Borlenghi, Thierry Ameller, MC-Clic, Franck Terlin, Isabelle Touquette, Mesi, Guillaume Plisson, Fausto Picedi, Jack Esten & Georges Lukomski / Archives du Palais princier & All rights reserved

As an example, we selected two clubs that perpetuate the tradition, conveying the values that make yachting much more than just a sport, but a philosophy, a philosophy of life even. One is the oldest entity in the world, the Royal Cork Yacht Club, created in 1720, the other is more recent, the Yacht Club de Monaco, born in 1953. Twinned since 2015, they are both born from the will of forward-thinking sovereigns who wished, through the development of a sport, to provide their country with a promotion and outreach tool. In Ireland, it was the beginnings of pleasure boating and in Monaco, the remarkable evolution of sailing as a true social phenomenon that the fifties were going to simply name ‘pleasure boating’.

Creation of the Yacht Club de Monaco

During the inauguration of the Yacht Club, on June 17th 1953, Prince Rainier III declared “the future of Monaco lies with the sea” . At the beginning of the fifties, Prince Rainier III, himself a keen sailor, and not only in the Mediterranean, foresaw that post-war prosperity would lead to a yachting boom. He decided then to found in Monaco a yacht club like those he visited during his cruises. The main thrust of the Prince’s proposal was that the Yacht Club should also be a key factor in the development of Monaco’s port, the spearhead of tourism in the Principality.

Monaco, already perceived as a quality port for a stopover, had to become famous as a centre for marine leisure activities : pleasure boating and top-level yacht racing, water skiing, diving, marine archaeology, and promoting awareness among young people of the marine habitat and environment. The future club was at once to acquire all the facilities required to host and practice these disciplines.On 17th June 1953, the Constitutive Assembly was held in the International Hydrographic Bureau’s premises on the Quai des Etats-Unis, in the presence of Prince Rainier. The board of directors, immediately appointed, then met as laid down in the by-laws to elect the Bureau. Called upon to become High President of the Yacht Club de Monaco, Prince Rainier addressed the assembly: “ I am deeply touched by your gesture and I thank you most sincerely. It is therefore without the least hesitation that I accept the Presidency you offer, and I warmly welcome the creation of the Yacht Club de Monaco. All the more so in that I believe it fulfils a real long-standing need. It was indeed my desire that we could welcome and bring together the yachtsmen who come here, with an organization worthy of the tourist facilities offered by the principality. This need now has been met, thanks to the enthusiasm and hard work of Mr. Paul Gingoux and his staff at the International Sporting Club ; I thank them and congratulate them on bringing this project to fruition so rapidly. I would also like to thank the Société des Bains de Mer for its understanding and effort in bringing this club to life and making its club-house so attractive… I hope most sincerely that the Yacht Club de Monaco will succeed in creating links between lovers of the sea, that it will enhance the attractiveness and the reputation of Monaco and that it will, both at home and abroad, inspire fellow-feeling and friendship”. Since the club had no premises of its own it was accommodated by the SBM, in the former pottery, avenue d’Ostende. And the SBM even installed a showcase in the lobby of the Hôtel de Paris to display the Yacht Club’s cups and trophies. And with no more ado, all hands set to work !

Sports, glamour and prestige

Prince Rainier III remained president of the Yacht Club until 1966, doubly qualified both as Sovereign committed to the development of the port of Monaco and an experienced sailor. He had owned many pleasure crafts, both sailing boats and motor yachts, visiting seas and oceans with his family on summer cruises. These were for him an absolute priority in 1955 he turned down an invitation to the Agadir Yacht Club in August for the Agadir-Las Palmas offshore race, “as he will be cruising at the time”. Princess Caroline perpetuates the tradition summer family cruises on her motor-yacht Pacha III.

Princess Grace, whose father and brother were both rowing champions, sailed a Star, the favourite boat of the sons and daughters of good East Coast families – the Kennedy brothers were championship winners – and she could often be seen in the bay of Monaco at the helm of Nibbly. Obviously their children, used to sailing from their earliest childhood, were no strangers to the sea. And it was Prince Albert II who decided in 1995 to purchase Tuiga, described by Eric Tabarly as “one of the most beautiful yachts in the world”. Whenever possible, the Sovereign Prince attended the regattas to signal the start of races from his own yacht ; or he world visit the port at the helm of a Riva. A great friend of Carlo Riva, the Sovereign, still visionary, had anticipated the success of the magnificent motorboats from Lake Iseo and supported his installation on the port of Monaco, which is still today Riva’s base in the Mediterranean.

In 1954, the Grande Semaine Internationale de la Voile attracted International 6-metres, 5.5s and Stars. That year came to a triumphant end on December 18th with the Coupe Monégasque de Noël de ski nautique : water-skiing was at that time a very fashionable summer sport both in the Riviera coastal resorts and on inland lakes.

At the same time, Prince Rainier III pursued a policy of prestige, making members of several royal families Honorary Members : his own sister, Princess Antoinette, as from summer 1953 : then Prince Philipp of Edinburgh, Long Gustave VI of Sweden, ex-king Farouk of Egypt, in exile in Rome and a frequent visitor to the principality, and Infant Juan Carlos of Spain. Two journalists Pierre Lazareff and Jacques Goddet, general manager of the newspaper L’Equipe, received the coveted card, but on the political side, one can note that Maurice Arrexck, mayor of Toulon, had to write to request one.

In 1984, Prince Hereditary Albert was appointed by Prince Rainier III as President of the Yacht Club. At 26 year-old, the future Sovereign inspired a multifaceted development. An accomplished athlete and a high-caliber manager, he created or encouraged the organization of major international competitions. Regattas were run in Monaco – the Primo Cup in winter, the maxis in summer – a transatlantic race was even organized between Monaco and New-York. These top level races attracted owners, but also the finest international crews who appreciated the warm welcome, the sense of celebration and the unique setting offered by Port Hercules. One could even come to enjoy the moods of the capricious winds that make the water body very technical !

Since its creation, the YCM sailing division, sponsored by Princess Caroline, educates all the Monegasque children. It is a sailor incubator, where owners pick up their crews. This is where values are passed on, and young sportsmen turned into the yachtsmen of tomorrow, one of the values to which all the Yacht Club is attached, which unite generations.

In 1994, to celebrate Prince Albert’s 10th anniversary of presidency, the Club organised an innovative event, dedicated to classical yachting, which was in full revival at that time. The Monaco Classic Week (MCW) brings together motorboats, motor-yachts and traditional sailing boats. A new kind of gathering that still today draws attracts every two years in Monaco the most beautiful yachts in the world, gathered by enthusiast shipowners. That year, in Saint-Tropez, the Nioulargue is at its best and its big winner was a 15 Metre Internationl rule boat : Tuiga, a 1909 gaff cutter designed by the famous Scottish architect William Fife. This work of art, which had just undergone a restoration, seduced Prince Albert II and all his staff. A few months later, Tuiga became the flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco. Out of a series of twenty 15 Metre Class – or 15 M International Rule –, only four have survived. And in 2011, the Yacht Club brought them together for a historic regatta, the highlight of the MCW, 73 years after their last race together !

The Yacht Club, cramped in its premises on Quai Antoine 1er, deserved a Club House worthy of its success. The architect Norman Foster was commissioned to design this immaculate “ocean liner”, which took ten years to build and was inaugurated in June 2014. According to the yachtsmen from all over the world present that evening, it is the most beautiful in the world ! With 2 000 members, representing 60 nationalities, the Club brings together under its burgee the largest number of private yachts in the world. Their owners interacts wihtin La Belle Classe Tradition, where today’s yachtsmen are united to perpetuate the naval etiquette and the spirit of seafarers.

Twinning, what brings together yacht clubs from all over the world

When you look at the list of clubs twinned with the Yacht Club de Monaco, yachtsmen from various nations were obviously committed to forge links allowing them to meet up in clubs similar to their own and to feel at home, taking advantage of the hospitality and infrastructure that make their stopover a privileged moment. Here’s how the statutes of the YCM define the twinning with another club : Twinning between clubs enables : – The development of sporting activities between clubs, with all members being able to participate freely under equal conditions – Free access for society members of the twinned clubs to the premises, restaurant and lounges and services on offer on presentation of their membership card – Exchanges between the two clubs Sailing Schools, including competitions and coaches. – Any active member of a club who takes up residence in the country of a twinned club is obliged to change affiliation to that club after six months residence and to conform to the statutes of the club concerned.

Actually, when looking at the history of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, we discovered that actually the English did not create Yachting, but it was the Irish, and Ireland being an independent republic we cannot say “the British” either ! But, far from chauvinism, we owe it to the English to have, when they were the masters of the maritime world, wanted to restore some of their habits in the remotest parts of their colonial empire. The oldest Asian yacht club, the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, twinned with the YCM, was created in 1826, during the commercial epic of the East India Company, and the British colonization. The Royal Bombay Yacht Club, as early as 1846, brought together her Majesty’s subjects serving in the Vice-Kingdom of India. The one in Hong Kong, at the vanguard of China, which still today trains generations of outstanding racers, offered the benefits of a splendid water body, vey exposed to the wind and dotted with islands planted in a devilishly exotic emerald green water. In the Mediterranean, the Royal Yacht Club Malta, located at the port entrance of this arid rock ideally placed between East and West, offered the coolness of its marble floors and the comfort of its Chesterfield sofas on the return from the first great Mediterranean offshore race, the Middle Sea Race. In Spain, where sovereigns participated in high-level regattas, the RCN Barcelona has welcomed yachts cruising in the Western Mediterranean since 1879.

In South America, Argentina and Brazil have dynamic clubs, created by Europeans who relocated there during the 19th century. While in the United States, the New York Yacht Club, the most venerable institution on the East Coast, has written the most beautiful pages of the yachting history with the America’s Cup saga. New York has another club, which organizes regattas at the foot of Manhattan – its most important sports club – led by a team that would not miss the Monaco Classic Week for the world : the Manhattan Yacht Club is, among the reciprocal clubs, one of the most dynamic of all those linked with the YCM.

This non-exhaustive overview leads us to the oldest Yacht Club in the world: the Royal Cork Yacht Club, South of Ireland, twinned since June 28th 2015 with the Yacht Club de Monaco.

History of the Royal Cork Yacht Club

The story began in early 1600s… Indeed, it was at this time that the idea of owning boats for private pleasure was born somewhere in the Netherlands, where the young King of England Charles II, also King of Scotland and Ireland, driven out by Cromwell, found refuge in 1648. He discovered there the pleasures of sailing. When his exile ended in 1660, he brought back a yacht named Mary, which he sailed on the Thames. Obviously, his courtiers followed his example, and among them the Irishman Murrough O’Brien. And soon, in Cork, sailing activities met great success, encouraged by the sovereign. Around 1720, interest in the sport had progressed so much that young William O’Brien, the 9th Inchiquin Lord, then aged 26, one of the most important personalities in the kingdom, and five of his friends formalised their activities and created “The Water Club of the Harbour of Cork”. They moved into a castle, where they drafted their statutes that still govern the sport practice, membership, social events, and established a number of rules, known today as “The Old Rules”… That’s what bring together the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Royal Cork Yacht Club : the respect of traditions, the desire to pass on, and the very appealing sporting and distinguished atmosphere, as evidenced by the number of members close to 2 000 !

But let’s go back to History, which played a big part in the club’s one. Undoubtedly, the American Revolution and the French Revolution, contributed to the Royal Navy’s decision to build up their presence in the safe & strategic harbour of Cork. Kinsale, once the the main naval centre on this coast, had made way to Cork, since its insufficient draught does not allow warships there.

By 1806, the “Water Club of the Harbour of Cork” has become the “Cork Harbour Water Club”. Later on, in the 1820’s, it dropped “Harbour”, and, following the fashion of the few other clubs that associated the word “yacht” to their name, it dropped the word “Water”. In 1831, the then “Cork Yacht Club” was granted, by King William IV, the privilege of using the prefix “Royal”.

A sports club, a pleasant stopover

Ask around, a stopover at the RCYC leaves an excellent memory for those who, after a challenging crossing of the Iroise Sea, come to enjoy the legendary Irish hospitality. I still remember the stage finish of the Figaro Race, in the 1970s, where, after a rough navigation, we were greeted by fiddles playing Sean O’Riada’s great ballads and the most delicious Irish coffee I have ever had, offered by the Club’s team. Unforgettable!

In Cork, the water body winding through the shores of a deep estuary is nested in a morning ghostly mist, even in mid-summer, and hosts a lot of regattas, on small units, Laser, Optimist, and other dinghies, providing a solid training for the young club members. Which proves necessary considering the difficult, even brutal conditions once out at sea. The club has 1 800 members, including many seasoned ocean racers. They can be found in major events : Fastnet Race, Cowes Week, Round Ireland Race, and you can see them, during the summer, sailing along the beautiful South and West coasts of Ireland.

Its geographical location makes it a perfect festive and technical stopover on the northern route for yachts coming from the Mediterranean. Scandinavia, or even the regions of the polar circle, have become trendy destinations in recent years for cruises by explorer motor yachts, popular among owners of this type of vessel, who are often members of the Yacht Club de Monaco. A member of the European Community since 1973, Ireland, halfway between the Mediterranean and Scandinavia via the Western route, also allows for extended stopovers.

All the conditions were right for the twinning to strengthen the ties forged over the years between the two clubs. They were actually preparing for a grand celebration, the 300th anniversary of the Irish Club. The IRC European Championship was supposed to enhance the Cork Week. But alas, we have to talk about all this in the past tense, as even St. Patrick could not defeat the virus ! 

Acknowledgements

We want to thank Thomas Fouilleron and Sylvie Ruau, Archives of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, Gavin Deane, General manager of the RCYC, Isabelle Andrieux, Maguelonne Turcat for their availability in these trouble times, as all archives and communication department were closed.

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