(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- The Yacht Club Monaco recently sent out it's invitation
to all J/24 sailors worldwide to participate in the J/24 Europeans, the first
to be hosted in Monaco since October 1993 over 20 years ago. Say's the
Secretary General at YC Monaco, Bernard d'Allessandri,"It's our great pleasure to invite all J/24 sailors close and far afield to join us this coming October to the J/24 European Championship in the unique and charming Principality of Monaco.
This regatta will be unique in many ways. For those of you who have never been to Monaco, our Principality, wedged between France and Italy, will enchant you. You will discover a magical country with a unique character. Small enough to give you a village atmosphere, yet big enough to host some unique events from the Formula One Grand Prix to the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters or even the Yacht Club de Monaco’s very own classic yacht regatta, the Monaco Classic Week, which brings back centuries of traditional yachting to life ashore and afloat. All this while surrounded by super yachts, fast cars, gorgeous people and unique sights.
So what can you expect from the Monaco J/24 Europeans?
From the unique atmosphere of our “Port Hercules” harbour where
you will find a mixture of traditional fishing boats mingling with the world's
largest yachts, you will be mooring your J/24’s amongst some of the most
exclusive super yachts in the world in a harbour where moorings are near
impossible to obtain! Not to mention, of course, the warm welcome from the
Yacht Club de Monaco where you will immediately feel at home (please note-
Prince Albert notably sailed J/24s for years in the local fleet! As did his
gorgeous sister's on occasion). For this high profile event, the Yacht
Club de Monaco has assembled a very strong race committee to ensure smooth,
fair and professional race management. Heading the Race Committee will be John
Coveney, a veteran international race officer with excellent experience on the
southern coastline of France!The gorgeous bay of Monaco will be your race area, right outside the harbour, literally on your door step. No tide, little current, mainly just plain deep water! No sand banks or shallow parts to avoid or escape too! Just one large expanse of water in which the race committee will lay the course. Miss the windward mark and your next stop is Corsica! In simple terms, the race area is a 2.5nm circle just outside the harbour, from dock to start line in less than 10 minutes! You simply can't beat that!
From the social events hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco to those who wish to explore the Principality further afield, there are plenty of distractions! From dancing in the "Rascasse" with its live band, or visiting the local brewery, eating the Provencal delicacies from the "Condamine market", gambling and "people-watching" at the world famous "Casino", or visiting the internationally reputed Oceanographic Museum on the cliff edge, there are plenty of activities to entertain family and friends while not out on the water racing!
By the time you leave Monaco at the end of the regatta, you may be suffering from sensory overload, but you will certainly be able to recount amongst other memories that you towed your J/24 down the start/ finish line of one the world's most famous Formula One race tracks! How is that for bragging rights at the bar?" For those of you looking at the world of "bucket list" venues, that one may be one of the hardest one's to beat! For more J/24 Europeans in Monte Carlo, Monaco
