First maxi enters Palermo-Montecarlo offshore race

First entries for 2021 Palermo-Montecarlo offshore race, organized by Circolo della Vela Sicilia with the collaboration of Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Maxi boat Arca SGR by Fast and Furious Sailing Team, skippered by italian Furio Benussi, did enter the 16 edition, due to start from Mondello, Palermo, on August 21. Owners Guido and Adalberto Miani have already won Palermo-Montecarlo three times (once in real time and twice in elapsed time).

"We are very pleased with the entry of Adalberto and Guido Miani, who also represent the Yacht Club de Monaco", declared Agostino Randazzo, President of Circolo della Vela Sicilia, who just came back from New Zealand where he experienced the exciting victory of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the Prada Cup. "We also think that Arca' registration will bring to more maxis joining the event. We can't wait to get back to sailing, we have been waiting for such a moment since last year. There is a great desire to sail after the cancellation of the 2020 edition due to the Covid pandemic. The CVS race secretariat is getting new registrations daily. Our staff is now working on a revised event' program - probably with no socail events included - but with the usual high standard of racing on the water. We are working in full compliance with all current Covid protocols, however aware of the fact that in August the situation in general should be much better than now; we probably will have to cancel the social part of the event, but at the moment there is above all a great desire for the sea and regattas. And with its magnificent race course, the Palermo-Montecarlo is a sailing full immersion that has no comparison”.

Competitors have been offered a very special service put in place by race organizers: the possibility to have containers shipped by the organization (by land) directly from Palermo to Montecarlo. This will avoid the crews to go back to Sicily to collect everything could not be boarded for the race. 

Palermo-Montecarlo 2021 is part of the Italian Offshore Championship organized by the Italian Sailing Federation, and part of the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge. 

The offshore race will start on Saturday August 21 at noon from Mondello, off Palermo (Sicily). With a race course of some 500 nautical miles that includes the passage through the Strait of Bonifacio, before choosing whether to leave Corsica on starboard or on port during the ascent towards the arrival set in front of the Principality of Monaco. 

In addition to the class prizes, the Angelo Randazzo Trophy will be awarded to the overall winner in the ORC and IRC fleet, meanwhile the Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita Trophy will be awarded to line honours' winner.

More information on the event are posted on the event' website: www.palermo-montecarlo.it