Palermo-Montecarlo offshore race at the start

Palermo Montecarlo Regatta, one of the most long-awated  international offshore race, started this morning at 12.00 from Mondello Gulf, off the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, Palermo, Italy.  The Palermo-Montecarlo is organised by the CVS is cooperation with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The race is also part (4 and last leg of the series) of the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge 2016-2017).

The 41-boat fleet enjoyed an irregular wind from North-West on 12 knots, expected rising during the course toward Ustica. On the route to Ustica, an unforeseen happened to one of the boats of the fleet: Junoplano 60’, a veteran of the race, dismasted.

Half of the fleet of this XIII edition comes from 9 countries: USA, Monaco, Germany, Poland, Russia, Hungary and Italy (24 boats out of 41 at the start). Favourite boats for LIne Honours are IMOCA 60’ Malizia II of Pierre Casiraghi, who runs for Yacht Club de Monaco (skipper German Boris Herrmann, already protagonist of many regattas with Giovanni Soldini) and US boat Lucky 63’ of Byron Ehrhart, owner of Chicago, who chose to run with a small crew (only 12 people on board) as the forecast is of light wind. This project of Reichel-Pugh defends the colours of famous New York Yacht Club and it already won the Sidney-Hobart in 2011 and the Transatalantic race in 2015.

For the records, Lucky was the first one to turn around the buoy, ahead Leaps&Bounds and Jivaro.

Malizia II and Lucky are the most favourite boats to try to beat the record of the race, which since 2015 belongs to Esimit Europa 2: 47 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds. New Gran Soleil 58’ Leaps &Bounds of French owner Jean Philippe Blanpain (tactician Paolo Semeraro, ex-Olympic of Finn) and Buena Vista ICE 62 of owners Gigi and Beppe Pannarale, who defend the coulors of Circolo della vela Sicilia, are other boats to hand. The skipper is Alberto La Tegola, ex yachtsman of Olympic classes, today President of Regional Committee VIII Zone (from Puglia) of Italian Sailing Federation.

Now the boats are going through the Mediterranean along the coast of Sardinia (a gate will located off Porto Cervo ) ;later Corsica and at the end arrival in Principato of Monaco after 500 miles non-stop.

Depending on wind conditions, first boats are expected to get to Montecarlo on Wednesday.

Six boats are part of the Palermo Montecarlox2, with a crew of only 3 people: three of them are 950 and Pegasus Città di Verona (Pietro Boerio and Francesco Conforte on board) is the boat to beat. Extreme Life Cinq Sens of Maurizio Vettorato, expert and veteran of Palermo-Montecarlo is an other 950 that runs to reach a good result.

Trophies include the " Angelo Randazzo Trophy" for overall winner in corrected time (in the biggest class: ORC this year) and the "Giuseppe Tasca D’Almerita Trophy" to be awarded to the Line Honours winner.

The 2017 Palermo-Montecarlo race is also part of several important sailing ceries:  Trofeo D’Altura of Mediterranean 2017, Championnat et Trophees Inshore et Offshore Mediterranean Equipages IRC2017, and is part of the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge 2017.

Many partners and Institutions help the success of Palermo-Montecarlo, as Comune di Palermo, co-organizer of the Event. This edition has also the support of Fondazione Terzo Pilastro Italia e Meditarraneo: Emmanuele Francesco Maria Emanuele is the President.

The foundation promotes health, culture, scientific research, education, social inclusion doing trait d’union between cultures in front of Mediterranean.

One special note to Tasca D’Almerita who for eight generations produces wines awarded all over the world. His family feels the passion for the sea: the special link with Palermo-Montecarlo underlines it.

New partners are: Banca Mediolanum and Condorelli with Riolocar and Gesap.

Event website & live tracking: http://www.palermo-montecarlo.it/2017/it/index.asp

CONTACTS

Ufficio stampa & PR Palermo - Montecarlo:

Federica Monticelli – (+39) 335 437 047 – fmonticelli@federicamonticelli.com

Viviana Cinque (Sicilia) – (+39) 339 758 0461 – viviana.cinque@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/palermomontecarlo

Instagram: #palermontecarlo