SUSTAINING TRADITION
The past, present and future of the oceans and yachting are of paramount importance at Yacht Club de Monaco
Monaco. A tiny principality nestled into the far southeastern corner of France. Perched atop a rock, the palace of the Grimaldi family. Masters of all they survey. From topaz Mediterranean Sea, to marvels of modern architecture. All wrapped in the trappings of modern-day captains of industry. Supercars, superyachts, and superstars.
And in the port, where I annually take a group of friends and clients to watch the Grand Prix de Monaco, sits the gleaming jewel of the modern clubhouse of the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM). By the 1950s, Monaco had become a revered port of call for the global yachting community. On June 17, 1953, Prince Rainier III and an initial board of directors incorporated the Yacht Club de Monaco at a meeting held at the International Hydrographic Organisation on the famous Quai Etas-unis, and appointed the first committee. As the YCM had no premises at the time, its home was the Société des Bains de Mer in an old pottery on Avenue d’ostende, with a display case in the reception hall of the Hôtel de Paris for its cups and trophies.
This all changed when the new regal clubhouse designed by Lord Norman Foster opened in June 2014. This marvel of glass, wood and steel sits on the water in the port on Quai Louis II, reminiscent of a beautiful superyacht in and of itself. Inside, the members and guests regale each other with tall tales and uphold the mission entombed in its 1953 charter, to be, “above all a private club dedicated to its 2,500 members and their children,” but also, unlike other yacht clubs, to have, “a public service remit and role in helping promote the Principality.” As part of this mission and its Monaco Capital of Yachting project, YCM contributes to Monaco’s appeal by providing the yachting industry with a communication and promotion platform.
Bernard D’alessandri, General Secretary and Managing Director of YCM, has many a fond memory of his time at the club. One of his favorite stories of derring-do he explains like this: “I had an amazing experience thanks to Yacht Club de Monaco. That was the Monaco-new York race in 1985. We left from Monaco and raced for 28 days nonstop. It gave us all a profound sense of freedom. It was interesting as we left at the end of our summer and arrived in the almost winter cold of
New York. The first image that comes to mind is that of the Brooklyn Bridge, it was very special as it was the first time I’d seen cars in a month. When we arrived in New York we were back in contact with people and life, it’s a difficult feeling to describe. I’ll never forget that moment and it wouldn’t have happened without YCM.”
He sums up the esprit de corps of the club for us in his thoughts about S/Y Tuiga, recognized as perhaps one of the most beautiful classic sailing yachts in existence today: “Safeguarding living maritime heritage has a very special place in life at YCM, which acquired Tuiga in 1995. She’s a 15M IR, Fifedesign yacht built in 1909. She symbolizes all the Yacht Club de Monaco’s values. Not only is she the most beautiful of boats, but also ideal for teaching the young generation the secrets of maneuvering and trimming a sailing yacht. Elegant, competitive, ideal for developing team spirit, in the purest of yachting traditions and etiquette, Tuiga embodies all the values we hold dear.”
But the YCM is not some stuffy organization relegated to reminiscing about past glories, as M. D’alessandri is keen to point out. “More than ever before we must build the future through an eco-responsible prism,” he notes. “The yachting industry cannot evolve unless it incorporates the concept of sustainable development into each and every one of its initiatives. It must adapt to new environmental restrictions. We are trying to encompass the whole ecosys-
tem that makes up the yachting sector and work at different levels to give the industry a new face, be it in propulsion systems, with our Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, the SEA Index [for assessing and improving the environmental performance of yachts] launched in collaboration with Credit Suisse, or cleaner facilities to welcome yachts with the Smart Marina rendezvous, organized by Monaco Marina Management.”
YCM pays tribute to its living maritime heritage with a unique biennial event launched in 1994, which is one of the most significant gatherings of both classic sailing and motor yachts on earth. Every two years, YCM takes owners and those who love the classics on a voyage back to a time that is synonymous with a certain Art de Vivre La Mer! The 15th Monaco Classic Week-la Belle Classe was slated for this past September—and at press time we were already assembling our nautical threads and magnums of rosé to join in the fun.
“SAFEGUARDING LIVING MARITIME HERITAGE HAS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN LIFE AT YCM”