Primo Cup, Yacht Club Monaco is ready for a new edition

Monaco – Taking full advantage since 2014 of its new Clubhouse and sailing facilities designed by Lord Norman Foster, the Yacht Club de Monaco has ramped up its winter regatta programme over the last two years. Its monthly Sportsboat Winter Series of regattas for the Melges 20 and J/70 classes (October to March) is attracting more and more sailors from northern Europe who make Monaco their winter training base. Act 4 of this Winter Series is the Primo Cup – Trophée Credit Suisse, a major regatta that for over 30 years has opened the Mediterranean race season.

With some 150 boats (800+ sailors, 14 nationalities) already registered over the two weekends in seven classes alongside the IRC classes 1 to 4 (since 2012); demos & free trials of the trimaran Diam 24od, competing for the first time; and an umpires course run in conjunction with World Sailing, the 32nd edition is set to live up to its reputation as a classic.

1st weekend (5th – 7th February): Surprise Europ’ Sailing Championship
At least 20 Surprises are expected in this loyal class to the Primo Cup which will also be Act 1 of their Europ’ Sailing Championship. A popular boat for lake sailing, it’s no surprise to see so many Swiss, Italians and French signed up.

Alongside will be the 88.8m Smeralda 888 (10 entrants) designed by German Frers, where the rule is that owners must be at the helm, and the Star, an Olympic class (15) and another Primo regular. International teams, including Ed Russo President of the SB20 World Council, are among the 15 lined up for the SB20 contest, while IRC classes 1-4 will be here in force with 25 expected.

2nd weekend (12th – 14th February): Act 4 of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series
Alongside the Diam 24od class, competing for the first time at the Primo, the J/70 fleet of 35 entrants is even more international this year following the European Championship hosted by the Yacht Club last October, with boats coming from all over Europe. Motivated by Jacopo Carrain, President of the Monaco Class Association, the J/70 has grown rapidly as a class in the Principality with 18 boats now racing under the Yacht Club de Monaco flag.

The Primo Cup is also Act 4 of the five-act Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series for the J/70, as well as for the 27 Melges 20 boats registered. Instigated by Valentin Zavadnikov in 2013, this Winter Series offers a high level programme of monthly training regattas for one-designs throughout the winter for experienced teams wanting to train for the season’s big meetings.

Dominated last season by Guido Miani, first European in the Melges 20 Worlds, this technically demanding sportsboat, has proved a hit with Russian sailors who make up 16 of the teams competing at the Primo. They include Alekxandr Ezhkov (Pirogovo) and Vladimir Prosikhin (Nika), RC44 2015 World Champion, who are currently ranked 1st and 2nd respectively in this Winter Series championship.

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