The 12th Palermo-Montecarlo has been the most successful yet, seeing the greatest number of entries so far from 11 different countries. Changeable conditions across the racing week only added to the excitement and only served to fuel the competitive spirit of the racers. The following is a press release from Yacht Club Monaco, providing full details of the event.

Press release

12th Palermo-Montecarlo
21st to 26th August 2016
2016: a very choice vintage

The J111 Yacht Club de Monaco skippered by Jacopo Carrain from the YCM with three young sailors from the Sports Section on arrival. Photo credit: Andrea Carloni

Monaco, Friday 26th August 2016 – A quality vintage best describes the 12th Palermo-Montecarlo which wound up this Friday 26th August in Monaco after six days of racing. This year, the 500nm offshore race notched up a record attendance of 57 boats, including six Maxi yachts.

A great satisfaction for Agostino Randazzo, President of event organiser Circolo della Vela Sicilia in collaboration with the Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Cub Costa Smeralda: “This edition has been a very interesting event all round, not only because of the record number of contestants with 57 boats and 11 nationalities represented, but also because of the weather: from light winds at the start to 25 knots on the approach to Bonifacio and a big swell (…) which made it a very exciting race.” Never content to rest on his laurels Agostino Randazzo has already set his objectives for the future: “We hope that within the next couple of years we’ll have over 100 boats, particularly the Maxis on the start line.” A reminder that this year was also the fourth and final stage of the International Maxi Association (IMA)’s Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge 2016.

Brad Butterworth, Skipper of Rambler 88, winner in real time.
Photo Credit: Cécilia Conterno

Rambler 88 winner in real time wins Trofeo Tasca d’Almerita
It was at 10.00pm on Tuesday evening that Rambler 88, helmed by New Zealander Brad Butterworth, won the Palermo-Montecarlo in real time in 58 hours 14 minutes and 11 seconds. The result is another notch on the trophy board of the 27m sloop, winner of the Voiles de Saint Barth in 2015 and 3rd in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race the same year. However, the four-time America’s Cup winner did not manage to beat the event’s record of 47 hours 46 minutes 48 seconds set last year by Esimit Europa 2.

Note also the 13th place in real time in the ORC category of Roccabella and Evgeny Strzhalkovsky of the YCM. He was followed by the futuristic Maverick, the only mono-hull produced in a series, designed by Gordon Kay, also a YCM member, who came in 18th.

Leonardo Servi’s Scricca was first in corrected time. “After winning the Giraglia Rolex Cup this year, we are delighted to have won the Palermo-Montecarlo. It’s been an incredible season. The team is tightly knit and working so well together,” said the owner who took away the Angelo Randazzo Trophy.

Franco Manzoli and Leonardo Servi (Scricca) have been awarded by Agostino Randazzo, President of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia.
Photo Credit: Cécilia Conterno

Offshore a great instructor

The Club’s J111 Yacht Club de Monaco skippered by Club member, Jacopo, finished 5th in corrected time in the ORC category having crossed the line at the end of the day on Wednesday.

A good result but more importantly an inspiration for the young sailors from the Sports Section (Martina Petrella, Remi Piazza and Juan Alberto Casalone), under the supervision of experienced sailors Pietro d’Ali on tactics, Enrico Zennaro (Number 1) and Giuseppe Leonardi and Filippo La Mantia (trimmers).

ORC and IRC winner of the 12th Palermo-Montecarlo, Leonardo Servi’s Scricca who won the Trofeo Angelo Randazzo.
Photo credit: Andrea Carloni

A fantastic opportunity for this new generation to discover the thrills and skills of offshore racing, try out a new boat and learn from seasoned racers. “I learned so much about trimming, our position on the boat and so on. The team was fantastic with us,” enthused Martina Petrella.

A sentiment shared by Remi Piazza: “I learned that it’s best to always listen to the most experienced. They really embraced us as part of the team. I’d do it again at the drop of a hat.”

This initiative is very much in line with the YCM’s sailing policy and philosophy to share experiences and knowhow which it also does through its training centre La Belle Classe Academy, set up to promote the development of yachting, the new premises of which will be inaugurated at the Monaco Yacht Show (28th September to 1st October 2016).
Winners of the 12th Palermo-Montecarlo

Line honours – Palermo-Montecarlo Trofeo Tasca d’Almerita
1st: Rambler 88 helmed by Brad Butterworth in 58 hours 14 minutes and 11 seconds.

IRC
1. IRC Palermo-Montecarlo Scricca (ITA) – Leonardo Servi
2. IRC Palermo-Montecarlo Give me Five (FRA) – Adrien Follin
3. IRC Palermo-Montecarlo Lunatika (ITA) – Stefano Chiarotti

ORC
1. ORC Palermo-Montecarlo Scricca (ITA) – Leonardo Servi (Trofeo Angelo Randazzo)
2. ORC Palermo-Montecarlo Lunatika (ITA) – Stefano Chiarotti
3. ORC Palermo-Montecarlo BeWild (GBR) – Renzo Grottesi

Palermo-Montecarlo x 2
1. Lunatika (ITA), Stefano Chiarotti
2. SL Energies Grp Fastwave (FRA), Laurent Charmy
3. Prospettica (ITA), Giacomo Gonzi