J70 Fleet traffic Jam.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Day 3.

Bows of L30 class.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri
Sunday morning was much better than expected, with a big full moon, warm sunrise and sky mostly clear till the Esterel to west and clouds on the Corse at east, at midday, around an hour before leaving the docks, a layer of middle clouds had appeared and had destroyed the breeze, and so all the hopes to sail last day!
The Postpone flag has given to me time to jump on board to the new "olympic" hull and speak with crews about her handling and performance. As I could notice during the only race I shot, they confirmed that the boat has good performance in light wind, but for "inshore" races like this, you need at least 4 big good members on board, so in the future view of olympic, a crew of only 2 will be a challenge, at the olympic it will be a navigation race so not needed to change setting so often, but still big work for just 2 sailors.

view from inside of the mast and jib of L30 class.
copyright © photo Alexander PanzeriInside aft view of the L30 Class.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri
The R.C. has tried to push all out at a moment, but nothing happened, and the only good of this has been a better management of the craning procedures.
The only floating devices still on the water has been the group of ONEFLY Class (foiling dinghy). They tried to do their parallel event, they did it a small race but no flights.
The prize giving had gone pretty smooth, Y.C.M., Credit Suisse and Slam representatives there on stage to give the trophy, no crews were missing this time.

Well done Fanny for your first time as organiser!

ONEFLY ready to go out.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri
L30 Winner Jonas Gerckens.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Day 2.

Atlantis II, Lady Moura, Boadicea and 2 ONEFLY.
copyright © photo Alexander PanzeriI had not planned to cover it, and hadn't been a bad idea, it had been possible just to race once, since they had left the docks around the 10:00UTC, they had been already back 13:30UTC. So they had "ciondolato" for a couple of hours before the start. I had passed to the club just to spend sometime with colleagues and sailors. In this time there, I shot the just renewed mega-yacht Lady Moura moored the other side, and some ONEFLY those were coming back from the sea, with a fantastic sunset light. Pity they didn't switched on the action-camera, while they were sailing (not foiling) with the dolphins...
The day closed with the traditional Crew party managed by the new chef.
ONEFLY tacking.
copyright © photo Alexander PanzeriSlam backstage of fashion shooting.
copyright © photo Alexander PanzeriDuring the afternoon, I also had time to elaborate on the new good from the sponsor Slam: in the flow of plastic-reduction ”l’inventiva italiana” had brought the designers and stylers of Slam to find a solution to use “gli scarti” of production of the suits in neoprene (one of the most difficult material to recycled). The material is converted in sack-bag, with an alternative snare to close it on top. It has a bit strange feeling, so soft and it's very big volume that for now I see it very useful to store sails, ropes, suits and shoes and boot when wet, anorak inside layer, and maybe shooting tools can have advantages from the softness of the material.
The Italian "maison” also had equipped the Y.C.M. with the new shoes and new jackets.

Link to the sack-bag: http://bit.ly/2SKNvKb (Disclaimer: no commercial, no sponsored content, and no contract between me and Slam)

Clothes hanger of Slam and sailors.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Day 1.

The first day started with the skipper meeting with the guest of the main sponsor sailor of Slam.

Slam sailor at the skipper meeting.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

On the docks we find some big sailors like Keith Whittemore, multi-champion on J24 become legendary on the Lago di Lecco, with a new J70 Furio that is tasting the flavour of the youth performances of the boat e "della compagnia" of the crews (at the end Furio has closed 4th); Andrea Casali, from NorthSails and multi champion (last, J24 in Riva); Nob. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio with the J70 MON-1172 G-Spottino (from YCM and past Melges32 World Champion); Ludovico Fassitelli helms MON-1064 Junda - Banca del Sempione (from YCM, ex champion of Rally cars, past champion on H22 class and last winner of Primo Cup).

In the class of the most beautiful boat of the event, Smeralda 888, we also find S.A.R. Principe Carlo di Borbone delle Due Sicilie at the helm of MON-6 Vamos mi Amor Smeralda888; the Zaoli bothers on board of Angie Transparent III helmed by the Avv. Walter Pizzoli (winner with Resolute of Salmon at the last Régates Royale)

Smeralda 888: Angie Transparent 3 hoists the spinnaker.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Smeralda 888: Black Star pushing the limit after the departure.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

L30 fleet after the start.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri 

The L30 has the most wide coverage of world with crew from all around the world, and it's a very pity that no Italians, no French teams are on the water for this first "carpe diem".
The hull, maybe for the colours, looks a little bit strange, high and narrow. With the light wind at the end is able to move and not be overtake by the last class to start, the Longtze Premier, that it has big advantages in this conditions.

L30 class preparing to pass the mark for the downwind leg.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

The coloured class of Longtze Premier has lost two participants already at the first day of races.
The second departure is thrilling with one has decided to tack to left in the middle of the fleet (probably for a false start).

Longtze Premier departurewith one obliged to restart in the middle of the fleet.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

As showed in the aperture picture and in this one, once again the J70 class is the most challenged on the water with 65 team to fight. The departures have been correct, and it's always amazing to see this big number aligned on the starting line. Also on the upwind mark we cannot notes crashes or penalties (maybe thanks to the Monaco Winter Series???). Different discussion on the downwind mark, where the fight is, as usual, more rude and complicate.

J70 fleet downwind.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

To close the first day, a special event: the Christening of the "new" Smeralda 888 for the Monaco Sport Academy that thanks to Mr. Sukhotin, member of the club, who has donated his boat to the young sailors of the club!!! The name: Smeralda N' MON-05

Varo of a “new” Smeralda: Smeralda N’ MON-05 with the young team and YCM management.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Just one more thing: this is my fifth Primo Cup in a row as shooter, and the sixth time I'm there (the first time I was a sailor on a YCM's J24), and it's always a great way to start the year of sailing!!!

General Stage 3: 4 races

Class J70: http://bit.ly/2wihn9j

Class Melges 20: http://bit.ly/3bjFpk6

Class Smeralda888: http://bit.ly/37ljshv

Class L30: http://bit.ly/2HnAGA0

Longtze Premier Class: http://bit.ly/389e7uU

Main Website Event: http://bit.ly/2QXOfZu
Main Galleries Folder: http://bit.ly/2R13LUd
Main Galleries Folder 2020: http://bit.ly/2TpBXhe
Day 0: http://bit.ly/2NoU6rI
Day 1: http://bit.ly/2u2Z7PK
Day 2: http://bit.ly/2st7lk2
Day 3: http://bit.ly/387X4Ji
slideshow: https://youtu.be/z8TNOpN23s0

The sailing conditions are very.... "molto Monegasche", variable sunny, temperature around 15-18[°C], small breeze of 6[kts] at peak has given the start for the practise race in the bay.

The event has some variation before the start already in December: Star Class has been written off from the the list leaving only the Christmas Regatta in Nice and and the double event in Cannes; later in January the H22 Class has abandoned because with only 7 boats registered, so it didn’t passed the cut. Also the there was a possibility for Melges 24 (but to my memory there aren't boats on the coast) and SB20 (it's some year they aren't here).

J70 ready for the night before
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

The YCM has to be quite restricted about (the standard is, and must be high!), because the spaces on the docks are “limited”, so the classes must have serious in intent!

The positive is the new entry of the L30 class (that one could be the new offshore Olympic class). It’s long time since bigger hull had participated.

The L30 at first view, looks very new and modern style: inverted bow, carbon parts, 2 steering wheels, 2 rudders... An interesting feature is the very high mura, that gives a sense of “protection” to the crew in the rough conditions and inside the room it look very wide.
There are 8 boats with crew from all around the world.

The other good news is the growing big number of J70 Class boats and in the optic of the future (World Championship 2021) it's very good. The list is up to 61 boats registered.

The list of classes is closed with the fabulous style of the 10 boats of Smeralda 888, the colored Longtze Premier and the Melges 20, the last one could ask to change the name in Russian Cup.

Teams leaving and returing to the port on the practise field
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Let’s fight start to win!!!

Main Website Event: http://bit.ly/2QXOfZu
Main Galleries Folder: http://bit.ly/2R13LUd
Main Galleries Folder 2020: http://bit.ly/2TpBXhe
Stage 0: http://bit.ly/2NoU6rI