Scores of classic superyachts, sailing yachts and motor boats are gathering in Monaco for La Belle Classe, the 12th Monaco Classic Week, held from September 9 to 13.
With over 100 yachts moored in front of the Yacht Club de Monaco, spectators and participants are in for a treat. The 28-metre gaff cutter Tuiga from 1909 – the Yacht Club’s flagship – will be skippered by Pierre Casiraghi and Bernard d’Alessandri, and competing on the water with three International Rule 15M Class yachts, Mariska from 1908, Hispania from 1909, and The Lady Anne from 1912. Other competitors include the 55-metre schooner Elena (a reinvention of the 1911 original) and the 1920 Lulworth, at 46 metres the largest gaff rig cutter still sailing today.
Also on the water will be a dozen classic Riva motor boats, including Carlo Riva’s personal Aquarama Lipicar IV (a contraction of his daughters’ names – Lia, Pia and Carla), and Via, the Tritone that belonged to Prince Rainier III. “It’s important for us to take part in this unique gathering dedicated to the lifestyle, excellence and elegance that so well defines the Riva spirit, perpetuated today by the Ferretti yard,” says Lia Riva.
Monaco’s rowing club, the Société Nautique de Monaco, which shares the Yacht Club’s new building, has organised a race for classic rowing skiffs, while the Italian Navy will be there with its 77-metre school vessel Palinuro, available for the public to view throughout the week. There is a host of other events throughout the five days, including art exhibitions, a chefs’ competition, and a marine auction.
“To navigate towards the future we need to look back at the past. We are therefore delighted to be able to celebrate the 130th anniversary of Partridge and greet the arrival of restored newcomers like Patna (1920), another Nicholson design. It demonstrates how these yachts have stood the test of time and continue racing, thanks to the determination and passion of their owners,” says Bernard d’Alessandri, the Yacht Club de Monaco’s general secretary.
