News

A unique regatta dedicated to boats competing in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup launches on 11 September 2022

Porto Cervo, 14th April 2022. The first edition of the IMA 24 Hour Challenge Porto Cervo-Monaco will debut in September 2022, an event born from a collaboration between the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the Yacht Club de Monaco and the International Maxi Association.

The race is scheduled to get underway on 11 September this year, the day after the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup winds up, with the yachts lining up on the starting line in Porto Cervo at 11 a.m., destined for the twinned Yacht Club de Monaco. A course of more than 200 nautical miles awaits, where competitors are free to decide whether to sail west of Corsica, crossing the Strait of Bonifacio, or to leave Corsica to port if conditions seem more favourable. This simple race format will be scored in IRC, and boats that have not reached the Principality of Monaco within the 24-hour completion time will have their distance to the finish calculated and IRC TCCs applied.

All participants enrolled in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (LOA over 18.28 metres) can take part in the first edition of this event, which is set to become an annual appointment.

The arrival of the participants in Monaco is scheduled for Monday 12 September where the final awards ceremony will be held at 7 p.m., followed by an owners’ dinner at the Yacht Club de Monaco.

Michael Illbruck, Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, commented: "We're very proud of this new event with two prestigious partners like the Yacht Club de Monaco and the International Maxi Association. The hope is that the owners participating in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will be as pleased and enthusiastic as we are to be announcing this new addition to the YCCS sporting calendar today."

The first entrant in the Porto Cervo-Monaco IMA 24 Hour Challenge is IMA President Benoît de Froidmont with his Wally 60 Wallyño, who said: “I am delighted that we have managed to launch this new event in the maxi calendar that unites two of the world's most prestigious yacht clubs. I am also looking forward to trying out this interesting new format of yacht race.”

Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of the Yacht Club de Monaco said: “As part of our twinning agreement with Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, it is a great honour for us to be associated with the prestigious Maxi class federated in the IMA (International Maxi Association). With this race we aim to offer owners an original race format that would showcase the performance of their boat and crew on one of the most beautiful courses in the Mediterranean.”

Media Contacts

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda PR contacts:
Marialisa Panu/Giuliano Luzzatto
Tel. +39 345 7958513 - +39 348 5966160
pressoffice@yccs.it   www.yccs.com

Yacht Club de Monaco PR contacts:
Isabelle Andrieux
Tel: +377 93 10 64 09
presse@ycm.org yacht-club-monaco.mc

International Maxi Association PR contacts:
Maria Luisa Farris Tel: +39 345 8257605  Email: communications@internationalmaxiassociation.com
James Boyd  Tel: + 44 7710 109386 Email: press@internationalmaxiassociation.com
www.internationalmaxiassociation.com