G-Spot eclipses J/70 Primo Cup-Trophee UBS
by J/Boats 18 Mar 09:07 PDT
7-10 March 2024
J/70 Primo Cup-Trophee UBS 2024 © J/Boats
At the start of the 2024 season, the sailing world's eyes were fixed on the Principality of Monaco where top international one-design teams would be competing at the 40th J/70 Primo Cup-Trophée UBS.
Over the years, this regatta has left its mark, attracting big names in sailing.
Launched in 1985 at the instigation of YCM President HSH Prince Albert II, the regatta has established itself as a major European one-design gathering in the Mediterranean. The more than 30-year partnership with technical clothing supplier SLAM, alongside UBS, and support from Monaco's City Council, has contributed to its quality and prestige.
"As part of our 'Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting' approach, the Primo Cup-Trophée UBS has embodied tradition and excellence in the one-design world for four decades," said YCM General Secretary Bernard d'Alessandri.
The event also coincided with the fourth and final Act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series of monthly regattas that run from November to March for J/70s, underlining YCM's commitment to promoting year-round competitive sailing and giving sailors a training platform before international events.
40 years of passion
The Primo Cup has been the scene of thrilling contests attracting big names in sailing like Jean Le Cam, Michel Desjoyeaux, Franck Cammas, John Kostecki, Grant Dalton, Enrico Chieffi, Flavio Favini, Marcus Hutchinson, Will Ryan and many others, making it an event not to be missed. Among one-design classes, the J/70 continues to leave its mark on the regatta's history with over 400 boats coming to Monaco over the last ten editions. This class is hugely popular with Monegasques, where some 20 teams make up the largest fleet of J/70s in the Mediterranean.
With wind conditions oscillating between 8 to 18 knots, the sailing proved tense and exciting for the weekend of racing on the picturesque Hercules Bay just off Monaco. Forty-six teams have registered for the event from around the world with nine nations attending- Monaco, Italy, France, USA, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and Ireland.
Monaco sailors dominated the top five spots. Winning was Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio's G-SPOT with an nose-bleeding 1-2-1-1 tally for 5 pts. However, the silver medal went to the up-and-coming Swiss team of Tom Studer on JERRY with a 5-6-4-15 record for 30 pts. Rounding out the podium with the bronze medal was Graeme Peterso's Monaco team on MOONLIGHT II with a 2-15-14-3 scoreline for 34 pts. Rounding out the top five was Cesare Gabasio's TINN J70 from Monaco in fourth and Alessandro Molla's VIVA from Italy in fifth place.
Corinthian Division
Winning Corinthians by a mere 4 pts was Tom Studer's Swiss team on JERRY. They were followed by Cesare Gabasio's Italian TINN J70 crew in second and William Twomey's Irish crew on WILDCARD in third place. Notably, the Swiss placed five teams in the top ten, by far the dominant nation in the division!
Youth Division
The passion for high-level competition is being passed down the generations as evidenced by the presence of Roman Lampert (11), Ludovica Bonelli (14), Louis Pompée (9), and Joséphine Dobbelaere (10) from YCM's Sports Section. "They are used to start lines of 90 Optimists so were not phased and stayed calm," says their coach Margaux Meslin, who was sailing with them on the J/70 Team Optimist. "I've seen them win starts next to the big names, or surfing downwind, spinnaker up, big smiles on their faces. It was a fantastic experience for them," she says.
For more PRIMO Cup- Trophee UBS sailing information, visit here.