The Palermo-Montecarlo 2023, eighteenth edition, has its winner in real time: the 100-footer Black Jack, owned by Australian owner Peter Hamburg, skipper Mark Bradford, helmsman Joao Signorini, tactician Brad Butterworth, crossed the finish line in Monaco at 7pm :53:06, in a splendid light before sunset, taking the Line Honors and the Giuseppe Tasca d’Almerita Trophy.
The 31-metre maxi completed the route from the Gulf of Mondello to the Principality of Monaco in a time of 55 hours, 3 minutes and 6 seconds, about 8 hours more than the race record which has remained unbeaten since 2015, when it was set by the same boat, with the name of Esimit Europa 2. It is unusual that Igor Simcic, the previous owner of the yacht, was also at the dock to congratulate the winner.
STATEMENTS – After having uncorked a bottle of champagne with the traditional cut of the saber and having celebrated with all the crew, owner Peter Hamburg commented on the regatta: “It was a long and very beautiful race, the boat performed very well, the light wind is its ideal condition. We got off to a good start in Palermo and pulled away. It’s just a pity that we were parked on the second windless night after the Bocche di Bonifacio, but we managed to catch the arrival of a favorable wind as soon as possible. It was my first Palermo-Montecarlo. The best moment? When we crossed the line, that’s the moment, the focus of all the work during the race. We didn’t really have the record, there weren’t the conditions to do it. It would have been nice to beat him, maybe next time”.
New Zealand tactician Brad Butterworth said immediately afterwards: “We are happy, for us and for the boat. We didn’t make any major mistakes. A bit of a disappointment because we were stopped for several hours on the second night, but we were also good at managing the different moments of the regatta. As for the choices made, I’m happy with the departure, because it’s never easy with so many boats and you always risk something. We therefore guessed the approach to Sardinia, where many suffered. Finally today we had a perfect day, we have always been in phase with the wind that has arrived.
It’s my fifth Palermo-Montecarlo, I think it’s an extraordinary route with unforgettable scenery. I like starting from Palermo, because I love Sicily, then the route touches some of the most beautiful places in the Mediterranean”.
THE FINISH OF THE SECOND – The 90-footer Shockwave 3 Prosecco DOC by Claudio Demartis which also races with the burgundy of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, is about 80 miles from the finish line, the estimated time for arrival is on the morning of Friday 25th.
The direct link to the tracking on the official website to follow the regatta: https://cf.yb.tl/pm2023
ORGANIZERS, CIRCUITS AND PARTNERS – The Palermo-Montecarlo has been organized for 18 years by the Circolo della Vela Sicilia with the collaboration of the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and under the aegis of the Italian Sailing Federation, UVAI (Unione Vela d’Altura Italiana) and the IMA (International Maxi Association).
Included in the “long” regatta circuit of the FIV Italian Offshore Sailing Championship, among those with the highest coefficient for the purposes of scoring for the final classification, the 500 miles of the Palermo-Montecarlo are also part of the following prestigious circuits: the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge; the Mediterranean Offshore Trophy; the Mediterranean Trophy for the Class40; and the 2023 edition of the Championnat et Trophées Inshore et Offshore Méditerranée en Équipages-IRC.
The event is also directly promoted by the Sicilian Region Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, with the participation of the Metropolitan City of Palermo and the support of the Sicily Foundation. Sponsor partners are Tasca d’Almerita and Porsche, Centro Porsche Palermo.
