More than 130 iconic boats are gathering for the 16th Monaco Classic Week-La Belle Classe, organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco from September 13 to 16, 2023. These boats include approximately 40 classic sailing yachts, a dozen vintage motor yachts, around 60 antique motorboats, and a fleet of 20 Dinghy 12′ class vessels, all converging on Port Hercule to dock in the YCM Marina.
This year, an exclusive exhibition called ‘The Prince and the Sea’ is being showcased during Monaco Classic Week in tribute to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Prince Rainier III, who founded the Yacht Club de Monaco in 1953. This exhibition highlights some of the magnificent boats owned by a man who had a profound love for the sea and boats.
This biennial event, established in 1994, showcases vintage boats that are still sailing today. The festivities kick off with Tuiga, the flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco, joining two other 15M IR yachts, The Lady Anne and Mariska, for an inaugural regatta. Meanwhile, the Jury, led by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, will commence evaluations for the ‘La Belle Classe Restoration’ Prize.
Some of the world’s most stunning sailing vessels will be present, designed by early America’s Cup architects like Nathanael G. Herreshoff, who contributed to American classics such as Atlantic (56.43m) and Elena of London (41.60m).
Among them is the remarkable Charles Nicholson masterpiece, the three-mast schooner Creole (58.22m), renowned for its elegant lines. Also on display is the O’Remington (23.20m), originally launched in 1946 under the name Maria del Mar and owned by wealthy American heir Lord Remington.
The boat holds a special place in Italian cinema history, as luminaries like Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Marcello Mastroianni, and four Cannes Film Festival Palmes d’Or winners found inspiration aboard. Maria Callas even rehearsed on board, a moment deeply etched in the boat’s nickname, ‘La Divina.’
Keep an eye out for the Naema (40.59m), a faithful replica of Alfred Mylne’s Panda, which left the Camper & Nicholson yard in 1938 and holds historical significance as a gift to King Bao Da of Anam (Vietnam) from the French government.
Source: Yacht Club de Monaco
Image Credit: Luco Butto
