A good start for the 16th Palermo-Montecarlo organised by Circolo della Vela Sicilia, in partnership with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, a firm fixture on the offshore race calendar since its launch in 2005. No fewer than 480 nautical miles non-stop awaits competitors, the big favourite being Arca SGR, a 30m race machine led by Guido Miani associated with Furio Benussi.
“Light airs await them for the first 48 hours,” notes Thierry Leret from the Yacht Club de Monaco’s Race Committee. “It’s a light north/west (5/6 knots) that they have to negotiate throughout their ascent of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Weather conditions from the start will require a first tactical decision, whether to go in search of breezes off the Italian peninsular, so further away from Sardinian shores, even though it means covering more ground.”
