Yacht Club de Monaco's Black Jack 100 Sets New Palermo-Montecarlo Record

Monaco's sailing community celebrated a new milestone as the maxi yacht Black Jack 100, helmed by Yacht Club de Monaco member Tristan Le Brun, set a new record for the Palermo-Montecarlo race. The yacht completed the 500-nautical-mile journey from Palermo, Sicily, to Monaco in just 1 day, 20 hours, 34 minutes, and 22 seconds, breaking the previous record held since 2015 by Esimit Europa 2, which is now known as Black Jack 100.

The race, which is a collaborative effort by Circolo della Vela Sicilia, Yacht Club de Monaco, and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, drew participation from around 50 international teams this year. Among the competitors were Andrea Statari’s Comet 45s Gorilla Gang XL and Paul Basson’s Swan46 Foreign Affair, both proudly representing the Yacht Club de Monaco. The event commenced on August 20 under favorable windy conditions, propelling the fleet across the waters off the coasts of Sardinia and Corsica.

A particularly thrilling moment in the race was the close contest between Black Jack 100 and the American yacht Lucky, skippered by Bryon Ehrhart. The two yachts vied closely for the lead, with Black Jack 100 eventually gaining a critical 44-minute advantage to clinch the victory. This win not only secures Black Jack 100 the real-time race victory but also earns the crew the prestigious Giuseppe Tasca D’Almerita Trophy for setting the new race record.