20th Palermo-Montecarlo Regatta - Day 1
by Palermo-Montecarlo 20 Aug 07:36 NZST
19-24 August 2025
The 20th Palermo-Montecarlo it got under way in perfect schedule at 12 am from the Gulf of Mondello, in perfect weather conditions: sunshine and east-northeasterly winds at about 10 knots.
The show for the spectators at the Circolo della Vela Sicilia and along the coast was enhanced by the scenic presence of Nave Palinuro, the Italian Navy brig, near the starting line. From the ship, which also carried the President of the Italian Sailing Federation, Francesco Ettorre, three salvos were fired for the five-minute, one-minute, and start signals, announced by the Race Committee chaired by Race Director Giancarlo Crevatin.
The 45 boats fleet from nine nations then sailed the first leg, a one-mile upwind leg that took them along the coast beneath Mount Pellegrino, from Mondello to Addaura. The sleek black hull of the large maxi Black Jack 100 immediately stood out, choosing the port side of the windward leg, completing the leg in just over ten minutes, well ahead of the other boats. The lead of the fresh Rolex Fastnet winner and Palermo-Montecarlo record holder, increased exponentially after the first mark, as the crew was able to hoist the big Code Zero sail, launching itself at more than 15 knots speed.
Behind Black Jack 100, the Turkish TP52 Arkas Blue Moon and the Mylius 60 Manticore, for the Circolo Velico Sferracavallo, taking second and third place at the first mark, followed by No Regret, the ICE 52 of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, skippered by Edoardo Bonanno, Favorit, the Montenegrin Farr 45, and Matteo Uliassi's catamaran Falcon. Gradually, the rest of the fleet passed the buoy, bidding farewell to Sicily and beginning the long, clear route toward the next waypoint: the Porto Cervo gate, managed by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
The situation after the first five hours of the race
Pushed for about four hours by an easterly flow, the leaders had covered about fifty miles: at 5:00 PM, Black Jack 100 was in the lead, about 11 miles ahead of the second-placed boat, Arkas, close behind the Austrian VO65 Sisi, the catamaran Falcon, and the French Mini Maxi Intuition, a Reichel-Pugh 69. Manticore, aboard which, among others, were navigator Andrea Fornaro, tactician Ettore Botticini, and FIV coach Gabriele Bruni, was just ahead. Not far behind, completing the top ten are No Regret (seventh), Peppe Fornich's Sagola Lauria (Farr 45), Ernesto Folli's Black Pekoe III (ninth), and the Swan 45 Tengher (tenth), flying the Yacht Club Italiano's pennant. The Swan 45 is racing in double handed category with just two crew: owner Alberto Magnani and Mario Rabbò.
Weather forecast
While the boats are crossing an area of lighter, more variable winds in the late afternoon of the first day, a favorable evolution is expected, as from the evening they will encounter southerly winds of around 15 knots, which will blow for at least 24 hours, pushing the fleet to reach in speed along the coast of Sardinia, until they pass the gate off Porto Cervo. The southerly winds will hold until Thursday the 21st, when a strong westerly wind of up to 25 knots will set in west of Corsica, bringing the risk of thunderstorms.
These are interesting conditions that will challenge the fleet and could also open up the chance for Black Jack to break her own record (44 hours, 34 minutes, and 24 seconds, set in 2025). To achieve this, this extraordinary boat must cross the finish line in front of Port Hercules in Monte Carlo around 8 a.m. on Thursday, August 21st. Upon arrival, all boats will dock and be welcomed and assisted by the usual hospitality and organization of the Yacht Club de Monaco.
Follow the race and rankings: cf.yb.tl/pm2025