Palermo-Montecarlo 2024 : Tristan Le Brun smashes record to win

Every year this superb race takes some fifty boats between the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, and finishes up on the mainland in Monaco.

While some, like Noam Yaron, swim across the Mediterranean, others prefer sailing. Last week, around fifty crews set off from Palermo for the Palermo-Montecarlo regatta, in post-storm conditions, with grey clouds giving way to clearer skies.

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The race’s 19th edition was organised by the Circolo della Vela Sicilia in collaboration with the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Three members of the Monegasque club competed: Andrea Statari, Paul Basson and Tristan Le Brun.

A leading trio from the outset

At the start of the race and as they rounded Capo Gallo, an area renowned for its fickle winds, the crews were faced with some crucial tactical choices, in particular whether to stay in the centre of the Tyrrhenian Sea or head towards Sardinia to make use of the coastal breezes.

As the fleet made its way towards the Porto Cervo gate, early favourites began to emerge. Lucky, skippered by American Bryan Ehrhart, quickly took the lead, closely followed by the pre-race favourite, Black Jack 100, and Balthasar.

Black Jack 100 beats own record

The race, which covers the 500 nautical miles between Palermo and Monaco was a successful one for Black Jack 100. With Monaco Yacht Club’s Tristan Le Brun at the helm, the crew beat its own real-time record of 47 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds, set in 2015 when the ship was called Esimit Europa 2.

This year it only took 44 hours, 34 minutes and 22 seconds to reach Monaco and win the Trophée Giuseppe Tasca D’Almerita. Un record that had nothing to do with luck, and more to do with the fierce battle between Lucky and Black Jack 100.

“Lucky made it a tough race for us,” said Tristan Le Brun, “so we went for a strategy of keeping close to her, and not giving her the chance of getting away from us. For us this result is an honour, a challenge, and part of a success, since we’d set our sights on beating as many of the records held by Esimit as possible.”

Lucky came second in the real-time race, but the crew’s efforts were rewarded by a victory in the corrected time race, earning them the Trophée Angelo Randazzo. Neither crew is about to forget the event:“We will not forget this race and the duel,” said Lucky‘s American skipper Bryan Ehrhart. “Our sailors did an extraordinary job and only the lighter wind prevented us keeping in their wake. Despite that we’re very satisfied.”