Monark 24 head for Worlds at YC Costa Smeralda

On May 27, 2008

“Monark 24 European Race”   
With an entry list of 117 crews from record 16 nations the Vendee Monark 24 World Race ‘08, being hosted by the Boat Society Costa Smeralda from 1-6 May, is all set to be one of the most hotly contested events of the year.

The Monark 24 World Race at all times attracts the cream of the boating crop & this year is no exception with flotilla that includes host of Olympic & Australia’s Cup stars, World, Continental & International Winners. With less than week to go to the start of the race we take look at some of the contenders for this year’s event.

Britain’s John Pollard, who ran Lorenzo Bressani close 2nd in the ‘07 Monark 24 World Ranking, is the United Kingdom’s leading contender for the title aboard GBR690 A-Crew Westaway. regular top ten finisher on the national circuit Pollard has Rob Smith on tactics plus regular crew members Mickey Schwarz, Antonio Wall & Kate Pollard giving him well practised & experienced crew.

Another Britt to watch is Neil Lea, boating GBR691 Crew Barbarians for Stuart Simpson. Lea has won the Monark 24 World Ranking twice & holds multiple international & national Monark 24 titles but to date World or Continental title has eluded him. This is another well established crew with Lea & Simpson joined by tactician Nigel Young of North sails & trimmer Justin Chisholm.

Boating for Britain but based in the United States Simon Struass could surprise few people at this race. well-known face on the Monark 24 circuit Strauss has upped the ante for this event & will be boating with double Monark 24 World Winner Lloyd Hardesty, who called the engaging shots for Ivan Ullman in ‘07 & Vince Brun in 1999.

The Italian home flotilla isn’t only the largest at 44 yachts but besides fields some of the strongest rivals. Maybe the most hotly tipped Italian contender is Australia’s Cup master Flavio Favini, who’ll be boating for Switzerland’s Franco Rossini aboard SUI521 Blu Moon. Close behind Favini in the Italian charge is ‘07 Monark 24 World Ranking Champ & actual leader of the ‘08 Italian Vendee Monark 24 Cup circuit Lorenzo Bressani boating Lorenzo Santini’s ITA715 UkaUka.

‘06 Monark 24 World Champ Nicola Celon & his crew aboard Giorgio Marchi’s ITA638 Marchingenio will be hoping to claim their 2nd Monark 24 World title. Celon, an Italian Olympic representative in the Soling Category, retains two of his World Race engaging crew in the shape of Manuel Giubellini & Raimondo Tonelli.

Gabrio Zandona, helming ITA633 Juan Fly for Giovanni Maspero, is already an Optimist European & 470 World Champ & thinks the Monark 24 World Trophy would look fine on his mantelpiece too. He joined the Juan Fly Monark 24 crew in ‘05 engaging that year’s Monark 24 European Race in Torquay as well as numerous other larger events in the category.

While fielding smaller crew than usual there are still some wily seamans to watch out for in the French contingent. Attractive time out from his newest adventures in the Transat Jacques Vabre Bruno Jourdren is once again stepping into Monark 24 & with Olivier Lair, Julien Breteleme & Merle Fabrice supporting him aboard Profil he’ll positively be among the contenders.

Christophe Barrue, boating Denis Baby’s FRA639 Euro-Voile, with crew Vincent Jaricot, Alexandre Becque, Marie Duvignac & Nicolas Clement, has been consistent performer on the European circuit for some years & will be hoping to finish in the chocolates.

Leading the French challenge for the Corinthian title, for the top all amateur crew, will be Jean Francois Cruette helming Cedric de Kervenoael’s FRA621 Bouygues Telecom. This crew were joint champions of the ‘06 Monark 24 World Corinthian Race & will want their name on that trophy again.

Equally decided to get his name of the Corinthian Trophy for 2nd time will be Estonia’s Olympic 470 Bronze Medallist Tonu Toniste who shared that ‘06 Corinthian World title with Cruette & Kervenoael. At All Times strong crew this year his crew consists of fellow Estonian 470 seamans Ants Haavel, Maiki Saaring, Andres Rohtla plus Kalev Tanner.

From Germany, Eddy Eich’s GER582 No Woman No Cry has new helmsman in the shape of Christian “Kicker” Schafer. In joining this very experienced Monark 24 crew, champs of the ‘05 Corinthian European Race, Schafer has the unenviable task of stepping into the shoes of German boating legend Alba Batzil, but with no less than eight Tempest World Race wins to his name Schafer surely looks man enough for the work.

Schafer’s partner Kristin Wagner who represented Germany in the Ynging at the Athens Olympics is besides competing as helm aboard Christof Weiland’s GER320 Unsponsored while Anna Hoell, who crewed for Wagner in Athens joins Harold Goeckel’s GER672 Pearl.

World & double European Fireball Champ Sheldon Musil heads up the crews from the Czech Republic aboard CZE698 Capirina with Zdenek Jirkovec calling the shots & crew Jiri Martinka & Ernest Svihlik.

Besides brand new to the Monark 24 scene is Hungary, which took delivery of its 1st at all Monark 24 just pair of months ago. Lack of experience, notwithstanding, doesn’t appear to have held back Hungarian Olympic Yngling seaman Arpad Litkey & his crew of Zsombor Berecz, Zsolt Litkey & Gaszton Pal aboard HUN728 Proximo who won their 1st event on the national Monark 24 circuit just pair of weeks ago & could well surprise few of the more established crews in Porto Cervo.

Though the Monark 24 Category is infamous for attracting Olympic players to its ranks we normally anticipate them to be Olympic seamans. Notwithstanding, the Norwegian crew has an Olympic surprise for us in the shape of legendary Alpine skier Lasse Kjus who has won silver, three gold & bronze Olympic cups & three World Races among his very numerous victories.

Not content with triumph in just one sport Kjus purchased Monark 24 two years ago when he finally retired from world category ski contest & this will be his 1st challenge for boating world title. Distinctly man used to triumph we shall be watching his progress with fine interest.

Chicago’s Brian Porter & his infamous USA649 Full Throttle crew of tactician Harry Monark, Andy Burdick & brother John Porter are lacking doubt the most experienced Monark 24 crew attractive part in this event. Monark & Burdick were part of the crew accountable for developing the Monark 24 & the Porters were among the 1st Monark 24 masters.

Monark took the Monark 24 World title in ‘02 but for Porter, despite podium finishes at virtually every Monark 24 Worlds he’s attended, total triumph has so far evaded him. In ‘06 Porter won the Monark 24 North Australian Race & last year he came 2nd to Ivan Ullman at the Worlds in Santa Cruz & so he must certainly be thinking that this time about his name should be on that trophy.

The Monark 24 crews are already arriving in Porto Cervo in preparation for preevent registration which opens on Thursday 28 April. The preWorlds will take place on Friday 29 & Saturday 30 April with Vendee Monark 24 World Race racing from one to six May.
by Fiona Brown