Month: September 2018

Royal Huisman introduces its new Pura superyacht at the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show – packed with modern technology and classic design flair.

This is a “custom superyacht”. The company offers “freedom of choice, proven technology, time and cost efficiency”. The company’s marketing material says, “We feel she is very different to all existing large sailing yacht concepts and thus we are very excited. We hope you will be too!”

The design is a collaboration between Frers Design and Royal Huisman. Buyers will be able to shape the hull, deck and superstructure to suit their vision. The Frers design team will work with you to realise your vision for both the exterior and the interior of your Pura superyacht.

Once built, the yacht systems can be monitored in real time, with maintenance and service support 24 hours a day. You can read more about the specs on The World of Yachts.

Friday, September 21^st, is the International Day of Peace and the principality will celebrate by hosting the Monaco Better World Forum (MBWF), under the High Patronage of H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco. This two-day event will be held across three locations, including the Cinéma des Beaux-Arts Théâtre Princess Grace and the Fairmont Monte Carlo, and will culminate with a Gala Dinner at the Monaco Yacht Club on Saturday, September 22^nd with Prince Albert himself in attendance.

Founded in 2016 by Manuel Collas de La Roche, the Better World Forum has at its core a mission to promote peace through the big screen. “It is cinematic art in the service of humanity,” he tells Monaco Life. Although this is the third edition of the forum, it is the first time it will be held in Monaco. For Mr Collas de La Roche, who is also the MBWF President, the principality is the perfect location for an event he views as “a continuity of the amazing work that H.S.H Prince Albert II is doing with regards to the ocean, the environment, and humanitarian causes,” he explains. “For me, Monaco is the ideal venue to host the Better World Forum since it is such an international place,” he continues.

This year, women’s rights, children, people with disabilities, the environment and biodiversity, and the plight of refugees are categories that will be highlighted through a two-day program of films and documentaries from around the world. The official selection includes Vincent & Moi (France), Street River (Brazil), Mountain (Australia, narrated by Willem Dafoe), Capharnaüm (Lebanon & France), Ma Fille (Figlia Mia, Germany, Italy & Switzerland), and Wonders of the Sea (United Kingdom & France, produced by Arnold Schwarzenegger). A free public screening of each film will take place at the Cinéma des Beaux-Arts.

On Friday night, the International Day of Peace will be celebrated with a dinner at the Fairmont Monte Carlo, followed by a Concert for Peace featuring the Lebanese countertenor Matteo El Khodr and an after-party with D.J Grace.

It is the Gala Dinner on Saturday, September 22^nd, that will showcase the initiative in full splendour, and limited tickets are still available for the event. The films’ directors will be presented with the Colombe d’Or, an award recognising their contribution to each social cause the forum has chosen to highlight this year. Along with H.S.H Prince Albert II, who will himself receive an award for Best Achievement, other guests will include the Russian actor Gosha Kutsenko, the French singer Liane Foly, the Angolan singer Matias Damásio, and the Turkish actor Mert Firat.

During the gala, an auction will be conducted by Mr Matthieu Lamoure with money raised to benefit two charities supported by the MBWF: Gift of Life in Lebanon, the world’s largest charity for children born with congenital heart disease, and Embracing the World in India, an international network of charities inspired by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math with a focus on meeting the basic needs of the world’s poor.

A respected film producer himself, Mr Collas de La Roche feels that the MBWF is a culmination of his life’s lessons and experiences, which includes two years spent as a monk with the Dalai Lama. “I am a very spiritual person and this is why I created the forum,” he says. “To raise awareness surrounding certain topics through cinema and to support and finance certain organisations. For me, it is a mission, the continuation of my spiritual path.”

The good news is that the Better World Forum has found a home in Monaco. “Thanks to the great support we have received from the Prince’s Palace of Monaco and Monaco Mediax, the forum will be held annually in Monaco,” he announces. Beyond the principality, he has plans to take the MBWF to different countries around the world as he strives to use the power of cinema to create an awareness on social topics and champion peace.

There are limited tickets still available for the Gala Dinner at the Monaco Yacht Club on September 22^nd. Reservations can be made here. For more information, visit www.bwforum.org.

After the success of Blue Wonderful with Sir Elton John in 2016, then Duran Duran’s Extraordinary World concert last year, The Ferretti Group, in collaboration with the Yacht Club de Monaco and Maserati,repeated the experience on Friday, September 7,  2018, with an exclusive concert with Sting, powerboat-world.com reported.

According to the organisers, the title of the concert – Fields of Gold – was not only a reference to one of the star’s greatest hits but also a reflection of the Ferretti Group’s image and ability to design out-of-the-ordinary yachts.

A total of 24 Ferretti Group yachts were anchored in front of the Yacht Club for the occasion.

The British star performed mega hits from his extraordinary career as a solo artist, including Fields of Gold and Fragile, as well as classics from the repertoire of his old group, The Police, such as Roxanne.

A total of 1,000 guests were present. Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi, said: “In the light of the profound esteem and admiration that I have for this unique artist, I am proud to have Sting as the star of our annual rendezvous in Monte-Carlo. The musician has done us a great honour with this intimate and moving concert, a unique performance reserved for our owners and members of the Yacht Club de Monaco.”

Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of the Yacht Club de Monaco, added that the concert kicked-off the  autumn season on the Côte d’Azur, “just days before the Cannes Yachting Festival (September 11-16) and the Monaco Yacht Show (September 26-29).” He added that it was a great pleasure to welcome an artist like Sting, both for his musical talent and commitment to protecting the environment, a value so dear to Yacht Club de Monaco and the Principality.

Isabelle Bonnal, Director of National Education, Youth and Sports attended the Ecole de la Condamine on the first day of the school year on Monday, September 10.

This school is the pilot school for an experimental dress code, tested last year by pupils of classes CP, CE1. and CE2, and extended this year to all students in this school.

The 169 students of kindergarten classes (Small, Medium and Large Section) of the school of Condamine are now hosted at Ecole Stella. With the opening of this new facility, the Government said it is improving the conditions for primary school children attached to the Condamine district.

Isabelle Bonnal, accompanied by Patrice Cellario, Minister of the Interior, then went to the FANB school and the Lycée Albert Ier. The Principality has a total of 5,749 students in full-time education, 4,501 in the public sector and 1,248 in the private sector under contract.

Held alongside the awarding of the Literary Prize and the Discovery Scholarship, the Reading Marathon’s main objective is to involve the public of Monaco and the region in the Foundation’s activities in the literary field.

As part of this event, the Prince Pierre Foundation is inviting readers to gather at a Literary Tea on Wednesday, September 19, at 17:00 at the Library Louis Notari in Monaco.

Another highlight will be a meeting with the authors selected for the Discovery Grant, to take place on Wednesday, October 3, at 15:00, also at the Louis Notari Library.

The authors in the running for the Literary Prize, honouring a renowned French writer for all of his or her work, are: René De Ceccatty, Annie Ernaux, Linda Le, Tobie Nathan, and Maurizio Serra.

The Principality of Monaco participated in the opening of the first session of the the Intergovernmental Conference on the Conservation and Use of Marine Biodiversity to formulate a new Treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond the jurisdiction of States.

The session is being held in New York until September 17, and marks a historic milestone for the process initiated many years ago.

In its contribution to the debate, the Principality argued that this work should eventually lead to an ambitious Agreement, which will complement the existing regime, in particular set by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Among the many topics discussed, the Principality has made its voice heard by taking part in the setting up of marine protected areas on the high seas through global standards and processes. The Monegasque delegation is actively engaged in the work of this process with the dual objective of effectively ensuring the protection of marine resources and the marine environment and their sustainable use by future generations.