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Day: 9 November 2020

And they're off!

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/11/2020

Despite a delayed start due to heavy fog, the 9th Vendee Globe has begun with Monaco’s own representative, Boris Herrmann, skippering the Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco for Team Malizia in the solo non-stop race.
The Vendee Globe, which started from Les Sables-d’Olonne on Sunday, sees 33 hearty competitors pitted against each other in a 24,296 nautical mile non-stop, around the world solo race.
Amongst them is Boris Herrmann at the helm of the Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco, an IMOCA 60 monohull which has been kitted out with the latest foils and a raft of technical equipment, including an on-board lab to take sea samples from points around the world.
“Described by many as the Everest of the Seas, this is an extreme challenge in its purest form: sailors who battle the odds alone, against the elements, and follow their dreams to the end through the sheer force of their courage and self-sacrifice,” said Prince Albert II, President of the Yacht Club of Monaco and an accomplished sailor in his own right. “Another source of pride is the environmental aspect driving this project, in association with my Foundation, by YCM Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi and our skipper Boris Herrmann. They have equipped Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco with an ocean laboratory, allowing scientists to measure and record scientific parameters.”

Boris Herrmann on the Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco, photo by Boris Herrmann Racing Team

As the Covid crisis continues to wreak havoc, the departure, which would usually be a true spectacle with thousands of well-wishers sending the sailors off, was a quiet event. Nonetheless, Herrmann received support from those rooting for him in the Principality via a video message from Prince Albert and Pierre Casiraghi, who spoke on the behalf of all of Monaco.
“We are sorry for not being there in person to support you,” said the Prince in the video, “but the Yacht Club, the Foundation and all the Principality, we are all with you.”
“Thank you, Boris for holding on all these years for the preparation,” Pierre Casiraghi added. “We are confident of your ability and I know that the boat is really well prepared by the team. I really wish you fair winds and see you soon on your return. Dahge Malizia!”
Watch the video message by Prince Albert and Pierre Casiraghi here: https://fb.watch/1EWRmZ_evu/
Follow the Boris Herrmann on his Vendee Globe adventure here: www.borisherrmannracing.com
 
Photos: Boris Herrmann Racing
 
 
 
 

Formula E game joins blockchain revolution

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/11/2020

Animoca Brands has secured a digital content licence agreement with Formula E to develop a blockchain game and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on the world’s first all-electric single-seater racing series.
The new game will utilise the company’s ​REVV Token as its primary in-game currency, joining a growing decentralised REVV ecosystem that already includes other leading global motorsport brands Formula 1​ and MotoGPTM.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship showcases industry-leading technology and blends the real and virtual worlds, on and off the racetrack. Interactive racing features such as ​Attach Mode and ​FanBoost are fully integrated into the sporting product, while Formula E’s debut esports series, which ran earlier in 2020, offered a real-life driving opportunity for the winning sim racer.
Founded to counteract climate change by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, Formula E is the first sport in the world to be certified as net zero carbon and has more automotive manufacturers on the grid than any other racing series. In its six-season history, Formula E has become recognised as a purpose-driven innovator that works closely with top global carmakers and commercial partners to develop electric vehicles and sustainable mobility technologies that improve the performance and efficiency of electric road cars.
“Animoca Brands is delighted to have signed a multi-year partnership with Formula E with a non-exclusive worldwide licence that will enable Animoca Brands to develop a blockchain game and associated NFTs using the intellectual properties of Formula E, including the World Championship’s teams, sponsors, drivers, cars, and tracks,” said the company in a statement.
The Formula E blockchain game will have a collectible component based on NFTs, which will include cars, drivers, and race tracks, and a racing component that utilises those NFTs. The game will use REVV as the primary in-game currency – the ERC-20 utility token for branded motorsport blockchain games that are produced by Animoca Brands.
The REVV Token is designed to enable digital ownership of game assets, giving players freedom and control over in-game content. Supporting games include ​F1​ Delta Time​, a blockchain game based on MotoGPTM, and now the Formula E blockchain game, expected to begin launching in 2021.
Like other products in the REVV Token ecosystem, the upcoming Formula E blockchain game will grant its users full ownership over their in-game assets, including the freedom to trade or sell the assets on third-party marketplaces. This is in contrast to traditional games, which only provide users with a license to utilise – not own – in-game content and which typically do not allow users to trade outside of the game’s proprietary platforms or to monetize in-game assets.
 
(Written with press release)

World Travel Awards 2020

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/11/2020

The winners of the latest World Travel Awards have been announced with the Fairmont and the Hermitage nabbing top spots for Monaco’s best hotel and best business hotel respectively, while the Hôtel de Paris was crowned best resort in the Principality.
Despite the dismal year in tourism brought on by the health situation, the World Travel Awards 2020 was still on the case, selecting the best of the best in tourism across the globe based on the votes of tourism professionals and guests.
In the hotel sector, the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo took home Monaco’s Leading Business Hotel award, beating out the Columbus, Fairmont, Hôtel de Paris, Hôtel Metropole and Le Méridian Beach Plaza.
The Leading Hotel prize went to the Fairmont Monte Carlo, which won over the same list of nominees.
“The hotel and its teams are very proud of this recognition: in these complicated times, this award celebrates excellence, the fruit of the work accomplished by all the colleagues who, without fail and in all circumstances, keep their promise of exemplary service every day,” reads a statement from the Fairmont Hotel.
The Best Hotel Suite award was given to the Diamond Suite at the Hôtel Hermitage, taking the spot against stiff competition from the Carre d’Or Suite at the Hôtel Metropole, the Hôtel de Paris’s Princess Grace Diamond Suite and the Presidential Suite at Le Meridien.
The Leading Resort in Monaco this year is the Hôtel de Paris, which claimed the prize against the Fairmont, Le Meridien and Monte Carlo Bay.
Monaco’s Leading Travel Agency in 2020 was Avalon Events Organisation, while the best destination management company was Jet-Travel Monaco.
Finally, Avis was the best car hire outfit, beating out Hertz, MC Luxury Rental and Top Car.
The results were announced on 2nd November when they were, for the first time, handed out virtually.
The World Travel Awards sets out “to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.”
 
Photo: Fairmont Hotel (top left) Hôtel Hermitage (top right, courtesy SBM) and the Hôtel Hermitage (bottom, courtesy SBM), compilation by Monaco Life
 
 

AS Monaco win crosstown match against Nice

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/11/2020

The Red and Whites have beaten Riviera rival OGC Nice in a hard-fought match ending in a solid 2-1 victory.
Crosstown rivals AS Monaco and OGC Nice played their 99th match against each other on Sunday at the Allianz Riviera, ending in an exciting win for the Red and Whites.
Coach Niko Kovac said it best in a rare display of enthusiastic compliments for his team, saying that his men, “played very good football, especially in the first 30 minutes when we were close to perfection.”
The coach maintained the 4-4-2 starting line-up from the teams’ previous win against Bordeaux, with the notable exception of Vito Mannone, who was in the goal box in place of the injured Benjamin Lecomte.
Monaco hit the ground running with a series of excellent plays, starting as soon as three minutes in when Kevin Volland almost made a goal, instead hitting the crossbar. This seemed to rev the Red and Whites up and they continued with some strong plays by Volland, Wissam Ben Yedder and Youssouf Fofana.
Finally, at the 23-minute mark, Axel Disani took a perfect header, converting it into the opening score of the game, his second goal of the season. At halftime, the score sat at 1-0 Monaco favour.
After the break, around 53 minutes in, it was Sofiane Diop, who had made some excellent assists earlier, who got the ball between the posts, scoring the second goal for Monaco.
Nice sprung to action and in the 69th minute saw Pierre Lees-Melou made a fantastic play, beating out Mannone for the goal, their only score of the game.
“It’s been a few years since AS Monaco won in Nice, so it’s a great satisfaction for the team and the supporters,” said Coach Kovac after the match. “We were able to create a lot of opportunities for ourselves and logically managed to open the scoring. I think this victory is deserved.”
This win puts Monaco in 6th position in the Ligue 1 standings, a good place to be as they go into the break. The team will then take on number one ranked Paris Saint-Germain at a home game at Stade Louis II on the 20th of November.
 
Photo by AS Monaco
 
 

Call to suspend Schengen open borders

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/11/2020

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi is pushing for tighter border control measures after the murderous attack at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame which claimed three lives.
The city of Nice was targeted during the 29th October terrorist attack “not because it was Nice, but because of its proximity to the border,” argues the city’s Mayor Christian Estrosi. As a result, his local government is now calling for border controls with Italy to be strengthened to block potentially dangerous people from entering the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron has already doubled the country’s border control forces and vows to “fundamentally change the rules”. But for Mayor Estrosi, this is not enough. He wants a full suspension of the Schengen agreement, which allows free travel amongst 26 European states – the same measure that was enforced in
2015 following a spate of terrorist attacks on French soil.
According to the Mayor of the Italian border town Ventimiglia, Gaetano Scullino, anywhere from 35 to 70 new arrivals land at the train station per day. The huge number of migrants is putting a strain on the town, with locals tired and frightened by the growing itinerant population. The mayor says he is fed up with Europe’s inability to help the situation.
President Macron echoed the sentiment last Thursday, when he called for more protection of the EU’s external borders.
“I am in favour of a deep overhaul of Schengen to re-think its organisation and to strengthen our common border security with a proper border force,” said the president to France 24. He revealed that he will present a proposal at the EU summit in December, adding that the recent attacks should come as a warning that no one is exempt from the risk of terrorism.
Last year, Macron wrote in a letter ahead of the European elections last year that Europe needed a common border force and a unified asylum office, as well as stricter border obligations and more marked assistance from all member states to offer intelligence under the authority of one banner.
Under the current situation the countries, mainly on the Mediterranean basin, take the brunt of illegal immigration and are overwhelmed by the cost and care necessary to deal with the problem.
 
Photo source: Pixabay