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Month: May 2021

July reopening of Larvotto beach

by: Cassandra Tanti
17/05/2021

Larvotto beach will reopen to the public this July, featuring a new look and the return of old favourites. Meanwhile, the government is looking for businesses to fill seven new spaces. 
The government announced on Tuesday that the temporary walls masking Monaco’s favourite seaside hotspot would come down at the beginning of July for residents and tourists.
The businesses that have been anxiously awaiting a comeback will return in brand new premises, including the ice cream parlour, the Larvotto Gym Centre, and the Monegasque Academy of the Sea / Blue School.
The aim is for the new Larvotto beach area to be enjoyed all year round, so there are also plans for a new shopping area. The government is currently calling for applicants for seven new premises, four of which will accommodate all types of activity, while three are earmarked for restaurants, cafés or bars on the upper and lower levels of the new duplex.
“The call for applications is voluntarily wide to allow a large number of candidates to apply and the State Premises Allocation Commission to choose the most attractive one, with activities that are able to animate this new shopping area all year round while supplementing the existing offer provided by the shops that will have integrated in to the seaside complex starting this summer,” said the government in a statement.
The kinds of businesses the government is looking for include those offering homewares, fashion and accessories, and beauty institutes.
The selected businesses, as well as those returning in July, will be required to stay open all year round and “participate in the animation of the neighbourhood”.
 
 
Photo by Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department
 
 

Asvel slam dunk Roca team

by: Stephanie Horsman
17/05/2021

In a night no one wants to remember, AS Monaco was crushed 92 to 68 by LDLC Asvel at an away game in Lyon.
After being on fire despite a bruising schedule for several weeks, the Roca team fell flat on Saturday against Asvel at the Astroballe Sport Complex, crushed with 68 to 92.
The first half went off well enough, but it was clear from the start that the Roca boys were a bit drained. In spite of this, they played really well and at the halftime break, the score had them trailing by a mere two points.
It was after returning from the locker room that things went awry. Monaco simply couldn’t keep up with Asvel’s determination to win and fell farther and farther behind.
Adding to Monaco’s woes were two key injuries. Will Yeguete, who dislocated his finger in the last match, played but in a very diminished capacity. Then there was Mathias Lessort, who went out with an ankle injury that may prevent him from playing against Nanterre Monday night.
Though a disappointment, Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic was hardly bowled over by the loss. “This loss is no surprise to me. We were running out of juice due to the lack of training, the sequence of matches but also the quarantines. The real concern is the injury of Matthias Lessort, we do not know exactly the nature of the injury, if he were to be unavailable it would be a problem for us.”
The statistics on the night reflect the performance. Monaco made 24 out of 64 shots, with only five out of 21 in three-point range. They had 32 rebounds though, and there were 13 assists.
Rob Gray was high-scorer for Monaco with 18 points, followed by Lessort with 14.
The Roca team take on Nanterre Monday night at home, where they hope to regain some of their mojo.
 
 
 
 
Monaco Life with AS Monaco Basketball press release
 
 

AS Monaco maintain 3rd place

by: Stephanie Horsman
17/05/2021

Two first half goals gave AS Monaco the edge they needed to beat Rennes at an away match and hold onto their third place spot in the Ligue 1 standings with only one round remaining.
Playing a crucial match in the fight for the top spots in the Champions League, AS Monaco found themselves up to the challenge against seventh ranked Rennes, winning solidly two to one on Sunday evening.
“It was a tough battle,” said Coach Niko Kovac after the game. “Both teams tried to play positive football but the wind influenced the match a lot. As I said, Rennes are a very good team that is difficult to play against, and who play very good football. I am happy. We managed to take our chances in the first half. I want to congratulate my players, who gave 100%.”
The game started benignly enough. Monaco managed the ball well, but there were no real opportunities until 16 minutes in when Wissam Ben Yedder knocked one between the posts in the corner of the goal, just making it past goalkeeper Alfred Gomis. This shot gave Bed Yedder his 20th goal of the season.
The second goal came in the 29th when Aleksandr Golovin’s attempt from 20 metres away was deflected by Damien Da Silva, where it raced past his own goalie, giving Monaco a two to nil advantage.
The Red and Whites went into the locker room at halftime with a comfortable lead. After the break, Rennes made some fine attempts on goal, but nothing that was a real danger to Benjamin Lecomte, and the score was stabilised.
It was a bit of bad luck that gave Rennes their only goal when Axel Disnai, who had only just come onto the pitch, made an over-enthusiastic header, beating out Lecomte and giving Rennes their only point on the game.
Monaco stayed on top of things after this and the game ended rather uneventfully with Monaco retaining their lead and calling the win for themselves.
Now the Red and Whites have a short three day break before they take on Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in the final of the Coupe de France at Stade de France.
Of this, Coach Kovac said, “I want to take things step by step. Until now, we were focused on Rennes. Now we have three days to prepare for PSG. This is the most important match. Only after this match we will talk about Lens. In the final, we will face the best team in France and one of the best in Europe. Before the game, I told my players to savour the moment. Having 77 points and to be fighting for the podium proves the level of our league.”
 
 
Monaco Life with AS Monaco press release, photo by AS Monaco
 
 

Night restrictions, mask rules further relaxed

by: Cassandra Tanti
15/05/2021

From Monday 17th May, Monaco’s curfew will be pushed back another hour and restaurants will be allowed to open until 11pm under further easing of measures to protect the population against Covid.
The government announced on Friday that the current health measures will be extended for another two weeks, however there will be some changes.
The curfew will come into force at 10pm instead of 9pm, and dinner service at restaurants has been extended to 11pm. Similarly, performance halls and casinos will be able to open until 11pm.
Restrictions on restaurant clientele has also been slightly eased, with employees of the Principality and members of their immediate family now allowed to eat out in Monaco at both lunch and dinner. This is in addition to Monegasque nationals and residents, students, and hotel clients.
Cafés, snack bars, ice cream parlours and tea houses can now open from 6am to 7pm for table service.
Meanwhile, indoor and outdoor swimming pools can reopen to the public under strict health protocol to be established with the Department of Health Action for each infrastructure.
On the beaches, masks are no longer mandatory however social distancing of at least 1.5 metres between two people not belonging to the same group is required, with a maximum of six people per group.
Vaccination nears 40%
Relaxing of the health measures is largely due to the government’s vaccination campaign, which has reached 14,860 people, or nearly 40% of the population, residing in the Principality.
A further boost is expected with the arrival of additional Pfizer vaccine doses, opening the campaign to people over 45 and soon other groups. According to the government, this new delivery of vaccines will allow it “to reach the objective of rapidly vaccinating 48.5% of the population residing in the Principality”.
 
 
 

Revealed: The new Villa Lamartine

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/05/2021

Monaco Mayor Georges Marsan has unveiled plans for the refurbishment of the beautiful 19th century Villa Lamartine, which will eventually be used as a multi-purpose entertainment and cultural venue.

Formerly home to the José Notari Video-Sound Library, the Villa Lamartine will be transformed into a modern facility whilst still retaining its 19th century charm.

Plans for the new interior include reconstruction of the floors, the addition of an interior lift, makeovers of both the façade and the interior spaces, as well as making the building eco-friendlier with the installation of solar panels.

Photo by Mairie de Monaco

The multi-use facility will first be the exclusive domain of seniors, but will eventually become “a place of life, culture, entertainment and leisure activities” for all.

The operation will be built as part of the environmental approach urged by the government’s Mediterranean Sustainable Buildings of Monaco (BD2M) scheme, where they aspire to reach a silver level of quality. The Villa Lamartine rehabilitation project will last two years and delivery is scheduled for the end of 2023.

Once completed, the villa will have 1,000m2 of space, divided into three sections. In the basement there will be a relaxation-conviviality centre, the ground floor level will house the A Pignata restaurant, a pub and a fully-equipped leisure centre that includes various games tables such as billiards, chess, foosball and cards, a reading area, as well as the Snoezelen sensory area, a soothing and stimulating therapeutic room originally used in the treatment of autism, dementia, brain injury or developmental disability.

The first floor will house a sport centre and a party room that will be available for rent and can accommodate up to a hundred guests, while the second floor will be home to the cultural centre. This four-room space will consist of a soundproofed room for musicians, a conference room, a space dedicated to creative workshops and finally, a computer room.

 
Top photo by Stephane Danna, Government Communication Department
 
 
 

Team Malizia building new boat for ambitious future schedule

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/05/2021

Team Malizia, featuring Vendee Globe racer and IMOCA 2018/2020 Champion Boris Herrmann and Yacht Club Monaco Vice-President and Team Malizia founder Pierre Casiraghi, is building a new 60-foot sailing boat that will be used for the team’s hectic race schedule over the next five years.
Team Malizia is looking to expand and part of that expansion will be the commissioning of a new 60-foot boat built to better handle waves and maintain faster average speeds, whilst being highly sustainable, reliable and sturdy.
Already in the design phase, the team will be working with French design team VPLP and the Multiplast shipyard to realise the new boat. The project will be supported by the recruitment of French offshore specialists as well as the German companies Greenboats, which specialises in building lightweight vessels made of natural and recycled materials, and Schütz Composites, makers of sustainable lightweight honeycomb structures and fibre composite components.
The team has 18 races in 15 countries on the books over the next five years, including the Ocean Race 2022/23, as well as taking another shot at the 2024/25 Vendee Globe, the solo around-the-world competition which captain Boris Herrmann completed in March of this year with a fifth-place finish.
“I remember in 2001 witnessing Illbruck winning the Volvo Ocean Race and imaging myself competing in this prestigious event,” said Herrmann. “Now we have that chance to sail around the world as a team. We will use it as a test, development and training ground for the Vendee Globe 2024 and to further inspire children, collect valuable ocean-data and promote ambitious climate action.”
Team Malizia is extremely dedicated to ocean protection, having raced in the Vendee Globe under the motto ‘A race we must win’, which urged promoting climate change action and spreading the word about the pivotal role oceans play in the planet’s well-being. Additionally, Herrmann took time to collect scientific ocean data on his race, which is being used to monitor parts of the world’s seas that are not usually accessible.
“We are all together in one boat in a race against time to find solutions for the climate crisis,” Herrmann added. “Therefore, we want to highlight some of the industry-solutions our partners work on, to help inspire a common vision and advocate for ever more ambitious action. One of the key solutions in our eyes is the advancement of new fuels on the basis of renewable energies. This topic concerns our partners from the logistics, yachting, shipping, finance and the insurance industry alike. We think that those large corporations we partner with are key players in this urgently needed transformation.”
Team Manager Holly Cova explained further that the “aim is to become a global sustainability platform which creates touch-points and events along our race stopovers around the world for businesses to exchange on sustainability whilst creating opportunities to interact with local schools, scientists and the general public. We will share this story, the emotions and the unfiltered raw content as we did during the past Vendee Globe with a focus on positive impact.”
The Yacht Club Monaco’s General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri expressed the club’s continuing support for Team Malizia, saying, “We are delighted to continue the adventure with Boris who has shown unwavering commitment and determination. He is a wonderful ambassador to promote our values, especially to our members and young sailors who follow his progress with enthusiasm.”
 
 
Monaco Life with YCM press release