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Month: August 2021

Famed harpist performing this month

by: Stephanie Horsman
17/08/2021

Harpist and conductor Sylvain Blassel is coming to play two local shows at the end of August in Monaco and Beaulieu-sur-Mer where he is sure to dazzle audiences with his unique style and unusual musical choices.
Famous harp player and conductor Sylvain Blassel will be performing in Monaco at St Paul’s Anglican Church on Thursday 26th August at 8:30pm and will reprise his show again on the 27th at St Michael’s Anglican Church in Beaulieu.
Blassel is known for his interesting interpretations of Bach, Beethoven, Liszt and Haydn and his concert will feature three of these composers. He will play Bach’s Partita no 1 BWV 825 as well as Beethoven’s Bagatelles opus 126 and a selection from Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies.
His website explains, “Keen to expand the repertoire available to him as a harpist, Sylvain Blassel has come to specialise in the virtuoso adaptation of music hitherto undreamt-of on the harp. He performs not simply transcriptions of digestible solos, but giants of the piano and orchestra repertoire.”
Blessel is commonly referred to as one the most outstanding musicians of his generation.
The harpist is a regular with the both the Berlin and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras and is Professor of Harp at his alma mater, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon. He has also recently been appointed Professor at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and is regularly invited to give masterclasses throughout the world: in major cities such as New York, Tokyo, Toronto, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague, Chicago, Seoul, Beijing, and Shanghai. Additionally, he was selected as a jury member for the 20th International Harp Contest in Israel, and the 11th USA International Harp Competition.
 
 
 

Rokit Venturi Racing ends season with victory in Berlin

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/08/2021

Monaco-based Rokit Venturi Racing concluded its Season 7 campaign in dramatic style as Norman Nato stormed to a dominant maiden victory in the FIA Formula E World Championship.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team. Coming into this weekend, we knew that we had to hit the ground running and score big to end the season on a high and that’s exactly what we did,” said Susie Wolff, Rokit Venturi Racing Team Principal.
In qualifying, Edoardo Mortara, who entered the finale in P2 in the standings, secured P11 on the grid from Group 1 while Norman took P6 after advancing to the Super Pole shootout.
An accident for Edo overshadowed the start of the season finale when, on the opening lap, the Swiss-Italian struck the rear of Jaguar’s Mitch Evans who stalled from P3 on the grid.
Conscious and talking, Edo got out of his car unaided and, in line with FIA safety regulations, was taken to hospital for precautionary assessments where it emerged that he sustained a microfracture of his fourth vertebrae for which he does not need surgery.
Following this red-flag period, the race was resumed behind the Safety Car and with Norman sitting in P4, the Frenchman was in a prime position to challenge for the podium.
With 33-minutes + 1 lap remaining, Norman rolled the strategy dice and by activating Attack Mode, commenced a major overtaking offensive in pursuit of silverware.
By passing Alexander Sims, Oliver Rowland and Stoffel Vandoorne, the 29-year-old moved into the lead and remained at the head of the field in a clinical rookie performance.
Establishing a 2.270-second lead, Norman took the chequered flag to secure his maiden Formula E victory and first single-seater win since 2017.
“Today we executed the perfect race and honestly, I’m shocked and speechless. I’ve been hungry for silverware for a very long time after losing my podiums in Rome and Valencia so it was very emotional to finally finish inside the top three,” said Norman Nato.
Despite failing to finish, Edo secured P2 in the Drivers’ World Championship, falling only seven points adrift of winner Nyck de Vries.
With an extra haul of 25 points, Rokit Venturi Racing pipped Mahindra Racing to P7 in the Teams’ Standings, completing its most successful season on record with a final haul of 146 points.
 
 
Photo source: Rokit Venturi Racing 
 
 

E-Catalogue puts spotlight on innovative startups

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/08/2021

In the lead-up to the first Monaco Smart and Sustainable Marina event in September, the organisers have revealed the top 53 startups that will have an opportunity present their innovative solutions to industrialists and investors gathered in the Principality.

Monaco Marina Management recently announced that it is organising the first Monaco Smart and Sustainable Marina Rendezvous on Monday 20th September 2021.
A full day of round tables and targeted meetings will bring together a unique ecosystem of startups and industrialists, investors and marina promotors, who rarely have the opportunity to make direct contact with each other.
“Given the growth of international yachting, it seemed to us essential to support development of new destinations worldwide with an eco-responsible approach. The essence of this first Monaco Smart and Sustainable Marina is to present and encourage uptake of new solutions and innovative technologies that help protect the environment, the goal being to incorporate them into the building and management of more virtuous marinas,” explains José Marco Casellini, CEO Monaco Marina Management and organiser of the event.
The unique format has attracted support from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Monaco Government’s digital transformation programme, Extended Monaco. The Yacht Club of Monaco is hosting the event.
With the aim being to highlight still relatively unknown new solutions, the organisers have published an online catalogue that references 53 startups from 29 countries, selected from the hundred-plus that applied. Among them are those that qualified for funding from the European Commission’s Smart Anything Everywhere initiative, and 17 have already earned the Solar Impulse label.
All were selected through Blumorpho’s international network, a company specialised in innovation focused on new concept emergence and business models promoting a positive environmental and societal impact.
“With more than 110 applications in under two months, this initiative has really grabbed the attention of startups keen to penetrate the closed world of yachting. It shows just how proactive and creative these young companies are,” says Géraldine A. Gustin, CEO Blumorpho. “With the aim being to select around 50 for this first edition, we concentrated on startups whose innovative solutions are the most successful, and whose business models appear sustainable and suitable for marinas. Our analysis is that the Smart Marina is a condensed Smart City, intelligent and sustainable.”
Biodiversity, energy optimisation, water management, waste treatment, equipment, security, and health and mobility are the eight themes under which startups are referenced to meet the challenges of virtuous marinas.
In the run up to the main event on Monday 20th September, all startups listed in the E-Catalogue have an opportunity to present their solution and innovative technology to a jury drawn from 28 industrialists and investors. At the end of these interviews, a Consensus Meeting on 16th September will short-list 15 companies to go forward to the Monaco Smart and Sustainable Marina Awards, to be presented on 20th September.
Award winners will have the privilege of presenting their project during Monaco Ocean Week in March 2022, organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
To consult the catalogue, click here.
 
 
Monaco Life with YCM press release, photo Monaco Marina Management
 
 

Monaco reins in free screening campaign

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/08/2021

Covid-19 tests will no longer be available free of charge in the Principality, with some exceptions, in an effort to encourage more people to be vaccinated.

As of Sunday 15th August, Covid PCR tests carried out in a lab and without a prescription will no longer be reimbursed in Monaco. The government made the decision to encourage those who have not yet been jabbed to get out and do so.

There are exceptions, though. Residents and citizens can still obtain a free test at the National Screening Centre located at the Rainier III Auditorium without a prescription. Monaco employees may also be tested here free of charge, but only upon presentation of a prescription.

The vaccination programme in the Principality has seen 44,060 doses given as of 14th August and the government hopes to see this number increase until every person over the age of 12 is fully jabbed.

Currently, 72.35% of the eligible population have received their first injection, while 81% of these have also received their second shot.  

There have been 3,059 infections and 35 deaths in the Principality since the start of the pandemic.

 
 
Photo by Prasesh Shiwakoti on Unsplash
 
 

Disappointment in Lorient for AS Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/08/2021

The night was definitely not one to remember for fans of AS Monaco Friday night. The club lost to Lorient on the opponent’s home turf one to nil.
Monaco is having a slightly rocky start to the Ligue 1 season, first with a draw against Nantes, then an outright loss against Lorient.
Coach Niko Kovac was realistic about the team’s loss, saying, “As against Nantes, we dominated the match, but we only had two or three clear chances. And we know that in football, carelessness can be costly.”
The team’s starting line-up was half filled with new players, so perhaps it isn’t entirely surprising they weren’t gelling quite as well as they could. Ismail Jakobs and Strahinja Pavlovic made their team debuts, and new recruits Jean Lucas and Myron Boadu were also on the roster.
The team played hard, with possession nearly three-quarters of the game, but simply were not able to convert. Two good attempts were made before the first half hour of play by Kevin Volland and Sofiane Diop, but it was Terem Moffi of Lorient who opened scoring on the match. Fouled by Jakobs, he scored on the penalty. This was the game’s only point.
“A point after two games is not what we expected but we are not tired because we are well prepared and we have a good squad, with good finishers who can come off the bench at any time to make a difference,” said the coach. “There is enough quality in the team. Even though the boys gave their all, things were more difficult tonight, Tuesday was better, we have to accept it and recover well because we have another important game on Tuesday against Shakhtar.”
Team Captain Axel Disani added, “Tuesday will be another competition, so we must switch gears immediately, that’s the novelty this year, we’ll have to focus on getting to the next step.”
Tuesday will be the first leg of Champions League play against the Ukrainians of Shakhtar Donetsk, who beat Metalist 1925 on Friday decisively two to nil. After, the team will jump back to Ligue 1 against Lens on Saturday at 5pm at Stade Louis II.
 
 
 
Monaco Life with AS Monaco press release, photo by AS Monaco
 
 

How to stay safe in a heatwave?

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/08/2021

When the temperature soars, there are a variety of risks that people, especially the vulnerable, should be aware of so they can protect themselves and stay safe.

As temperatures hit above 30 in the Principality, the Monaco government has released some information for the protection of the population.  

The two biggest risks that go along with the high temperatures are dehydration and heat stroke. Both can sneak up on people, and the effects can be damaging or even fatal.

As people age, they do not react the same way to the heat as they did previously. Older people tend to sweat less, making it far more difficult to maintain a steady 37°C. The heat exacerbates this, making body temps rise and increasing the chance of hyperthermia, more commonly called heat stroke. Heat stroke symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, clammy skin, fast pulse or breathing, abdominal, arm or leg cramps, and fatigue.

For adults and children, the body is able to maintain the correct temperature easier through perspiration. This excessive sweating, though, causes dehydration. Thirstiness, dark yellow urine, feeling lightheaded, fatigue, dry mouth and lips, and infrequent urination are markers for dehydration to look for.

People with certain conditions are more susceptible to dehydration including those with diabetes or those on diuretics. Overexposure to sun, alcohol and exercising in peak hours can also bring on dehydration.

To prevent the effects from the heat it is recommended to stay out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day, typically 11am to 5pm and stay somewhere cool. Avoiding exercise, including tasks such as gardening, during these times is also suggested. Also, wear light coloured loose clothing, keep blinds closed in the day, hang a cool cloth in the window and keep the oven off.

Taking regular cool baths or showers is also beneficial or using a mister or cool washcloth on places such as the back of the neck or other pulse points, as is watching liquid intake. Drink a minimum of 1.5 litres of water per day during a heatwave and do not wait until thirsty to do so. Just remember that not all liquids are created equal and caffeinated beverages and alcohol are dehydrators. Eating cooling foods is also recommended, such as fruit and vegetables.

Keep a particular eye on elderly friends and neighbours, as well as on children and call a doctor or 112 if signs of heat stress become apparent.

 
 
Photo by Dylan Alcock on Unsplash