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Day: 21 September 2021

MYS Series: The superyacht champagne

by:
21/09/2021

As the doors burst open on the Monaco Yacht Show 2021, you can hear the persistent pop of Champagne corks – the Show’s very own music sheet, a suitable background sonata to the greetings “at a distance” and elbow “handshakes” of an industry that hasn’t met up together in two long years.
As the fizz starts to flow, the elbow bumps will be replaced with backslaps, bear hugs and les bises. As a gambling gal, that’s what I say anyway.
The Champagne du Comte de Monte-Carlo is the official tipple at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, and the man behind the bubbles is not the Comte de Monte-Carlo, but Philippe Melliard, President of Monte-Carlo Lifestyle.
The Comte de Monte-Carlo does not exist, but Baron Christian Louis de Massy does. He is the son of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, the Baroness de Massy and tennis champion Alexandre-Athenase Noghés, the man who created the Grand Prix.
The Baron, first cousin to Prince Albert II, created a portfolio of 34 brands under the banner of ‘Monte-Carlo Lifestyle’, which he sold to Monsieur Melliard. The Champagne du Comte de Monte-Carlo is part of this portfolio that was created in 2019. “Le Comte does not exist, but if he did he would be refined, elegant and ethical in all his dealings be they financial or philanthropic,” saysMelliard. “We have selected Champagne from the best creators to offer unique wines belonging to a noble terroir.”

This is the first time our imaginary friend, Le Comte, and his Champagne attend the MYS with the aim of ricocheting Le Comte du Monte-Carlo Champagne into top position as the premier cru Champagne of choice. Says Melliard, “We only make premier cru Champagnes, unlike other well-known Champagne houses.”
Premier cru relates to an old-fashioned system of land evaluation and potential grape growth called L’Echelle des crus. All premier cru Champagnes must be made with grapes from premier cru villages/vineyards in Champagne, of which there are 44. There are 17 grand cru villages in the region. But according to the experts, don’t be dazzled by labels, let your tastebuds decide.
Melliard and the Monte-Carlo Lifestyle company have selected two particular winemakers to supply the premier cru Champagne: Olivier Herbert, whose family has been cultivating vines in the mountains of Reims for over a century, and Pierre Trichet, also from a long line of winegrowers in the Champagne-Ardenne region. “Concerned about environmental issues, the selected winegrowers have cultivated their land with love and passion for generations, committing themselves to preserving their land through sustainable viticulture methods,” explains Melliard. “Our chosen partner Champagne houses all have HVE3 certification: High Environmental Value, based on results indicators relating to biodiversity.”

Le Comte de Monte-Carlo Champagnes and the wine-growing partners offer up four different Champagnes, each one named after iconic locations relating to Monte Carlo.
La Riviera (The Classic)
La Riviera is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. It is aged for four years on lees and dosed with eight grams of liqueur. Golden yellow with aromas of brioche and apricot, gingerbread and cinnamon on the palette. “It is smooth, round, a very pleasant aperitif and on any occasion,” explains Melliard. Grape variety: 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier. It was bottled by Olivier Herbert in March 2015, with four years on slats.
Le Sainte Dévote (The Bright)
Le Sainte Dévote is a ‘Blanc de Blancs’, thus 100% Chardonnay, and comes from the Pierre Trichet vineyard. It’s been aged four years and dosed with 7.8 grams of liqueur. This one is fresh, light with notes of citrus and violet, lemon and vanilla.
Le Carré d’Or (The Radiant)
“Le Carré d’Or is a low pressure ‘Blanc de Blancs’ Champagne, 100% Chardonnay. Aged for three years by Pierre Trichet, the Champagne was made using a second fermentation at below three bars of pressure. It’s delicate, pale in colour with lovely bubbles,” explains this Champagne aficionado and businessman.
Champagne Noblesse Oblige (The Epic)
Created by Olivier Herbert, this is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from 2010 and dosed with seven grams of traditional liqueur. Noblesse Oblige is complex and gourmet, says Melliard, with notes of truffle and walnut oil, good as an aperitif or can stand up to the gastronomy of great starred restaurants. “It’s lively, greedy and complex which makes it an unforgettable experience.”
If you dig a little deeper to get just a hint of the secrets of Champagne production, Mr Melliard is giving nothing away: “Then it wouldn’t be a secret!”, he says. But he will say that the Comte du Monte-Carlo will launch a limited Champagne collection at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. So, Santé!

At Close Quarters with Philippe Melliard

Where were you born?
I was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, but I spent all of my childhood at Villars-sur Ollon in the Swiss Vaud Alps.
A happy memory?
Walking in the mountains with my dog, Mico.
If you weren’t President of Monte-Carlo Lifestyle, what would you be?
A mechanic.
Your advice for someone seeking a career like yours?
Tenacity.
The worst time of your career?
The financial crisis of 2008.
The hardest part of your job?
Having to choose between different Champagnes!
The best?
Tasting the Champagne.
Of what are you most proud?
I’m proud of my extraordinary Champagne, worthy of any table.
A favourite meal?
Rösti
A person you admire?
Churchill!
A favourite restaurant or place in Monaco?
Maya Bay or restaurant Avenue 31.
 
 
 

Monaco confirmed as E1 host city during RaceBird unveiling

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/09/2021

Monaco Life was there for the exclusive unveiling of the first full size model of the electric RaceBird powerboat that will form the basis of a new E1 championship, to be hosted in Monaco and other locations worldwide.

Just one year after the series launch in Monaco, E1 hosted an exclusive event at the Yacht Club of Monaco on Monday night, where E1 Series Co-Founders Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso were joined by Prince Albert II of Monaco, the boat’s designer Sophi Horne, Founder and CEO of Victory Marine Brunello Acampora, and UIM President Raffaele Chiulli to remove the covers from the revolutionary new vessel.

The unveiling of the full-scale model marks a major milestone for the championship as the E1 Series moves closer to putting the RaceBird on the water and the start of prototype testing early next year.

“Seeing the full-size boat like this for the first time, it’s starting to feel like the E1 Series is coming to life,” said Alejandro Agag, Co-Founder and Chairman of the E1 Series. “We revealed the digital designs ahead of World Oceans Day in June earlier this year, but to see the physical model is a massive step forward in terms of our preparations and it shows the fans what to expect when we start racing in early 2023.”

The E1 raceboat series is the latest venture for the Spanish businessman, who is also behind the Formula E and the Extreme E series.

UIM President Raffaele Chiulli, Alejandro Agag, Prince Albert, Designer Sophia Horne, Rodi Basso and Brunello Acampora, Photo by Lloyd Images/Getty Images

Also backing the E1 Series is the UIM (Union Internationale Motonautique), the world governing body for powerboating headquartered in Monaco, which took the opportunity on Monday to announce that Prince Albert is to become the UIM’s Honorary President.

“With this new boat, we’re all one big step closer to the realisation of a very ambitious and vitally-important vision,” said UIM President Raffaele Chiulli. “Very ambitious because E1 is entering new territory with this first electric-propulsion powerboat racing series, and vitally important because of the role E1 will play not just in raising awareness of the climate crisis but also in leading the delivery of solutions.”

The RaceBird will use innovative hydrofoil technology to rise above the water’s surface, allowing for minimum drag and maximum energy efficiency. In the coming months, the RaceBird engineers will focus on the integration of the battery and controls systems and how they work together with the powertrain, then they’ll incorporate the propulsion architecture to the platform ready to hit the water.
Afterwards, Victory Marine will manufacture a full fleet of race-ready electric powerboats for a 2023 race schedule.

The UIM E1 World Electric Powerboat Series ‘RaceBird’ prototype, photo by Lloyd Images/Getty Images

“In a time of giant technological changes, Victory Marine has accepted with enthusiasm this incredible opportunity to change the face of powerboating forever,” said Brunello Acampora, Founder and CEO of Victory Marine. “I’ve personally selected the best experts to support myself and Victory Marine in turning Sophi Horne’s and SeaBird’s vision into an electric racer. I’m also looking forward to transferring this technology to a new breed of consumer leisure craft.”

Sophi Horne, Founder of SeaBird Technologies, added: “I remember I used to spend a lot of time here in Monaco for my previous job and seeing presentations of different boats and my boss would tell me: ‘you will be doing this one day’, and I never believed it. Now we’re here presenting the RaceBird and it’s a bit emotional actually seeing my design… the final full-size model you see today really meets my expectations and looks really cool in the flesh.”

As well as providing an update on the technical roadmap for the RaceBird powerboat, it was also confirmed that Monaco will host a race in the inaugural season of the E1 Series, which is scheduled to start in early 2023.

The E1 Series will eventually be taken to 10 global race locations for a knockout-style race format involving short races close to shore.

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Revealed: the RaceBird final design

Top photo left to right: Alejandro Agag, UIM President Raffaele Chiulli, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Designer Sophia Horne, Founder & CEO of Victory Marine Brunello Acampora, and Rodi Basso attend the unveiling of the UIM E1 World Electric Powerboat Series ‘RaceBird’ prototype – the world’s first electric powerboat series, at Yacht Club de Monaco on September 20, 2021 in Monaco. Photo by Lloyd Images/Getty Images.

IMSEE releases second quarter economic results

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/09/2021

The first six months of this year saw strong recovery in most aspects of the economy, however there are sectors that are still struggling with the impact of the Covid pandemic.

The economic year starting 1st January started off with the introduction of the vaccination campaign and the continuation of health measures which allowed for a semblance of normalcy to return.

This created a marked difference between the first half of 2021 versus the previous year. IMSEE decided to compare the two years for their main indicators to highlight the impact of the health crisis.

The first six months of 2021 showed improvement in nearly every aspect on 2020, though there are some notable points that are not quite recovered.

Foreign trade in Monaco, other than with France, is far below pre-pandemic levels, pulled down by imports, whilst exports sit at 2019 levels with the volume of exports nearly back to usual levels. That being said, international overall trade, outside France, is up +13.2%. Deliveries to Italy continue to grow at +12% and trade outside the EU has risen +37.8%, despite EU trade falling a tiny -1.2%.

There is good news in overall turnover depending on the sector. Hotel indicators are improving a bit, but occupancy rates remain abnormally low. Retail trade has had a big boost, rising +40.7% on the previous year, while restaurants saw +23.8% growth. “Other” activities and services saw a huge +50.7% rise on 2020.

Employment has risen significantly but is not quite back to 2019 levels. There is a 3.5 million hour deficit in the number of hours worked compared to the first half of 2019, but a five million hour increase over the same period in 2020.

The new real estate market is weak at 25% below the levels on the previous year but the market for resales improved by +10.4%. The real estate market on the whole, though, is still below pre-crisis levels.

Air traffic is still way down, though public car park usage is on the ups (+18.7%), as are the number of new car registrations, which have risen +52.8% over 2020.

 

 
Photo by Matthias Mullie on Unsplash 
 
 
 

Monaco to launch Women’s Heritage Day

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/09/2021

This year’s European Heritage Day will celebrate the largely unsung heroes of the past, putting women firmly in the spotlight and simultaneously launching the Principality’s first ever Women’s Heritage Day.
The 26th annual European Heritage Day in Monaco is, as ever, celebrating the past, but this year, the Principality is specially highlighting women’s contributions to the legacy of the country by also launching the first edition of Women’s Heritage Day.
Monaco’s cultural heritage has been shaped by both men and women, but the latter have been far less visible. In an effort to rectify this, the focus this year is squarely on ladies who have made their marks.
Heritage Day is even themed ‘Women and Heritage’ to show appreciation for the significant contributions women have made.
First celebrated in Monaco in 1996, European Heritage Days were created so that European nations could celebrate the things that make them unique. Initiated by the Council of Europe in 1985, thousands of monuments and sites, some which are otherwise not accessible to the public, open their doors to allow free visits to learn about and protect shared cultural heritage. The events now take place in 50 signatory countries during the month of September.
The European Council explains, “We strive towards a Europe where the diversity of cultures, the arts, and cultural heritage are essential to the development of a genuine openness of mind and basic rights, and where open and interactive processes and practices of culture that combine to help us deal with the complexities of living with ourselves and one another.”
In Monaco, the event is organised by the Cultural Affairs Department in collaboration with the Institut du Patrimoine and this year will be held on 26th September at 40 different and diverse sites, ranging from the Naval Museum to the Sainte-Dévote Church and the Salons of the Monte-Carlo Casino.
The government is using the event as an opportunity for visitors to consider using eco-friendly modes of transport to move around, combining a bit of the new with the old. Special parking rates for the day are being offered at a handful of garages, with a day costing only €4, plus buses are free. The participating parking facilities include the Jardin Exotique, Condamine, Pêcheurs, Stade Louis II, Boulingrins, Grimaldi Forum and La Colle.
Additionally, they are holding the event in strict compliance with health protocols, including mandatory mask wearing, hydroalcoholic gels on the premises and social distancing rules.
To get a full listing of all the events and for more information, visit the event site at https://journeepatrimoinemonaco.com/
 
Photo: Casino La Fortune, L.Hodebert, Monte-Carlo SBM
 
 
 
 

Whistleblower summoned to Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/09/2021

Johnathan Taylor, the former SBM Offshore employee who exposed irregular activities at the company, says he will return to Monaco in October to appear before a judge on the condition he be allowed to leave the Principality.

Back in 2012, Johnathan Taylor blew the whistle on corruption at SBM Offshore, for whom he was working with at the time, and provided “evidence about bribes being offered to government officials in return for lucrative contracts,” according to a report by the BBC at the time.
After a series of subsequent events, Taylor was arrested in Dubrovnik, Croatia in July 2020 whilst on holiday with his family via an Interpol red license.
Though never formally charged with any wrongdoing, he remained in jail in Croatia for the next year, with the Croatians citing the need for ongoing investigations into the matter. He was finally released in July of this year after the Justice Minister of Croatia overturned a decision to extradite him to the Principality.
Now Monaco judge Ludovic Leclerc has issued a summons demanding Taylor appear at the Palais de Justice on 11th October for “examination”.
“His presence is compulsory”, states the letter, seen by the BBC, which was sent to Taylor’s French attorney William Bourdon.
“It is now seven years since my former employer, SBM Offshore, reported me to the Monaco prosecutor for alleged attempted extortion,” Taylor explained, and though the complaint was subsequently withdrawn by the firm “years ago”, there are still some issues that the Monaco prosecutor would like cleared up.
Taylor has agreed to return with the understanding that Judge Leclerc agrees that he will be free to leave the Principality once the questioning is over that day.
 
 
 

Recital by Dimitri Goldobine on harpsichord and luth

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/09/2021

There are new dates this week in the series of musical events being hosted at St Paul’s Church in Monaco and St Michael’s in Beaulieu.
The next recital is 23rd September at 8:30pm at the Anglican Church in Monaco and on 24th September 8:30pm at the Anglican Church in Beaulieu.
Dimitri Goldobine will present ‘200 years of English music’ on Harpsichord and Luth. He will play music by Byrd, Dowland, Gibbons, Purcell, Blow, Handel and more.
Dimitri was born in Russia where he studied musicology and organ and came to France to study harpsichord and luth. He holds a doctorate in musicology and is professor of ancient instruments at the Conservatory in Cannes.
Dimitri is the author of several musical works for voice, voice and lute, harpsichord, as well as for the Orthodox liturgy.
Tickets for the concerts are €20 and can be bought at the door from 8pm.