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Day: 27 April 2022

Venice Racing Team first to join new electric powerboat challenge

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/04/2022

Following the RaceBird’s unveiling in Monaco last September and its first successful speed tests in Italy, the UIM E1 World Championship has announced the first team entry set to race in the inaugural season in 2023.

It was announced on Wednesday that the Venice Racing Team, which has been created specially to compete in E1, is the first to join the E1 Championship.

The new racing entity is the brainchild of entrepreneur Francesco Pannoli, who will run the operation, while the team is expected to announce their pilot line-up at the Salone Nautico in Venice next month.

According to a statement, the team was established to provide a platform for the many companies in Venice that share a common philosophy and commitment to building a sustainable future.

Known around the world as the ‘City of Water’, Venice is seeking to be an innovative leader in sustainability, while the Venice Racing Team aims to drive action to protect the city’s unique lagoon environment, residential ecosystem, and artistic heritage.

“I’m very proud to announce an Italian team as the first entry set to compete in our burgeoning global electric raceboat championship,” said Rodi Basso, Co-Founder and CEO of E1. “Having a team who represents the City of Venice is perfect for E1 and our shared vision of accelerating electric mobility in urban waters. Venice itself has a special connection to the water and is one of the most iconic cities to have an association with a racing team given its sustainability credentials and recognition as one of the eco-capitals of the world.”

The Venice RaceBird prototype, image supplied

Some of the founding members of the Venice Racing Team are also involved in a new start-up operated together with the city’s Chamber of Commerce, called E-Concept SRL. They have been tasked with developing new renewable energy projects, with a particular focus on promoting the electrification of marine mobility. From this initiative the E-Dock project was created to provide electric charging points for the busy waterways in Venice.

“This project is selecting new green technologies, which are key to the future of our planet and are common for many different industries and applications,” said Eugenio Razelli, CEO and  Chairman of Venice Racing Team.

E1’s Rodi Basso says they are currently speaking to dozens of other prospective teams across a broad spectrum of sports, from traditional powerboating, to sailing and the automotive world.

“We’re also progressing discussions with a number of brands, corporations and organisations seeking to compete as teams in the UIM E1 World Championship. I’m sure this is just the start of an exciting line-up of RaceBirds for our first racing season in 2023.”

The RaceBird uses innovative hydrofoil technology to rise above the water’s surface, allowing for minimum drag and maximum energy efficiency.

A model of the RaceBird was unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Club in September, where it was also revealed that the Principality will host a race in the inaugural season of the UIM E1 Series. The innovative championship will eventually be taken to 10 global race locations for a knock-out style race format involving short races close to shore.

The E1 raceboat series is the latest venture by Alejandro Agag, who is also behind the Formula E and the Extreme E series.

SEE ALSO:

Monaco confirmed as E1 host city during RaceBird unveiling

Revealed: the RaceBird final design

 

 

 

Monaco’s colourful installations on sale to support Ukraine

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/04/2022

Nearly a hundred beautifully crafted Roses des Vents pinwheels will be up for grabs from the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, with proceeds going to Monaco Red Cross’s Ukrainian relief efforts.

Ma Vie en Rose Monte-Carlo is one of the highlights of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s (SBM) event schedule this year, and it is made up of a myriad of pop-up and temporary installations around the resort that are on display to delight guests and reawaken senses to the beauty and pleasures of spring in the Principality.

To keep the spirit of the occasion going long past the blooms of spring are past, SBM is offering guests a chance to take a piece of the event home with them, whilst contributing to a worthy cause.

Close to a hundred Roses des Vents pinwheels are scattered throughout the Principality, created by Eva Dmitrenko and Céline Pagés from the Pavillion Bosio Art School, as a tribute to joie de vivre, movement, and fun. They are for sale from now until 8th May.

Every Roses des Vents is different in size and detail, making each unique and exclusive. Pink is of course the primary colour, but vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red are also on the block.

The ones up for sale are located in the gardens of the Place du Casino to, and buyers can select as many of them as they’d like.

Prices range from €100 to €1,000, with smaller posies available for pick up from the Salle des Palmiers on 10th May. Larger pieces can be delivered for an extra fee.

Proceeds from the sale will go directly to support the people of Ukraine through the Monaco Red Cross’s programmes. For more information, to view online of to buy a Roses des Vents pinwheel, visit the website at https://www.montecarlosbm.com/en/activity/wind-roses-in-support-of-monaco-red-cross?=

 

 

 

Photo by Monaco Life

 

 

 

Highlights of Prince Albert’s visit to Italy

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/04/2022

Prince Albert II has just returned from a whirlwind trip to several Italian towns linked to the Grimaldi family, including many interesting UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here’s a wrap-up of his time there. 

Italy and the Grimaldi family have strong and ancient ties, a fact that Monaco’s Prince Albert takes very seriously. He recently completed a trip to the Principality’s neighbour, something he does on a regular basis, to visit sites that have a history with his family.  

This year’s trip took him to Terlizzi in the Puglia region on 20th April, where he was joined by Mayor Nicola Gemmeto in unveiling a plaque commemorating the town’s membership to the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco, a network of French Grimaldi sites created in 2015. Since inception, the group has expanded to include the creation of similar locales in Italy.

The Sovereign visited the church of Santa Maria di Sovereto, where a lapidary inscription with the arms of the Grimaldi was presented to him. He continued his journey on foot through the streets of the city and inaugurated a plaque commemorating his visit at the old castle. He then went to the cathedral to view a coat of arms of a cousin of Prince Honoré II (Prince of Monaco 1604-1662) dating from the beginning of the 17th century.

After laying a wreath at the war memorial, the Prince visited San Nicola Pellegrino cathedral, a Norman-era building emblematic of the city.

Prince Albert visiting the San Nicola Pellegrino cathedral, photo by Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace

The following day, the 21st, the Sovereign was received in Canosa di Puglia, a town located in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, by Mayor Roberto Morra where he also unveiled a sign indicating the town’s inclusion into the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco.

“Your municipality was, Mr. Mayor, among the first members of this new network, whose action will complement that of the association created in France in 2015,” said Prince Albert in his speech. “To coordinate the action of these two associations, French and Italian, I wanted a federation under Monegasque law to be created. I will officially announce it in Monaco in a few weeks.” 

After inaugurating a commemorative plaque at the Town Hall, the Prince continued his journey on foot through the historic city centre and visited a school that has christened their reception room the ‘Prince Albert II of Monaco Room’.

 A tour of Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage sites

In what can only be described as a whirlwind tour, the Prince visited many landmark ancient sites, including the Castel del Monte, located in the town of Andria, for a guided tour of this remarkable 13th century building – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

The Prince then carried on to the castle ruins of Garagnone, nestled in the heart of the Alta Murgia National Park, located near Spinazzola and Poggiorsini and named for Roberto Guaragna, a Norman knight who arrived in Italy in 1048. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1731 and today, only a few underground rooms and a part of the walls are still visible.

The castle ruins of Garagnone, photo by Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace

On the 22nd, the Prince made a guided tour of Matera, a municipality located in Basilicata, and a World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO site. Considered the third oldest city in the world, Matera is famous for its cave dwellings, the ‘Sassi di Matera’. This city became the European Capital of Culture in 2019.

He was then welcomed by the local authorities at the Palazzo del Governo, where he went to Contrada Pietrapenta, about 12 km from Matera, to discover the Crypt of Original Sin, one of the most significant examples of medieval painting in the Mediterranean.

The visit to Puglia ended in Arberobello, a small town located in the Itria Valley, which is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After lunch with Mayor Michele Longo, the Prince discovered the trulli, small dry stone houses with a cone-shaped roof covered with limestone slate.

On the 23rd, he spent the day in Genoa where he received honorary citizenship and a ceremony was held to mark the inclusion of the city as a “Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco”.

These Italian visits were instigated in 1997 by Prince Rainier III when Albert was still Hereditary Prince. Since then, Prince Albert has made them a regular part of his schedule.

Click on the gallery below to see more photos of Prince Albert’s visit to Italy. All photos by Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace…

 

Monaco startup secures major client in Monaco Telecom

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/04/2022

Pineappli, a start-up supported by the MonacoTech incubator, has managed to secure Monaco Telecom as its first major client, providing digital solutions that the company will eventually rollout on a large scale.

Pineappli helps companies make the transition to digital, providing secure digital solutions for the dematerialisation of documents.

It was announced on Monday that Monaco Telecom has now entrusted the digital transition of its payslips to the start-up, covering nearly 250 employees each month. The partnership will mean that the company saves significant time and money through a simplified system, while eliminating paper usage and helping to protect the environment.

Under the system, each employee has their own “digital safe” in which their payslips are deposited after being stamped with an electronic certificate issued by the Department of Economic Expansion on behalf of Monaco Telecom.

“We can only be delighted with this collaboration with Monaco Telecom, which highlights both the performance and the extent of the possibilities of the Pineappli solution, which is 100% Monegasque,” said Jean-Marc Riestch, founding president of Pineappli, in a statement. “We hope that this example of success can be used to boost the entire Monegasque economic fabric in an environment fully focused on the digital transition.”

Monaco Telecom, a co-founder of MonacoTech, says it plans to use Pineappli’s digital solutions for other contractual documents, in particular electronic signatures.

“With this paperless and secure solution offered by Pineappli, Monaco Telecom is taking a new step into the digital age while meeting security of data protection, initially of the company’s employees, and tomorrow of our customers,” said Martin Péronnet, Managing Director of Monaco Telecom. “This approach is part of our active participation in the Extended Monaco project. It also meets our commitments under the National Transition Pact by promoting dematerialisation, a virtuous circle which is also supported by a collaboration with a MonacoTech start-up, and which proves the quality of the projects initiated in the Principality.”

 

 

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash