The enormous set up for the Monaco Yacht Show is now underway, but with the prep comes a few minor inconveniences such as street closures and parking bans. Here’s more on the affected areas.
The Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) is one of the Principality’s biggest events. Since 1991, it has been the place to be for the superyachting world, with exceptional boats for sale and exhibits by world yachting professionals.
This year, the show, which runs from 28th September to 1st October, will be no different, and the excitement is already building.
As arrangements start, the Port Hercule area, namely the Quai des Etats-Unis/Avenue J.F. Kennedy, the Route de la Piscine and the Quai Antoine Ier, will see some traffic disturbances for both motorists and pedestrians beginning 12th September.
Bans on parking will be necessary and alterations to traffic and pedestrian circulation may also affect the public, with total cuts occurring on occasion over the set-up period.
According to a statement on Monday by the government, the event’s organisers are doing their best to cause the least amount of disruption and are putting systems in place to keep people moving, particularly during peak hours. Occasional easing of restrictions will thus allow the drop-off of children attending school nearby and the implementation of temporary traffic patterns will facilitate deliveries.
Parking for two-wheeled vehicles that habitually use the Quai Antoine Ier will be provided on Quarantine Avenue and in the La Digue Public Car Park until after the Monaco Yacht Show, with complete normalcy returning by 13th October.
Photo credit: Michael Alesi, Government Communication Department
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen overcame a five-place grid penalty to win the Italian GP on Sunday in a highly strategic race as Ferrari let it slip on their home turf.
Monégasque driver Charles Leclerc lined up on pole position having narrowly beaten Verstappen, who had a five-place grid penalty, which dropped him to seventh. Teammate Carlos Sainz finished third on Saturday, but a grid penalty saw him drop back to 18th.
It was English driver George Russell who therefore lined-up next to Leclerc on the front row of the grid on Sunday. Leclerc comfortably held his lead off the grid, but the real danger was further back. By the first corner of the second lap, Verstappen had already made his way up to third.
The reigning world champion clearly had pace, as he has in recent races. But this race was as much decided by strategic calls and tyre degradation as it was by raw pace. Leclerc saw an opportune moment to make an (almost) free stop under a virtual safety car, and took it.
However, it was too early, and Verstappen could hugely extend his first stint, allowing to take the advantage of his increasingly distant title rival. A pit stop in Monza is said to cost around 24 seconds, the longest on the F1 calendar. The decision to stop Leclerc twice, compared to Verstappen’s one-stop strategy, was the latest in a series of questionable Ferrari tactical calls.
Without having to overtake Leclerc on track, Verstappen inherited the lead of the race. A late safety car following a technical failure to Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren looked to give Leclerc another chance of snatching the victory in front of the adoring Tifosi that had attended en-masse throughout the weekend.
However, there wasn’t enough time to restart and the race finished behind the safety car, to the disappointment of everyone, even Verstappen, who was ultimately the major benefactor of the decision.
As a result, Leclerc remains truly cut adrift from Verstappen, who could wrap up consecutive titles in the coming races. 116 points currently separate the duo, who at the beginning of the season were inseparable both in the standings and on-track. Russell rounded off the podium and Sainz had a magnificent recovery drive to secure fourth.
In front of their home fans, it was ultimately a disappointing weekend. There is a tacit acceptance that the title is over, but there was hope of a Ferrari win, which could spark scenes similar to those experienced during Leclerc’s win in 2019. It wasn’t to be.
Monza, however, is always special for Ferrari, and therefore for Leclerc. “Monza is always incredible. Starting from pole, I did want to take the win. However, that’s not how it went today. Seeing the tifosi under the podium made it a lot better.”
Due to the cancellation of the Russian GP, there is now a gap in the calendar, and there isn’t a race until Singapore in early October.
Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
Prince Albert sends condolences on death of “inspiring” Queen Elizabeth II
Prince Albert has officially sent his condolences to the new King of England on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, saying her Majesty’s reign “has always been extremely inspiring”.
The Palace released the public letter of condolence, addressed to His Majesty King Charles III, mid Friday. It reads: “Your Majesty, It is with profound sadness that My Family and I learned of the passing away of your beloved mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“Allow me to convey to you, to the members of the Royal Family, and to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, my most heartfelt and sincere condolences for your loss at this time of great sorrow.
“Her Majesty’s unwavering commitment and dedication to duty during Her reign has always been extremely inspiring; It will be long remembered and admired. She truly represented the unity and dignity of the United Kingdom throughout the last seven decades.
“My Family and the people of Monaco join me in sending you our wholehearted thoughts and prayers.”
The Palace also released photos of Prince Albert and Queen Elizabeth II together at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2011 (image above), and at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee dinner in 2012, with Princess Charlene also in attendance.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh greet Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco as they arrive at a lunch for Sovereign Monarch’s held in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, at Windsor Castle, on May 18, 2012 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Arthur Edwards – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Princess Charlene gave her personal public condolences on Instagram, saying, “I am deeply saddened at the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a truly great lady whose dedication and service was recognised throughout the world during the 70 years of her reign.
“Today, my thoughts are with her family, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and the British people.”
The Government of Monaco also made a public statement, saying in a press release, “It is with great emotion that the Prince’s Government sends its most sincere condolences to the Royal Family as well as to the whole of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth who mourn Queen Elisabeth.
“Her incomparable strength, commitment and steadfastness in the service of Her people was an example throughout Her reign.”
The Prince’s Palace is flying the Monegasque flag at half mast in mourning over the death of the Queen, aged 96.
The 2022 European Heritage Day is looking forward rather than back this year with the very modern theme of Sustainable Heritage, and Monaco has designated 49 sites for people to visit, enjoy and learn from.
European Heritage Day, celebrated in the Principality on 25th September, is part of a bigger picture event celebrating Europe’s cultural diversity. Now, in keeping with the times, they have added an environmental aspect to the proceedings, in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The idea is to look at people as well as places, learn good practices from traditions, and to come up with ways that organisers and visitors can be more environmentally friendly.
The programme is jam-packed with amazing locations and interesting experiences in and around Monaco. Some are not usually open to the public, and so it gives people a chance to take a peek into a world not normally at their disposal.
Some of the highlights include the Cathedral of Monaco, the apartments of the Prince’s Palace, a trip to the forts of Monaco, the National Archives, the Princess Grace Library, the Minister of State’s residence, the workshops of the Ballets de Monte Carlo, and much more.
Especially for the day, parking rates are set at €4 at the following car parks: Jardin Exotique, Condamine, Pêcheurs, Stade Louis II, Boulingrins, Grimaldi Forum and La Colle.
The Palace has joined much of the world in flying the Monegasque flag at half mast today to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II aged 96.
For many, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was an icon, a figure from another era whose sense of duty was somehow more profound than today’s version and who ruled over a country that saw dizzying social and cultural change in her 70-year reign.
The monarch died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, with news breaking just after 6:30pm to the public. Instantly, people from around the world went into mourning, sad at the loss of this grandmotherly figure whose appeal stretched beyond the UK, and even the Commonwealth, touching lives of those who never knew her.
The Queen’s son, Charles, who was with her when she passed, released a statement after her death, saying, “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”
Locally, tributes are being held, including one scheduled to take place Friday at 12:45pm on the Promenade des Anglais across from the Théâtre de Verdure.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi reacted to the news with a statement, saying, “H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is no more. It saddens us first of all because the Queen Elizabeth entered our lives a long time ago. She has assumed, in this whirling world, the role of an immutable, reassuring image, indifferent to upheavals and quarrels, beyond her own functions and her real powers.”
The President of the PACA region, Renaud Muselier, said on Twitter, “A page of history is turning, and with it, a part of our lives! Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II of England will remain, for eternity, a beacon of the 20th century, a monument of our time. #Queen. The Southern Region bows to his memory, in union with its people.”
The Queen’s time spanned from post-war austerity to the rise of the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and the social change and liberalism that period launched, through the economic troubles of the 1970s, the reasonable stability of the 1990s, to the chaos of Brexit.
In all, she was above the fray, a symbol of the nation rather than an active player in its politics.
Using a phrase that has become rather trite in its overuse, but in this case is truly fitting, with the death of the Queen comes the end of an era.
Clashes between OGC Nice’s ultras and the travelling FC Köln fans overshadowed the Europa Conference League opener at the Allianz Riviera on Thursday.
The fights, which were instigated by the travelling Köln fans who descended on Nice in droves, almost led to the postponement of the match. RMC had reported that the match had been called off completely amidst great uncertainty, diffusing the situation briefly, until a 55-minute delay to the 18:45 match was announced.
The build-up to the ugly scenes was incremental. It is reported that as many as 10,000 Köln fans made the trip to Nice for the opening gameweek of the Europa Conference League, the third tier of European football.
Many of them gathered in Place Masséna, Nice’s main square, during the day time. Whilst the gathering passed largely without incident, Nice’s official store, which is located within the square, was vandalised by a Köln ultras group. Local authorities later announced that they would be billing the club for the damages.
The problems started on the way to the stadium itself, which is located kilometres away from the city centre. In the sweltering heat, many marched to the stadium from the city centre in a journey that took approximately three hours, Köln fans revealed to Monaco Life.
Others opted for the tram which, apart from driving, is the only other method of getting to the stadium. It had been known that Köln fans would arrive en-masse, and figures of 10,000 fans were touted days before the match. However, seemingly, no measures were taken to cope with this huge influx of people.
Not only were no extra trams put on, but delays to the service meant that line 3 trams were packed to the brim with Köln and Nice fans. Difficulties continued upon arrival at the stadium. In the Nice end, fans were told that they would not be allowed to bring bags into the stadium, a rule that had not been enforced previously, causing delays.
According to Köln fans that spoke to Monaco Life, the food and drinks bars were woefully understaffed with reports of waits for drinks of over 40 minutes. But it was in the stands themselves that the real chaos had descended. Köln fans, situated at the complete opposite end of the ground, made their way – unopposed – to the other side of the stadium before launching flares at the small crowd of Nice Ultras.
Photo by Luke Entwistle
Ugly scenes ensued. According to L’Équipe, 32 people were injured in the mass brawls, which included launching missiles and flares. One of those injured is in a serious condition having fallen five metres into the stand below.
There are reports that fans of the now unrecognised PSG ultras group ‘Supras’ had infiltrated the Köln away stand, as well as fans of rival German team Borussia Dortmund. In attendance at the match, Monaco Life can confirm that a ‘Supras’ flag was present in the away end. It has also been confirmed that two of those injured are part of the Parisian group.
As a result of the unfettered chaos within the stadium, the entrances to the stands were closed as security forces grappled to regain control of the situation. Köln fans reported being locked out of the stadium for almost an hour.
In the meantime, it was unclear as to whether any football would be played. Journalists and fans were left in the dark until a tannoy announcement, after the scheduled kick-off time, reported that the game would kick-off at 19:40. It has been reported that local authorities and the Nice president, Jean-Pierre Rivère, had pushed for the game to be postponed.
Köln captain Jonas Hector came onto the pitch to calm the travelling fans, whilst urging them to support the team in the right way. Thereafter the situation calmed and the match went ahead, eventually finishing 1-1.
In order to avoid further trouble, Nice fans were designated buses to return to the city, and only Köln fans could return via tram.
The incident raises major questions about the local authorities’ handling of major sporting events. Their solution so far to the problem has been to prevent away fans from travelling to Nice, as was the case when Marseille played the club a couple of weeks ago. However, when they are unable to do so, as is the case with European fixtures, they have no answer and the scenes in the city centre, on the public transport system, and in and around the stadium attest to that.
Lessons must be learnt, and quickly, in order to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes that, not for the first time, have dominated a major sporting event on the Riviera.
Photo above by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
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