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Day: 2 February 2023

The Monaco Life Ski Report

by: Luke Entwistle
02/02/2023

Temperatures are rising throughout the region. None of the local ski resorts receiving any fresh snowfall this week, however, clear skies will make for some excellent conditions up in the mountains.

Isola 2000 – There are currently 43 ski slopes and 15 ski lifts open in Isola 2000. It will be largely sunny throughout the weekend with snow flurries set to pass through the resort on Saturday. Temperatures are set to rise this weekend with highs of 9°C and lows of -6°C. The Col de la Lombarde road is closed until further notice. An U14 Ski championship will be taking place in the resort on Saturday.

Auron – There are currently 39 ski pistes and 16 ski lifts open at the resort. Consistent with the rest of the region, temperatures are expected to rise relative to last week, and it is not expected to drop below 0°C. In terms of access, Route de la Bonette, Piste de la Moustière, Piste de Demandols and Route de la Lombarde are all closed for the winter season.

Valberg – There are 26 ski slopes and 11 ski lifts open. After the heavy snowfall towards the end of last month, there is still 60cm worth of snow at the summit. As it is throughout the rest of the region, it will be a largely sunny weekend with some cloudy spells, especially on Friday. Temperatures will range from 13°C to 6°C, in line with the warmer weather throughout the region

Limone Piemonte – The Italian resort is reporting 27 open runs and 13 ski lifts. Snow levels are improving in the resort. It is expected to be sunny throughout the weekend, with lows of  3°C and a potential high of 3°C. Passage through the Roya valley currently isn’t possible due to the collapsed bridge at Tende. The journey from Monaco is currently approximately three hours by car, although the train line is in operation.

Gréolières-les-Neiges – This popular family resort, which lies less than an hour from the coast, continues to struggle with poor snowfall (around 2cm of hard snow) due to its location at a lower altitude than other south of France ski stations. As a result, no ski lifts or pistes are currently open.

Val d’Allos – Better news is to be had over in this Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ski area. Consistent with the rest of the region, there has, however, been no further snowfall this week. The resort, which combines Allos, Seigneus and La Foux d’Allos as well as access to Pra-Loup, is running close to complete capacity, with 24 out of its 27 lifts in operation and 57 out of 64 pistes welcoming skiers, snowboarders and the rest.

Chamonix – Deeper into the Alps and a five-and-a-half-hour drive to the north of Monaco, the resort of Chamonix has 111 pistes and 27 ski lifts are currently in operation. As it is elsewhere, it will be largely sunny over the weekend. However, temperatures will be cooler, with lows of -4°C. On Friday, the resort is celebrating the centenary of hosting the Winter Olympic Games, which will also celebrate the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Note: Snow tyres or other suitable equipment must be used on the roads up to the ski resorts.

 

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Photo by Monaco Life

The Grace O’Malley tall ship is heading to Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
02/02/2023
Prince Albert II with a painting of the Grace O’Malley tall ship

In March, the Grace O’Malley tall ship will go back into service as the ‘Island of Ireland’s Youth Development’ tall ship, connecting youth with each other, the ocean and adventure.

The Atlantic Youth trust, a charitable organisation, purchased the Grace O’Malley in 2022. Last September, the organisation held a fundraising gala dinner at the Yacht Club de Monaco, with H.S.H. Prince Albert II, a supporter of the initiative, as guest of honour.

An ambitious Island of Ireland project, the Grace O’Malley takes the place of the Asgard II and Northern Ireland’s Lord Rank, both youth training ships, now out of service.

“This 40-year-old ship, originally called the Lady Helen and based out of New Zealand, is now being repurposed and restored and is currently at Harland and Wolff in Belfast, the builders of the RMS Titanic,” Robert Lee Mulcahy, Chief Fundraiser in Monaco for Atlantic, tells Monaco Life. “I think it is really timely, after the pandemic, to focus on sustainable initiatives for youth.”

In 2023, the Grace O’Malley (named after the famous Irish female pirate) will be ready to welcome 40 young people at a time, aged between 15 and 22, male and female, to engage in 10-day-long voyages at sea.

“Those taking part are asked to leave their mobile phones on shore. It’s about getting back to conventional communication, making new friends onboard and learning new skills,” reveals Lee Mulcahy.

The Grace O’Malley will travel to Monaco during its service, to welcome youth who register to take part in the development programme.

In keeping with the no technology policy onboard, Atlantic has teamed up with the Princess Grace Irish Library for Monaco based voyages, and participants will be able to pre-book reading material from the library online.

Strengthening Ireland-Monaco ties

The link between Monaco and Ireland is well documented: Princess Grace’s grandfather John Peter Kelly was originally from Newport, Mayo, in the West of Ireland.

But lesser known is the fact that Princess Charlene’s paternal family has centuries of history in Ireland. Her ancestors participated in the founding of Trinity College Dublin.

Two freizes were unveiled by Prince Albert, one in the Old Library, during a visit in 2021, after donating €1 million to the library restoration fund.

Robert Lee Mulcahy, who says he is “a long-time supporter of Monaco and its ethos”, hopes to develop more initiatives that further connect the cultures of Monaco and Ireland.

“I see it as a two-way street, as a marriage between the two locations,” says Lee Mulcahy, who is also a supporter of Cap Moderne and is currently planning a fundraising event in Ireland for the final renovations of Villa E-1027, the first architectural creation by Irish architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray, situated in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.

A painting of the 164-foot masted schooner by Irish artist Mick O’Dea, commissioned by Lee Mulcahy, was presented to Prince Albert and is displayed in his office at the Yacht Club de Monaco, on permanent loan.

“Atlantic is delighted with the support from Monaco in its effort to raise vital funds to contribute to the ship’s operations, including funding for many of those youth who are welcomed on board,” adds Robert Lee Mulcahy.

Limited editions of the painting are now available as part of the fundraising initiative.

For details and to support the 2023 Atlantic Gala Dinner, email: Info@Mondrian.ie

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Photo: Prince Albert II of Monaco with Robert Lee Mulcahy and a painting of the Grace O’Malley tall ship, by Artist Mick O’Dea Prha.

Monaco et Suisse Investment Forum: an exclusive networking event

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/02/2023

Hand-picked guests from Monaco and Switzerland’s top management institutions and family offices are being invited to take part in an exclusive event aimed at solidifying business connections as well as forging new ones.  

The upcoming Monaco et Suisse Investment Forum, due to be held on 17th March at the Yacht Club de Monaco, will feature 25 specifically chosen companies and exhibitors, giving an invitation-only crowd of the “who’s who” in the Swiss and Monaco business and finance scenes the chance to meet and mingle in a setting conducive to making lasting connections.  

With a more interactive take on the format and a guest list of invitees that will top out at just over 250, this second edition will be a more intimate event than last year’s conference.   

On the day, guests will get straight down to business with a 9am reception and coffee followed by an opening speech. From 10am to 6.30pm, the day will be filled out with panels talks, seminars and networking sessions designed to give the assembled crowd the best chances to connect.  

Though officially a one-day meet-up, there will also be a welcome aperitif-cocktail party on 16th March at an as yet undisclosed location. 

The Monaco et Suisse Investment Forum is headed up by representatives from both countries, with Monaco’s Raffaello Cairoli as its director and Switzerland’s Paolo Caspani as co-organiser.  

The full programme will be revealed the week before the event, but for more information in the meantime, please click here.

 

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Photo source: mcinvestmentforum.com

 

 

Swiss duo win Historic Monte-Carlo Rally in 1970 Lancia

by: Luke Entwistle
02/02/2023

Swiss duo Claudio Enz and Cristina Seeberger won the 25th edition of the Historic Monte-Carlo Rally on Wednesday in an iconic 1970 Lancia Fulvia.

Motorsport fans were transported back in time over the course of an enthralling few days of racing. 1970s Lancia cars dominated the grid this year, with the vintage machines tackling some difficult conditions across Europe before even reaching Monaco. As is tradition, the iconic rally cars from bygone eras made their way from across Europe from places like London, Oslo, Bad Homburg and Reims.

Amidst a sea of Lancia Fulvia’s, the red and black model driven by Enz and co-piloted by Seeberger stood out, leading from the front on the crowd-lined, twisty and treacherous mountain roads of Southern France. The Swiss duo’s consistent pace allowed them to cross the finish line at the Col de Turini and take the victory.

It is the fourth time that a Lancia has won the event after victories in 2002, 2005 and 2018; each time it has been the Fulvia that has taken the victory as it did in the 1972 World Rally Championship.

Participating for the sixth time in the Historic Monte-Carlo Rally, Enz and Seeberger were delighted to secure the victory and stand atop the podium in Casino Square on Wednesday.

“We didn’t expect such a result, so we’re very happy. I had a perfect car, a brilliant co-driver, we did what was necessary and everything ended well,” said Enz.

The event marks the end of a fortnight of enthralling rallying in Monaco’s surrounding regions. Along with Sebastien Ogier’s victory in the Monte-Carlo Rally in late January, another chapter in the Principality’s rich motorsporting history has been written.

 

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Photo by Automobile Club de Monaco

Call for young inventors to take part in Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/02/2023
monaco ocean protection challenge

Registration is now open for the 2023 Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, a competition created to give young inventive minds the chance to present innovative ways to protect, and possibly even save, the world’s oceans.  

Being a coastal nation, Monaco has always had ties to the seas, and modern leaders of the country have striven to raise awareness on their related issues. One of the many ways the Principality seeks to be part of the solution to the world’s ocean woes is through action as well as campaigns that get people thinking about what can be done. The Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, a collaborative project between the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, the International University of Monaco, the Monaco Impact Association and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, is one such event.  

This year marks the sixth edition of the Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, and the fourth year since it has gone from being a local event to an international competition, bringing together university students and young professionals from around the world to find creative ways to solve the multi-pronged crises facing the oceans.   

To enter in the Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, teams must be registered by 24th March, handing in an executive summary along with a Power Point presentation on the proposed project. Judges will then select a group of semi-finalists to present a business plan and a one-minute video explaining the project by 2nd May. The judges will chose finalists by 11th May, before going on to decide the winners in June.   

To date, over 200 participants have taken part, with winners including: Watch Your Anchor, an app that allows captains to know where they can anchor without harming sea beds; Hy-Plug, an initiative to develop hydrogen charging stations in ports; and Wype, a company that eliminates the need for environmentally-unfriendly wet-wipes on boats with a gel alternative.  

  

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Photo source: Hiroko Yoshii for Unsplash

New Green Deal Industrial Plan to promote net-zero tech in Europe

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/02/2023
eu green deal plan tech net-zero

The European Commission has rolled out its Green Deal Industrial Plan, which will ramp up the EU’s capacity to create and build on net-zero technologies and products that will help achieve climate goals.  

The EU Green Deal Industrial Plan is the latest step in getting the bloc over the line in terms of its environmental commitments, and is based on providing four main concepts: a simplified regulatory environment, speeding up access to finance, enhancing skills, and opening trade routes for resilient supply chains. 

Objectives of the Green Deal Industrial Plan

Cutting the amount of red tape necessary for deploying new net-zero companies will certainly make investors and innovators breathe easier. Fast-track permits and a clear list of standards allow for less confusion over “rights and wrongs”, and allow these businesses to be up and running sooner, as will better access to financing.  

The Commission says it is aiming to guarantee a level playing field within the single market while making it easier for the Member States to grant necessary aid to give priority to those working toward the green transition.  

As acknowledged in the Green Deal Industrial Plan, training for jobs of tomorrow will be instrumental in ensuring not just stability in the workforce, but a highly-skilled one based on newly created jobs. An estimated 35 to 40% of the workforce will be affected by their country “going green”.

The EU also wants to make trade competitive yet fair within its borders and abroad, and is working with its partners and the World Trade Organisation to get there.   

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to show the way with speed, ambition and a sense of purpose to secure the EU’s industrial lead in the fast-growing net-zero technology sector,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission. “Europe is determined to lead the clean tech revolution. For our companies and people, it means turning skills into quality jobs and innovation into mass production, thanks to a simpler and faster framework. Better access to finance will allow our key clean tech industries to scale up quickly.”  

 

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Photo source: European Commission / Facebook / Getty Images