The Monaco Yacht Show, one of the world’s most prestigious yachting events, is set to return to Port Hercule from 25th to 28th September. With significant economic benefits for the Principality, preparations for this high-profile will be soon in motion.
Installation work will began on 31st August, with the setup primarily focused on the Port Hercule area. Key routes, including Quai des Etats-Unis/Avenue J.F. Kennedy, Route de la Piscine, and Quai Antoine I, starting 9th September, will be affected. These areas will experience parking restrictions and modifications to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, with occasional full closures expected.
To minimise disruptions, the organisers, in collaboration with state services, have put in place measures to ease traffic during peak hours. Temporary relaxations in restrictions will accommodate school drop-offs in the vicinity, and provisional traffic plans will help manage deliveries.
Route de la Piscine, which will be closed for two weeks for the installation of exhibition stands and safety measures, will remain open during morning rush hours in the Portier-Quai Antoine I direction, except on the day before the show opens and the three days following its conclusion.
Additionally, a new parking area for two-wheelers will be available on Avenue de la Quarantaine from 9th September.
The affected areas are expected to return to normal by October 10, 2024, with public access gradually restored from 29th September.
Paris-Saclay University, PSL University and the Sorbonne have all made the Top 50 in the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities, making France one of the most represented nations after the US, China and the UK.
Ahead of the start of the 2024/25 academic year, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) has revealed its latest rankings. Though European universities have performed strongly, it is the US that dominates the highest positions.
Harvard University took the top spot for the 22nd consecutive year in the ARWU listings. The Cambridge-based establishment is followed by Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The University of Cambridge emerged as the highest-ranked European institution, placing fourth overall, while the University of Oxford followed in sixth place. These two British universities were the only European representatives in the Top 10.
Paris-Saclay University in France achieved 12th place, climbing three spots from its previous placement in the rankings. PSL University and the Sorbonne secured the 33rd and 41st spots, respectively.
Other high-performing European institutions in the Top 50 included: Switzerland’s ETH Zurich in the 21st spot, Imperial College London in 25th, the University of Copenhagen in 32nd, and the Germany’s University of Munich (43rd), the Technical University of Munich (47th) and Heidelberg University (50th).
The 2024 ARWU rankings, published by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, assess universities based on various criteria, including alumni achievements, faculty quality, research output and publication performance.
The inaugural season of the UIM E1 World Championship reached its penultimate stage this weekend with a series of thrilling electric powerboat races on Lake Como. Hollywood actor Will Smith’s Westbrook Racing claimed their first-ever overall victory in a fiercely competitive event that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.
The fifth leg of the inaugural UIM E1 World Championship played out on the serene waters of Lake Como in northern Italy on 24th August with many of the teams’ big backers watching on.
Indeed, it was the first stage of the series that Hollywood actor Will Smith was able to attend in person and it was a well-timed appearance: his team, made up of pilots Lucas Ordóñez and Sara Price, took their maiden victory after some serious jostling with Rafael Nadal’s Team Rafa.
Lucas Ordóñez and Sara Price of Westbrook Racing celebrate their maiden win. Photo credit: UIM E1 World Championship
The top-seeded Team Brady, owned by American NFL star Tom Brady, had pole position going into the race, but couldn’t hold on during the two-heat finals event.
Westbrook’s Ordóñez dominated the first race, while Team Rafa’s Tom Ciappe claimed victory in the second. In the end, however, the total points generated by Westbrook were enough to earn the team their first-ever outright victory, putting an undeniable smile on Smith’s face.
“I FaceTimed with Tom Brady just before the race and told him my entire childhood was spent with him beating my team, and I was like, it’s not going to happen out here today,” said the actor after the event. “This is so much fun, the energy of it, the people and all the teams. I love it, we’re having a ball.”
Rafael Nadal, who owns Team Rafa, with Westbrook Racing’s Will Smith. Photo credit: UIM E1 World Championship
Team Brady, who won in Monaco, retain their first place in the overall rankings, with Westbrook Racing in second, followed by Team Miami powered by Magnus.
HOSTED BY VILLA D’ESTE
The Lake Como stage was hosted by the iconic Villa d’Este, a location that impressed not only the spectators but also Rodi Basso, CEO and co-founder of E1.
“From having two of the world’s biggest superstars in Will Smith and Rafa Nadal here, to our stunning setting at the world-renowned hotel Villa d’Este, to a weekend of unpredictable racing—no one in the world is doing what E1 is doing right now,” he shared. “Lake Como, a true Italian wonder, has provided the most beautiful backdrop to this event. The weekend has been electrifying with jeopardy at every turn—we’re creating a new sport that continues to amaze and excite, and believe us, this is just the beginning.”
The UIM E1 World Championship is in its first year, but has already garnered a growing following, due in part to the excitement surrounding powerboat racing in general. However, the environmental aspect has been just as big a draw. All boats are electric, clean-running and committed to embodying a sustainable ethos.
The race organisers promote leaving “a lasting positive imprint on host cities”, with a focus on coastal restoration and educational outreach programmes that they hope will inspire generations to come.
For example, in Lake Como, they formed a collaboration with FC Como Women to further conversations around women’s roles in sport through panel talks in the Championship’s Ocean Club.
Additionally, a strategic partnership with the local non-profit organisation Cometa resulted in E1 hosting a charity raffle to raise funds for their work in children’s education.
The series has only one more race to go, with the location yet to be announced.
For more on the UIM E1 World Championship series and to follow the races, click here.
AS Monaco have started the 2024/25 Ligue 1 McDonald’s season strong. Following a win against the newly-promoted AS Saint-Étienne, the team has taken another victory in their weekend game against Olympique Lyonnais.
For the first time since the 2016/17 season, the Rouges et Blancs have defeated Olympique Lyonnais on their home turf in the Groupama Stadium, though it wasn’t without considerable effort.
The first half of the match on Saturday 24th August saw the Monaco side miss several goal opportunities, including three in the first 11 minutes: Denis Zakaria (2’), Eliesse Ben Seghir (3’) and Lamine Camara (11’).
The game picked up after halftime when a pass from Maghnes Akliouche to Ben Seghir was converted into the first goal for Monaco 65 minutes in. This was followed 15 minutes later by a beautiful pass from Ismail Jakobs to Kassoum Ouattara, who then played in Camara for the second goal, giving the Senegalese newcomer his first score in an official match with his new team.
“We knew it would be difficult to play in Lyon since the last victory there was the year that Monaco won the title. So, we wanted revenge, and that’s what we got, by winning in their stadium,” said Seghir after the game.
AS Monaco currently sits in third place in the 2024-25 Ligue 1 McDonald’s standings, behind Paris Saint-Germain and Lille. The Monegasque side is one of only four teams as yet undefeated this season, with Lens in fourth.
This strong start, though encouraging, has not gone to the team members’ heads.
As Akliouche pointed out, “Our goal is to start this season well because we know there will be a lot of matches, and we need the whole team as well as the staff to navigate this season successfully.”
The team will have a chance to prove themselves again and extend their undefeated streak on 1st September when they return home to Stade Louis II for a game against Lens.
After a disappointing start to the Dutch Grand Prix over the weekend, Monegasque Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc put in a solid performance to move from a third-row start on the Circuit Zandvoort to a place on the podium.
Going into the race, the 26-year-old Monegasque driver admitted that he wasn’t satisfied with his P6 starting position.
“We are quite a bit off the pace of our competitors and we are working night and day as a team to close that gap. I am sure the effort will pay off soon,” he said. “The target for me tomorrow will be to keep our position and bring as many points home as possible.”
Leclerc got to work as soon as the lights went out on the Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday 25th August, quickly overtaking Red bull driver Sergio Pérez to move up to fifth. He pitted on Lap 25 for hard tyres and rejoined in ninth, but pushed hard and was up to third by Lap 33.
The last stages of the race saw him battle to hold off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. His efforts earned him his seventh podium of the season, with a well-deserved P3.
“It’s not often that I would say I am happy with a P3, but today, I am extremely happy with the job the team has done on such a difficult weekend,” Leclerc shared post-race. “We struggled in all sessions since FP1, and managed to put it all together when it matters most. We found the pace we needed, executed a perfect strategy, undercut our competitors and kept them behind. It feels great to start the second half of the season like this. Next up is Monza, our home race. We will give it our all to make our tifosi proud there.”
Monegasque F1 driver Charles Leclerc earned his seventh podium of the 2024 season at the Dutch Grand Prix. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre
Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur echoed the driver’s words, saying, “We were not very optimistic coming to Zandvoort, but today it went very well for both sides of the garage: we had good starts, good strategy, good pit stops, with both drivers managing their tyres very well… There are still nine races to go, some of them will suit us better than others and we must see what we can do with the new package that is coming soon, but today has certainly been a confidence boost for the team. Tonight, we will allow ourselves to enjoy this podium and as from tomorrow we will focus on Monza.”
Leclerc’s teammate, Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who has started in P10, also put in a good performance on the Circuit Zandvoort and claimed fifth place.
Their combined results at the Dutch Grand Prix add 25 points to Ferrari’s tally in the Constructors’ Standings, solidifying the team’s third place in the rankings. Leclerc retains his third place in the Drivers’ Standings, with 192 points, behind McLaren’s Lando Norris in second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in first.
