AS Monaco produced a dominant first-half display to ensure a comfortable victory against a lacklustre Montpellier side at the Stade Louis II on Sunday.
Coming into the match high on confidence after a battling victory away at PSV in midweek, ASM got off to a blistering start.
Having dominated possession and territory during the opening minutes, ASM didn’t take long to convert their dominance into tangible rewards.
Building on his man-of-the-match performance in mid-week, Caoi Henrique was once again the provider – his ball across goal finished neatly by Kevin Volland.
Montpellier couldn’t muster any response to going behind. ASM continued to dominate possession, and their persistent pressing kept Montpellier deep in their own half. Only five minutes after the opener, ASM doubled their lead. This time the scorer of the opening goal, Volland, turned provider – his sumptuous out-side of the boot delivery converted by Ben Yedder at the back post.
Kovac’s men continued to dominate proceedings in the first-half, but lacked the incision to increase their lead against a passive Montpellier side.
Montpellier came out the brighter side at the start of the second half. They were more capable of retaining possession and advancing the ball, yet their defensive frailties were once again exposed with devastating consequences.
After a penalty-box scramble, which resembled a pinball machine more than a match of football, Gelson Martins seized upon the ball and drilled home Monaco’s third.
Having confirmed the victory, ASM let the game drift, and Montpellier slowly grew into the game. Despite failing to create anything clear-cut, Montpellier were handed a glorious opportunity to get back into the match when Pavlovic clumsily brought down Gioacchini inside the ASM box.
Savanier confidently dispatched the resulting penalty to register what was ultimately only a consolation goal for the away side.
The 3-1 victory lifts Kovac’s side to 8th place in Ligue 1, and only 1 point behind the European places.
In the post-match conference, Kovac praised his side’s reaction to last Sunday’s disappointment. “We are happy to have bounced back after Lyon, by having two good matches against PSV Eindhoven in the club’s 200th European fixture, and against Montpellier.”
Despite his positive appraisal, Kovac was nonetheless critical of ASM’s inability to kill off the game. “For me, we should have finished the contest in the first half by scoring the third, even the fourth goal… After the third goal, we changed the way that we played a bit, and when you play a bit lower, with less intensity, the opponent has more of a chance to grow, and you find yourself in trouble.”
ASM will be hoping to continue their charge towards the European places with a win in their next fixture at Brest next Sunday.
Profile: Boutique brokerage Cecil Wright and Partners
It was a hectic time in the lead up to the Monaco Yacht Show for the Cecil Wright and Partners team, not because they were unprepared, but because two of the three yachts they were exhibiting were under contract to be sold a day before the show opened. Not bad for a boutique company with a handful of senior sales brokers.
It is onboard the 50m Feadship Hanikon that I meet Henry Smith, a Partner and Director of Cecil Wright and Partners, a boutique yacht brokerage with offices in Monaco, London and Jersey. This is Henry’s eighth Monaco Yacht Show, and we were supposed to meet onboard La Masquerade. But that 55-metre Amels, along with the 49.70 metre Feadship Herculina, were both under contract to be sold, leaving Cecil Wright with three expensive berth positions, and only one saleable yacht to exhibit. Monaco Life: Can you give us the back story of Cecil Wright and Partners?
Henry Smith: Chris Cecil-Wright and I were working together at a larger Monaco based brokerage and we studied how the market was developing and thought ‘there’s just too much out there to know everything’. Chris has been in the industry for 30 years now, and back in the day it was possible to know every big yacht owner and every big yacht, therefore you could be an authority on everything. But as time has gone by, there are so many more yachts and so many different owners, there’s just no way of knowing everything. So, our principal idea was: why don’t we specialise and focus on a very specific area of the market and ace it? So, that’s what we are doing, and doing it very well. Madam Gu What area of the market are you focussing on?
Northern European pedigree motor yachts, specifically Feadship. We’ve built, bought and sold more Feadships than anyone else. It’s quite extraordinary. Our 10-year plan was to be recognised as the authority on Feadship, and within three years we already had our first cold-call from a client saying he had heard we were the Feadship guys, so could we sell his Feadship? We subsequently sold the 60.55m Kingdome Come within four months.
Over the past few years, the largest Feadship sale in almost every year has involved Cecil Wright and Partners. We’ve also built some very sizeable yachts and have several more large new builds on the cards now with Feadship. Chris built Madame Gu, which everyone in Monaco would recognise – the iconic 99m Feadship which, at the time of delivery, was the largest yacht ever launched in Holland; Tango; Hampshire IIwhich you see here a lot on Quay Kennedy, Sherpa, … the list goes on and on. Why Feadship?
As a business, we focus on the 50m-plus Northern European market because that is where we know we can add the most value. And we have chosen to be known as the Feadship specialists for several reasons, one of which is that the quality is unsurpassed with unrivalled craftsmanship and attention to detail. This expertise is born from years of understanding of what makes a great boat.
Another reason is that the whole working process with Feadship is quite unique compared to other shipyards. It’s an effortless relationship because of the long-standing relationships we have with all the key people there, from the CEO to the carpenters. Furthermore, a crucial reason is, we always know a client will be blown away by the final build, so that’s great for client retention and our reputation.
The ethos of a Feadship owner is also quite different. Instead of thinking: ‘’How big a yacht can I get for as little money as possible?’’, they recognise that it is the quality that you are paying for and there really is a discernible difference in what yards can and do deliver.
Dutch boats have a timeless quality which is reflected in their market value, and the secondary market is historically strong for Feadship. Their yachts not only change hands for closer to the asking price, but they also move far quicker.
A key ethos that we stand by at Cecil Wright and Partners is ‘fewer clients serviced better’, and this underpins why we work with Feadship. What have you noticed about the industry in the last 18 months of the health crisis?
People who were sitting on the fence about a purchase are now no longer sitting on the fence; they are very much jumping off it! And it is not just people who were thinking about buying, it is people who were thinking about doing longer-term charters who have said “Actually, I’m going to move into yacht ownership now”.
There is one school of thought which suggests that unless you can commit a considerable amount of time to a yacht, there’s not a huge point in buying one because there are a lot of costs and input required to ownership, and if you are only on it for one week a year, then it makes sense to charter one. You can, of course, hope to cover some of the running cost by making the yacht commercial and allowing charters to take place.
That said, some people don’t like the idea of other people using their yacht, so that is obviously a different case and tends to be at the larger end of the global fleet where the yachts are run privately.
We have noticed an ongoing trend in the market which we refer to as the ‘flight to quality’. This has been somewhat amplified by the last 18 months and, as a result, there really is very little left in the pedigree market.
Markets are cyclical and yachting is no exception. I would, however, expect the value retention of pedigree yachts to remain strong given the surge in demand for yachts in general. Hanikon How have you found this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, including the new format?
The show was a resounding success. Had you asked me what was going to happen a few months ago, I was very unsure as to whether it was even going to take place. There was a good turnout of qualified buyers who actively wanted to buy yachts.
I would say that the quality and the number of yachts on show wasn’t as high as most years, but this is really down to the fact that the market has heated up so much that all the top pedigree inventory has been sold!
In terms of the new format, I thought it was an interesting idea to have a VIP-only day on the Wednesday, but frankly it should really be like this on at least three of the four days. In terms of organisation behind-the-scenes, it turned into a far more efficient process which we are all grateful for. Where do you see the future of the luxury yachting industry?
As global wealth increases, I can only see yachting as a sector becoming more and more popular. Whilst we will definitely see the motor yacht market expand, we are also going to see a resurgence of demand for sailing yachts, and this is driven by an ever-decreasing average age of yacht buyers who are more environmentally conscious and sailing yachts are deemed to be far greener than their motor yacht counterparts.
Already, the brokerage market has largely sold out of pedigree sailing yacht stock and we are increasingly having to hunt in the off market. Thankfully, we have a lot of experience in this space and when we approach owners in the off market, our name already carries some significant clout, so we are taken seriously. In the last 12 months, 30% of global pedigree sailing yacht deals over 35m have involved Cecil Wright and Partners.
The ever-decreasing age of yacht buyers means the yacht owning tenure for the average owner is going to increase. This will make things pretty interesting for the market as a whole unless the yards can up production to match this ever-growing demand. Where do you see the future of Cecil Wright and Partners?
We have no intention of turning into a massive brokerage, our sales count in terms of our market area is better than most of our competitors. Between Chris, Matt (Matthew Ruane), and myself, we’re doing more sales per broker than pretty much any other brokerage – five deals this month alone, and all pedigree yachts in the right space.
So where do we go from here? We are not going to grow into a big brokerage as I said because we don’t want the overheads or the headache. We are currently 14 people located between here in Monaco, London and Jersey. Our client base is broadly European, North American, and some Middle Eastern. We may recruit one or two more people globally, but we are where we need to be, specifically within Monaco, right in the middle of the action in Monte-Carlo. Cecil Wright and Partners is continuing to go from strength to strength, selling, chartering and building more and more Feadships and pedigree yachts.
What I would really like to see is more people coming to us for our expertise in the area, even if it just for an honest second opinion. As I mentioned earlier, our 10-year plan was to be known as the Feadship experts, and it’s certainly shaping up that way.
Top photo of Henry Smith, Partner and Director of Cecil Wright and Partners, all photos supplied
The Oceanographic Museum is organising a competition during the upcoming school holidays inviting people to imitate their favourite marine species for a chance to be the face of their next media campaign.
This half term break, the Oceanographic Museum is putting out a call for people who have a knack for impersonating to be part of a special event called #TousOceano (All Ocean). Participants will be asked to select their favourite marine species from a selection and take a photo of themselves mimicking that animal.
The objective is to create awareness of the bond that exists between humans and animal life in order to mobilise people to live more sustainably for the future of our shared planet.
Awards will be handed out, including a grand prize for the best imitation, which is to become the face of the museum’s next media campaign that launches during the Christmas holidays.
In order to take part, contestants must go online to www.tous.oceano.org or visit the photo booth located on the ground floor of the museum. A list of marine animals will pop up and players can choose between many species including the ribbon moray, the napoleon fish, the cowfish and the rayed jellyfish. Participants can photograph themselves doing their best imitation of their chosen animal, then share it on social media with the hashtag #TousOceano.
Other prizes up for grabs are Waterlover solar products from the Biotherm brand, a brunch at Stars’N’Bars, a leisure day at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, a gourmet break at the Hôtel Métropole, Beuchat snorkelling equipment, a free book creation with Fabrique à Histoires de Lunii, eco-responsible items from the Museum Shop such as water bottles, bags, and toothbrushes, free tickets, and ‘Sponsor a fish’ kits offered by the Association of Friends of the Oceanographic Museum.
The Oceanographic Museum is also offering fun distractions during the school holidays including a 30- or 60-minute sea-themed escape game, their Immersion 360º virtual reality experience, the touch basin, which allows visitors to pet crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers and many other marine animals, and Club Oceano where kids aged nine to 12 spend a magical week at the museum being part of the team, participating in games and activities and learning about the sea.
A call for applications for advisory board members of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, supported by the Prince Albert Foundation, is now open to scientists, government representatives and blue economy experts.
The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) was launched on the sidelines of the 75th UN General Assembly in September of 2020 by a coalition of private foundations, Member States, UN agencies and financial institutions with the ambition to mobilise USD $625 million for coral reef conservation over the next decade.
In January 2021, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation joined Germany and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation in contributing more than €10 million to the Global Coral Reef Fund, kickstarting the unprecedented campaign.
The GFCR is the first UN fund dedicated to SDG 14, ‘Life Below Water’, and the only global blended finance instrument dedicated to coral reefs. The GFCR leverages grants to incubate investable projects and unlock private sector investment in the blue economy to address local drivers of reef degradation and recovery for local communities.
The Fund promotes a ‘protect-transform-restore-recover’ approach concentrated on reef ecosystems with the greatest chance of surviving climate change. Programming has already launched in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania and the Bahamas and, by early 2022, is expected to begin in the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Belize, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Indonesia, and the Maldives.
Three rotational seats on the advisory board will be held by scientists with extensive expertise on the disciplines of coral reef science, marine protected area management and socio-economic dynamics; three rotational seats will be occupied by representatives from national governments with ministries or public research institutions with conservation and sustainable development mandates to provide guidance on policy, planning, and stakeholder engagement; and three rotational seats will be held by blue economy experts with strong knowledge and practice in innovation and blended finance, and socio-economic issues in coral reef countries.
On Wednesday, a unique short film will be showcased at the Théâtre des Variétés, documenting local photographer’s interpretation of Monaco’s intense period during the Covid pandemic.
“Poetic, moving, and disconcerting clips” make up this fascinating film created by MonacoVisions’, a Monegasque association that brings together photographers and filmmakers aged from 10 to 92 years, all united in their passion for pictures.
Titled ‘Confinement, deconfinement’, the short film screening will take place on Wednesday 20th October at 6.30pm.
From March 2020 to the present, the film explores the visions of lockdown, the Principality’s re-opening, and the subsequent return to lockdown.
It features footage of an empty, silent Monaco, artistic clips that show this most unusual time in a new light. It also has interviews with young people talking about the health crisis that directly impacted their lives, as well as original music.
Rampoldi celebrates 75 years with huge birthday bash
Prince Albert joined in the 75th anniversary celebrations of Rampoldi on the weekend, one of the Principality’s oldest restaurants and “a part of Monaco’s history”.
For three quarters of a century, Rampoldi has been an emblem of Monte-Carlo’s fascinating lifestyle, welcoming the Princely family and Monegasque personalities into its warm embrace.
Since 2016, Chef Antonio Salvatore has been at the helm, keeping this Monegasque institution on its path of producing fresh, Italian cuisine using iconic produce from southern Italy and scents of the Mediterranean.
On Saturday 16th October, guests were invited to celebrate the important milestone with Chef Salvatore and his team. The gold-speckled champagne flowed as the chef welcomed Prince Albert to the celebration, presenting him with a copy of the Rampoldi book published in commemoration of the restaurant’s 75 years.
Prince Albert thanked the crowd for “celebrating this wonderful place that is a part of Monaco’s history.”
Chef Antonio Salvatore presents Prince Albert with the book commemorating 75 years of Rampoldi during Saturday night’s celebrations, photo by Monaco Life
With its Carrara marble, Murano lighting, crystal chandeliers and mirrored arches, Rampoldi has “just the right amount of Monegasque bling-bling”, according to the coveted Michelin Guide.
In 2021, La Table d’Antonio Salvatore, located underneath Rampoldi, was awarded its first Michelin star just a year after opening, marking a new chapter in the restaurant’s history.
Top photo by Monaco Life
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