9 ° C
Profile

Tag: monaco

Princely couple lead virtual kick-off of rugby qualifier

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/02/2021

A handball between Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and French rugby player Mathieu Bastareaud has marked the official presentation of the Monaco Rugby Sevens Qualifier Tournament for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The virtual kick-off took place at the Yacht Club of Monaco with the Princess’s brother Gareth Wittstock, who is general secretary of her Foundation, and Minister of State Pierre Dartout also in attendance.
The men and women’s Olympic Rugby Sevens Qualifying Tournament for the Tokyo Olympic Games will see 24 teams compete on 19th and 20th June 2021 at the Stade Louis II in the Principality of Monaco.

General Secretary of the Princess Charlene of Photo: Monaco Foundation Gareth Wittstock, Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and Minister of State Pierre Dartout at Tuesday’s presentation, by Eric Mathon / Prince’s Palace

The event is organised with the support of the Monegasque Rugby Federation, the Prince’s Government and institutional partners.
The top two women’s teams and the top men’s team to come out of Monaco will go on to compete in this year’s summer Olympic Games in Japan.
Rugby Sevens is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Tokyo Games, following the success of 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
At the same time, on 19th June, the Sainte-Dévote children’s rugby tournament will be held, organised by the Monegasque Rugby Federation with the support of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. It will see  16 teams from around the world competing in an under-12 mini Sevens World Cup format run alongside the senior event.
The Monaco Sevens 2021 draw will take place in the Principality at the end of April.
 
Photos by Eric Mathon / Prince’s Palace
 
Related stories:

Monaco to host final qualification

 
 

Monaco-based team poised to join F1 grid

by: Stephanie Horsman
09/02/2021

A new entry to the Formula One club, simply called the Monaco F1 Racing Team, is set to be the first new team to join the circuit in several years and the announcement is causing quite a stir in the racing world.

Formula One is about to see its first new team in ages, and aptly, due to its long racing history, the team is set to be Monaco-based. The new squad, called the Monaco F1 Racing Team, is looking to use new racing rules to secure entry into the exclusive club that has traditionally been dominated by big corporations and car manufacturers.

Monaco Increase Management (MIM), who joined forces with Spanish-based Campos Racing in 2019, were in negotiations with then-boss of F1 Chase Carey, but the reaction by Carey was lukewarm and nothing concrete came of the talks.

The team was hoping to debut in 2021 when new racing regulations would come into effect, but last year’s interrupted season due to the Covid pandemic put the kibosh on those plans.

“The current Monaco F1 Racing Team Project was the first to actively discuss the possibility of an entry with the F1 governance as early as 2019 and we were set to set up a structure accordingly, realising the potential of the new Technical Regulation that was initially supposed to come into force in 2021 and was subsequently delayed because of the pandemic,” said Salvatore Gandolfo, Founder and CEO of MIM, in a press statement.

The health situation delay was coupled with an accord put forth by F1 that said that any team wishing to join must pay a whopping $200 million (€165 million) “anti-dilution fee”, with the proceeds being evenly split between the current 10 teams on the Formula One roster. The fee is meant to protect the current prize money distribution system but is a big ask of anyone trying to break into the club.

Whilst this is officially on the books for 2021 to 2025, discussions with Formula One’s new chief, Stefano Domenicali, revealed a willingness to waive the massive fee.

“We believe that the recent statements of the new CEO, Stefano Domenicali, which suggest that the $200 million entry fee for new teams could be waived represent a step forward in the right direction,” said Gandolfo. “We appreciate the open attitude of both Stefano and the FIA and are ready to take the necessary steps in order to have our application finalised.”

The Automobile Club of Monaco has so far not raised objection to the name of the team, and if all goes ahead, the Monaco F1 Racing team will be the first to enter the fray since Haas in 2016.

 
Photo by Daniel Cristian on Unsplash
 
 

#8MarsMonaco to honour heroines of Covid

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/02/2021

The Principality will mark International Women’s Rights Day this year by honouring the females who have been working at the frontline of Monaco’s fight against Covid-19.
On Monday, exactly one month before its annual #8MarsMonaco campaign, the Women’s Rights Committee announced that International Women’s Rights Day 2021 will take on a special theme.
The campaign will highlight the heroines on the frontline since the lockdown of March 2020.
“A year after the first confinement, it seemed obvious to me to thank these women in the shadows who worked for the general interest,” said Céline Cottalorda, Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights.
Artist Anthony Alberti, alias Mr OneTeas, has again produced a series of photographic portraits which will be presented at the entrances to the Principality, on the Rock, and in the Fontvieille shopping mall.
Meanwhile, due to constraints surrounding the pandemic, the works at the Ministry of State will be inaugurated via a video broadcast on the committee’s social networks and on the government communication channel Monaco Info from 8th March, giving the public an opportunity to discover all of the works on display throughout the city.
 
Photo by Michael Alesi for the Government Communication Department
 

Creating National Councillors of the future

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/02/2021

The National Council of Monaco is appealing to civic-minded young people to apply to become Junior National Councillors, allowing them the chance to take part in the legislative actions that affect the whole community.
Young politicians, deal-makers and those looking to make changes for the better are being asked to apply to the National Council to become part of their new Junior National Council programme.
The young people selected as Junior National Councillors, who will come from grades cinquième to seconde and must be enrolled at a local school, will be invited to join in at the Grand Chambre where their input will go toward making changes in the current government legislation, including drafting resolutions and even possibly originating new bills.
For those interested in applying and who meet the conditions, go to the National Council website at https://www.conseil-national.mc/ where the application is available, and complete it before 21st February.
 
 

Calling all Monegasque entrepreneurs

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/02/2021

Monaco Boost is set to open its doors in April, but first it needs some businesses to house. So, the call has been put out for Monegasque entrepreneurs to take advantage of the Principality’s new business incubator, reserved exclusively for nationals.
Monaco Boost was launched in early January 2021 by the Prince’s Government, in consultation with the National Council, to accelerate the creation and development of new businesses created by entrepreneurs of Monegasque nationality.
Funded by the State, the incubator is located in the Fontvieille district and covers an area over 1,200 square metres and includes offices, shared workspaces, meeting rooms, a cafeteria and an outdoor terrace.
The aim is to provide not only a company address and work space at significantly reduced costs, but a site where companies can accelerate their growth and develop their contacts, eventually contributing to the Monaco economy.
“With Monaco Boost, and following a vote in the spring of 2020 by the National Council of a bill … to introduce the free domicile of an activity in a residential apartment, Monegasque entrepreneurs now have all the assets to start and develop their business,” said the National Council on its social media networks.
The call for applications is open until 26th February and the first entrepreneurs are expected to move in by April 2021. Monaco Boost can house a total of 108 businesses.
The Allocation Committee will be chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economy and will be comprised of representatives from the National Council, the State Property Authority, the Business Development Agency and the SAM Monaco Boost.
For start-ups who are not Monegasque nationals, the Principality’s first incubator, Monaco Tech, is due to put out its call for applicants by the end of March/early April.
 
Photo by Michael Alesi for the Government Communication Department
 
 

Ocean Decade has officially begun

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/02/2021

Prince Albert II and Monaco’s representative for the Vendée Globe sailing race, Boris Herrmann, have united for the first Ocean Decade high-profile event, A Brave New Ocean. 

“It’s such an incredibly important but fragile relationship that we have with nature,” Prince Albert II declared during the first online event to kick off the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development on Wednesday.

They are simple yet powerful words from a man who has dedicated much of his adult life to the preservation of the environment, with a special emphasis on oceans. This is not surprising given Monaco’s maritime locale and traditional close ties to the sea, but the Prince’s interest runs deeper than that. 

“Half the air we breathe comes from the ocean. We harbour so many different species, the vast majority of the species in the biosphere are in the ocean. For all these reasons, and we know this for a fact, to keep the ocean’s ecosystems in a healthy way, life on Earth will be healthier. Planetary health is essential to human health,” he told a global audience.  

A Brave New Ocean brought together world leaders, scientists, UN agency heads and personalities who are engaged in ocean action.

Amongst them was skipper of the Seaexplorer-Yacht Club de Monaco Boris Herrmann, who just completed the around the world solo race the Vendée Globe. He spoke from the seaside, with his infant child strapped to his chest, stressing the importance of research and preservation.

“We collected ocean data on the boat for the fully-automated laboratory that pumps water from the keel 24/7 through a system that measures all sorts of things – salinity, the Ph, water temperature – and I believe it is … the first time that an entire trek around the world has been tracked in this nature, especially around Antarctica. There’s no shipping so there’s no data.”

He added on a more personal note: “Something for the Ocean Decade to go forward is to show the public how important the ocean is for us. We don’t want to tell our kids at the end of the decade that there won’t be any coral for them to see.”

The UN has an ambitious agenda for protecting and preserving the seas for their Ocean Decade. They are asking nations to help them meet the lofty goals of reducing or removing pollutants to create healthy and resilient oceans as well as supporting sustainability in fishing whilst protecting livelihoods.

“To reestablish the link between man and nature is vital for our survival,” Prince Albert, who was one of the first to back the concept of Ocean Decade, concluded in his message. “If we leave all the different ecosystems alone, they will rebound at a rapid rate.”
To watch the virtual A Brave New Ocean event, click here.
 
 
Photo compilation of Prince Albert and Boris Herrmann during the virtual A Brave New Ocean event by Monaco Life