Six Frenchwomen have completed a gruelling 1,800-kilometre non-stop journey from Monaco to Athens on paddleboards, all in the name of charity.
It’s hard to imagine that paddleboarding 1,800 kilometres is a warm-up for anything, but for the intrepid women of Cap Optimist, that is exactly what it was.
Their recently completed voyage, taking them from Monaco to Athens, is the precursor to an even bigger challenge the women are setting for themselves, namely an 8,000- kilometre trip between Peru and the French Polynesian island of Moorea in Tahiti coming up in January 2023.
The Monaco to Greece trip took the six women, Stéphanie Barneix, Emmanuelle Bescheron, Margot Calvet, Alexandra Lux, Basques Marie Goyeneche and Itziar Abascal, 13 days and nights, rowing around the clock for over 320 cumulative hours, before setting feet on dry land again on Saturday 18th June in the port city of Piraeus.
The athletes encountered some extraordinary conditions on their voyage, facing thunder and rain storms, a swell topping out at two metres high, strong headwinds and even an unexpected encounter with a shark.
These difficulties have made the women even stronger in their resolve, as well as bonding them closer than ever to face the next big challenge.
Of course, it’s love of the sea and of the sport that inspired the Cap Optimist team to take on this remarkable feat, but it also has a human side. The event, supported by the Prince Albert II Foundation, the Hellenic Community of Monaco, Greek Minister Yannis Plakiotakis, the Mayor of Piraeus Ioannis Moralis, the Yacht Club of Piraeus, and Sophia and Kostantinos Tsouvelekakis, was a fundraiser for Hope Team East.
All funds raised by sponsors, friends and supporters are being donated to the ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with Cancer, as well as the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
Charles Leclerc charged from the back of the grid at Sunday’s Canada Grand Prix, making up 14 places to secure a deserved fifth position, whilst Max Verstappen extended his championship lead.
This weekend’s event was essentially an exercise in damage limitation for the Monégasque driver. Leclerc’s torrid run of bad luck began with a mechanical failure, continued with a costly strategic error at his home GP in Monaco, before another mechanical failure in Azerbaijan last weekend.
When it rains, it pours; In a rain-drenched Montréal, another change to the power unit of Leclerc’s Ferrari meant that he has exceeded his quota for the year, thus incurring a grid penalty, which would see him dropped to the back of the grid.
A penalty for Yuki Tsunoda ultimately meant that Leclerc would start from 19th, but with a lot of work to do. To add insult to injury, Leclerc’s major title challenger Verstappen claimed pole, ahead of Fernando Alonso, who was starting on the front row of the grid for the first time in a decade. In the other Ferrari, Carlos Sainz could only manage third in a tricky, wet qualifying session on Saturday.
Brightening up
It was a weekend of pathetic fallacy for Leclerc as the changing meteorological conditions perfectly demarcated his change in fortunes. If the rain encapsulated Leclerc’s mood on Saturday, then the sunny skies on Sunday were an unmistakably positive sign.
The race got underway without incident as the car led line astern with little contact and few place changes. George Russell was the main benefactor as he jumped from 8th to 6th before overtaking Kevin Magnussen on lap five to move up to fifth and just behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Sainz, in the far superior car, overtook Alonso with a simple DRS move on lap three, but the tyres of the Ferrari, which has struggled with tyre management issues throughout the season, were already beginning to grain. Leclerc, meanwhile, was quietly going about salvaging some points as he picked his way through the backmarkers.
Canadian GP, photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Centre
A technical failure for Sergio Perez’s Red Bull brought out the virtual safety car on lap eight and Verstappen took the opportunity to pit, before another virtual safety car on lap 20, this time brought out by a technical failure to Mick Schumacher’s Haas, gave Sainz the opportunity to pit.
Before his first pit stop, Leclerc had fought his way up to seventh, but he once again had to fight his way through the field after he came out behind Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Guanyu Zhou.
The impassable object
A late safety car, brought out by a comical crash from Tsunoda who, coming out of the pit lane went straight into the barriers, spelt danger for Verstappen. The reigning world champion was on older tyres to Sainz, who was right behind and chasing the victory.
However, despite being within a second for the remaining 16 laps of the race, Sainz simply couldn’t get past the Red Bull, who had the straight line speed to keep out of the clutches of the Ferrari.
Verstappen took the chequered flag to extend his championship lead over Leclerc to 49 points. Sainz took second, whilst Hamilton rounded off the podium. Russell continued his impressive run finishing fourth; the Brit is still the only driver on the grid to have finished in the top five in each race this season.
Driver of the day, Leclerc reached fifth and secured some valuable points in the championship battle. Thanks to Perez’ retirement, he closed the gap to the Mexican to just three points.
“I gave it my all,” said Leclerc post-race. “It never feels good to finish in P5, but considering where we started and the way the race unfolded, it was the best result we could bring home today.”
Next up is the British Grand Prix, where Leclerc scored his best result of the 2021 season, securing second but agonisingly missing out on the win late-on. “I’m looking forward to Silverstone now. It’s one of my favourite circuits on the calendar and hopefully we can score some big points there,” said Leclerc.
For the sake of his title challenge, he will have to.
Photo of Charles Leclerc source Scuderia Ferrari Press Centre
AS Monaco Basketball experienced a torrid night at the Astroballe on Friday, as they were played off the court by a completely rejuvenated Lyon-Villeurbanne (91-54), who levelled the Betclic Elite final series.
Monaco found themselves in difficulty from the offset as they struggled for scoring opportunities. A reaction from the home side was entirely foreseeable, but the intensity of their defensive game and their efficiency in attack seemingly caught the Roca Team off guard and by the end of the first quarter, the game looked beyond them.
On their route to the final, Monaco have been the masters of the comeback, most notably against Strasbourg in the deciding game of their quarter-final tie, but one never looked on the cards here.
Monaco were confined to a mere 54 points, equalling their seasons-worst tally, as only Ibrahima Fall Faye (10) reached double figures.
The scales were already evenly balanced going into the series, and in victory on Wednesday, they were tipped in Monaco’s favour.
Although, overall, Monaco will likely have a positive assessment of their result in Lyon (one victory, one defeat), the manner of the defeat will give Lyon the belief that the scales have tipped back in their favour, and that they can get a win at the Salle Gaston Médecin.
Lyon, however, will need to solidify their ascendancy in Monaco. “We had a reaction, which is good. Despite everything, it’s only one match, and we have to go to Monaco with the same intent, because we are facing champions, against whom all of our matches have been tightly-contested,” said Lyon manager Paul Lacombe. “We know that there will be a reaction from them. Nothing is won yet, and we have to be ready.”
The third match of the series takes place at the Salle Gaston Médecin on Monday as Monaco look to avenge their 2019 final defeat.
Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball
Princely couple officially open Monte-Carlo Television Festival
Princess Charlene looked dazzling in green as she accompanied husband Prince Albert to the opening ceremony of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival on Friday night.
After walking the red carpet and posing for selfies with the public at the Grimaldi Forum, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert took to the stage to declare the 61st Monte-Carlo Television Festival officially open.
During his speech, Prince Albert II of Monaco said, “Our Festival has always showcased on the one hand creativity, quality fiction production, and on the other hand, journalistic work for a better understanding of the real challenges, the major geopolitical and economic equilibria of the world we live in. Its content evolves constantly to integrate the technological developments which have turned the way we consume images, particularly with the development of digital platforms.”
Photo by Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace
Created to recognise brilliant and exceptional rising talent, Princess Charlene then presented the very first International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent to French actor Théo Christine star of War of the Worlds, SKAM, and Suprêmes.
The opening night of the Television Festival each year features a world premier, and on Friday the public was able to attend the first two episodes of the series Last Light. Based on the highly successful novel by Alex Scarrow, Last Light is directed by Dennie Gordon (Jack Ryan) and stars Matthew Fox (Lost), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey), Tom Wlaschiha (Game of Thrones) Alyth Ross (Traces) and Taylor Fay (Judge Rinder), all of whom were in attendance at the special screening.
“In the Golden Age of Content, there is no doubt that our Festival has become a leading force in the celebration of all aspects of the global television business,” said Laurent Puons, CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. “With an incredible line-up of the very best programmes and talent, both in front of and behind the camera, we are looking forward to delivering an exciting edition over the coming five days.”
La Môme is an oasis in a bustling, hot Monaco, with killer views, refreshing sea breezes, and a Mediterranean menu that hits all the right notes.
Antoine and Ugo Lecorché first opened the chic La Môme restaurant in the Côte d’Azur in 2015, a trendy go-to for fun-loving A-listers, and an international and local clientele. It was followed by the addition of a cocktail bar in 2017 inspired by the legendary New York bars that the pair had enjoyed in their travels. Then, a few feet away on the famous Croisette, La Môme Plage was established with its 1950s French Riviera inspiration. All in the capital of Cinema, Cannes.
Now, the twins are continuing the story in the Principality with La Môme Monte-Carlo, formerly La Marée, on Avenue J.F. Kennedy.
Antoine and Ugo Lecorché opened the first La Môme in Cannes in 2015
The restaurant is open seven days a week, welcoming up to 220 guests for lunch and dinner, in a dreamy setting on the rooftop terrace of the Port Palace, with a stunning view over the superyachts in the harbour, the blue waters of the Mediterranean, and the Prince’s Palace on the Rock.
At the helm is Managing Director Luigi Visciano who has worked at some of Monaco’s most prestigious establishments including the Hôtel de Paris, the Hôtel Hermitage and the Hôtel Métropole, bringing his professionalism and authentic “Italian-style” charisma to this new venture.
“We wanted to bring that international-style service and welcome, but in a more relaxed way,” Antoine Lecorché told Monaco Life. “The temperature, the music, the timing of the food, everything has to be perfect, so that when people leave the restaurant, they feel great, even if they don’t know why.”
The view from the rooftop terrace of La Môme, credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life
Two interior designers were recruited for the décor: Soraya Djemmi-Wagner and Maxime Liautard from Liautard and the Queen design agency. In keeping with the Cannes legend, their vision for the space was a movie scene, in particular the film To Catch a Thief with its Hollywood star and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly.
The décor is therefore quite feminine, with the use of blue and light tones on the terrace; soft furnishings, warm wooden textures and rounded finishes inside. This is contrasted with bold patterns and zebra fabrics, giving the restaurant a playful edginess.
The menu was created by La Môme Plage Executive Chef Alexandre Elia and executed with the help of new recruit Chef de partie Benjamin Zannier. The theme: Mediterranean with Provençal, Italian and Greek influences. Think flame-smoked eggplant dip, creamy burrata with an assortment of tomatoes, shaved artichoke salad, tuna tartare, and a heavily-truffled arancini. In fact, black truffles feature significantly on the menu at the moment, so-much-so the precious aroma fills the restaurant, and your heart, with luxurious goodness.
“Some of the dishes you can find in Cannes,” revealed Lecorché. “Most appetizers are designed to be shared, as people love to do now. We also have whole fish, lobster, and chargrilled meat dishes, served with fresh seasonal ingredients.”
The Mediterranean dishes at La Môme, credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life
For mains we were treated to a tuna tataki topped with rich caviar, deliciously seasoned mushroom tops, bright broccolini finished with salty black olives, creamy truffle mash, beautifully seared and tender beef loin with shaved truffles, and truffled rigatoni pasta.
Just when you think you can’t possibly fit another thing in, they present to you their “legendary” giant chocolate chip cookie; waffle with a trio of whipped cream, chocolate sauce and jam; and beautiful fresh fruit platter. Somehow, deep down, you find the space you need to finish the meal.
La Môme Monte-Carlo terrace, credit: Yann Deret
So, my first impression of Monaco’s newest restaurant? If you don’t come for the view, come for the food; come with a lot of friends and order everything on the menu; then sit back with a cocktail and watch the sun go down over Monaco. Life doesn’t get much better than this.
Visit Monaco Life’s Instagram page for videos of La Môme.
The work of Helmut Newton, one of the 20th Century’s most prominent fashion photographers, is now on show at Villa Sauber for an exhibition that uniquely highlights his time in Monaco and the French Riviera.
The latest exhibition by the New National Museum of Monaco (NMNM) titled ‘Newton, Riviera’, features 280 photographs, some iconic and others rarely seen by the public before.
The title reflects the fact that the French Riviera was a place of huge inspiration for Helmut Newton from the 1960s, when he purchased a holiday home in Ramatuelle, to his death in the early 2000s.
“I like the sun, and there’s none left in Paris,” he famously told the Monegasque officer in charge of his residency file. It was the year 1981 and Newton was 61 years of age. He had already established himself as one of the greatest fashion photographers of his generation.
Born in Berlin in 1920, Helmut Newton moved to Australia when he was 20-years-old, marrying Australian actress June Brown (later known as photographer Alice Springs) and setting up a studio in fashionable Flinders Lane in Melbourne where he worked on fashion, theatre and industrial photography. He went on to work for British Vogue, Australian Vogue, French Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, establishing a particular style marked by erotic, stylised scenes, often with sado-masochistic and fetishistic subtexts.
The New York Times described him as a “prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications.”
‘Helmut, Riviera’ exhibition at Villa Sauber, photo by Manuel Vitali, Communication Department
His time in Monaco, from 1981 until his death in 2004, was one of the most prolific and freest of his career. Monaco offered him an original setting for his fashion photography, and it is was not uncommon for one of the city’s construction sites to serve as a backdrop for a haute couture campaign he’d signed. In 1992, Monaco awarded him the ‘Officier des Arts, Lettres et Sciences’.
He also produced numerous images and portraits of the Princely family and stars of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. It was here that he finally tried his hand at landscape photography, and developed one of his most personal series ‘Yellow Press’, strange images of a disturbing glamour, inspired by crime scenes.
‘Newton, Riviera’ has been curated by Guillaume de Sardes and Matthias Harder. It is being presented in collaboration with the Helmut Newton Foundation, Berlin. The exhibition will run at Villa Sauber, 17 avenue Princesse Grace, until 13th November 2022.
Top photo of Helmut Newton taken by photographer Alice Springs (pseudonym used by his wife June Newton)
All the headlines and highlights from Monaco, direct to you every morning
