For who has at least once gazed with a sense of longing to the beautiful motorboats, yachts and sailboats anchored in the docks of a yacht club or sailing over the line of the horizon, it comes natural to fantasise on the boats one is looking at, wishing to own and sail them, though often overlooking the whole environment.
What a yacht club is
However, yacht clubs are a fundamental component in the connection yachts have with luxury, style, innovation and tradition. Yacht clubs are not just simple ports of marinas, but are fully-fledged sports clubs; their main goal is the promotion of boats racing and cruising among their members and outside, through the organisation of regattas and many social events aimed to their affiliates, usually with the partnership of the most important sporting, yachting and fashion’s partners.
As such, yacht clubs have gradually asserted their role of defenders of nautical traditions, developed a specific fashion and behavioural etiquette, and become large economic entities. Nowadays, these clubs epitomize the ideas of exclusivity, nautical history, tradition and sportsmanship. In a few words, they are the bearer of “La Belle Classe”, a beautiful elegance they aim to defend staunchly.
The proud history of yacht clubs
Yacht clubs have a long historical tradition. The first yacht club, or the association of voluntary boat owners running the association, is the Royal Cork Club, founded in Ireland in 1720. Yacht clubs reached the apogee during the nineteenth and twentieth century, where both the old and new royal families of Europe were eager to create communities of wealthy members under their patronage, in order to create an active and thriving sailing community both at national and international level. At the same time, the first regattas were born, competition of different yacht clubs crews throughout the world.
Among them, we find many clubs that still exist to this day, such as the Royal Yacht Squadron (1815), the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (1830), the Royal Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia (1893) and the Yacht Club de Monaco (1953).
Exploring the history and tradition of the Yacht Club de Monaco
The Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) is one of the most active and exclusive clubs of the Mediterranean Sea. For its strategic position and as a homeport favoured by superyachts and classical yachts owners, the Principality has always been a key yachting destination.
Yacht Club de Monaco plays a key role on the international yachting scene, and at least a quarter of the world largest 100 superyachts displays its red and white burgee.
Prince Rainier III of Monaco founded it in 1953 after the Société des Régates, with the aim to “develop, encourage, and serve the promotion of the Principality in the Yachting sector”. The royal Monegasque family has ever since exerted considerable influence in the club, with Prince Albert being its current president, and has developed the sporting side of the club, reinforcing regattas training and creating new international events. To this extent, the Yacht club sponsors events with its own fleets, such as the Malizia’s Atlantic voyages or the Tuiga’s (the flagship of the club) participation to worldwide regattas.
Furthermore, the YCM supports the respect for etiquette at sea, safeguarding the environment, honouring the club’s sailing heritage and promoting the latest nautical technologies. Its values, which the club itself labelled “La Belle Classe”, are a mandatory prerequisite for its members.
Technogym’s partnership with YCM
Elegance and passion of the YCM for regattas and maritime competition is reflected also in its choice of strategic partners. That’s why Technogym, the world’s leader in wellness and fitness solutions is the Club’s partner in many of its event and in the realization of the club’s gym, where athletes can train in preparation of their regattas and member yacht owners can discover the top-class quality and design of Technogym’s smart equipment for their yacht’s and home gyms.
For the creation of private gyms, owners can discover the Personal cardio line and the Selection strength line, born from Technogym's experience as a partner supplier of smart equipment during the last 7 Olympics for training. The Personal line is the product of 30 years of research turned into beautiful design fitness equipment, created with exclusive materials and exquisite craftsmanship.