Maserati has strengthened its ties with the sailing world by sponsoring one of the world's most exclusive yacht clubs: Yacht Club de Monaco.
Set in the fabulous location of Monaco Marina, Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) and Maserati share a strong passion for premium excellence and high performance both on land and sea.
As Maserati continues to celebrate its centenary this year the prestigious partnership was announced at the inauguration of the new YCM clubhouse – a facility designed by Norman Foster which has already been hailed as a new icon of the Principality of Monaco.
Maserati will be official partner of YCM until 2016 as well as the sole automotive sponsor of events organised by YCM.
The YCM has 1300 members from 60 nations and many of the world’s most prestigious private yachts fly the Yacht Club de Monaco’s burgee, testimony to its unique position on the international yachting scene.
Maserati CEO Harald Wester commented: “The Yacht Club de Monaco is world renowned and shares the same Maserati standards of exclusivity, elegance and sport. Both brands represent excellence at an international level.”
YCM general secretary Bernard d’Alessandri added: “As part of the partnership the Trident marque, will give our members the great pleasure and privilege of being invited to exclusive, specially organised events. Welcome on board!”
As a member of the “Partners Club”, Maserati will be present at the high profile events organised by the club and will be able to use the exclusive Clubhouse rooms for private events. During the official opening of the new clubhouse, a Maserati lounge was set up inside the futuristic building.
The Maserati lounge and the spaces at the YCM will provide a perfect setting for hosting conferences and events which Maserati and sailing legend Giovanni Soldini – currently undertaking transatlantic challenges on board a Maserati-sponsored 70 footer – will be able to organise during the sponsorship period.
The relationship between Maserati and Giovanni Soldini began in 2012, when the Italian yachtsman, who was already a solo round-the-world winner, skippered the 70 foot Maserati to set the time reference for the “monohull” category in the Cadice-San Salvador run, covering the distance in 10 days, 23 hours, 9 minutes and 2 seconds.
Subsequently Soldini and his international crew, again on board Maserati, set the new record for another historic route, the “Golden Route” from New York to San Francisco, covering a distance of some 13,225 nautical miles. Soldini and his crew set off from New York on 31st December 2012, rounding Cape Horn after 21 days, 23 hours and 14 minutes of sailing and crossing the finishing line positioned below San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge, on 16th February 2013. After 47 days, 0 hours, 42 minutes and 29 seconds Soldini and his crew slashed the previous record of 57 days, 3 hours and 2 minutes set in 1998 by Yves Parlier on board Aquitaine Innovations.
Earlier this year on 14th January 2014 Soldini and Maserati were first across the finishing line in the 14th edition of the Cape2Rio race, covering the 3,300 miles that separate Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro in 10 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 57 seconds. Soldini and his crew who included helmsman Pierre Casiraghi set a new regatta record.
The next endeavour will be an attempt at the North Atlantic record for the crossing between New York (USA) and Lizard Point (United Kingdom), which the Maserati Team will try to beat during summer 2014.
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