Sustaining Tradition

The past, present and future of the oceans and yachting are of paramount importance at Yacht Club de Monaco

- By Duncan Quinn

Monaco. A tiny principality nestled into the far south-eastern corner of France. Perched atop a rock, the palace of the Grimaldi family. Masters of all they survey. From topaz Mediterranean Sea to marvels of modern architecture. All wrapped in the trappings of modern-day captains of industry. Supercars, superyachts, and superstars.

And in the port, where I annually take a group of friends and clients to watch the Grand Prix de Monaco, sits the gleaming jewel of the modern clubhouse of the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM). By the 1950s, Monaco had become a revered port of call for the global yachting community. On June 17, 1953, Prince Rainier III and an initial board of directors incorporated the Yacht Club de Monaco at a meeting held at the International Hydrographic Organisation on the famous Quai Etas-Unis and appointed the first committee. As the YCM had no premises at the time, its home was the Société des Bains de Mer in old pottery on Avenue d’Ostende, with a display case in the reception hall of the Hôtel de Paris for its cups and trophies.