Monaco Classic Week has entered its stride on Wednesday, September 10, transforming the Yacht Club de Monaco’s marina into a floating museum of maritime history. From now until tomorrow, more than 150 boats, from sailing cutters and dinghies to vintage motor yachts and mahogany runabouts, are lined up along the quays, offering the public a rare opportunity to explore over a century of nautical craftsmanship.
The spectacle will reach full rhythm tomorrow at 14:00, when nearly fifty classic sailing yachts take to the water for the first regattas of the event. Among them are true survivors of history: the 1874 pilot cutter Madcap, still in sailing condition, and gaff cutters such as Kismet (1898) and Viola (1908). Several vessels are marking milestones this year, including Partridge (1885), celebrating its 140th anniversary, and Mariette of 1915, which turns 110. International crews are also adding to the atmosphere, with Mariska (1908) hosting sailors from New York’s Manhattan Yacht Club and the Black Swan (1899) welcoming guests of Saudi Arabia’s Amaala Yacht Club.
Riva enthusiasts have plenty to cheer about too: fifty of the iconic wooden runabouts have gathered in Monaco in what organisers call the largest assembly ever staged in the Principality. Carlo Riva’s personal Lipicar IV Aquarama is among the highlights, joined on the water by stately motor yachts such as Kalizma (1906), once owned by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and Blue Bird (1938).
Onshore, the 17th edition continues to mix heritage with lifestyle. Visitors can step into the free “Action! Classic Yachts on Screen” exhibition, retracing the glamorous film careers of vessels like Errol Flynn’s Zaca (1928) and Marge (1930), seen alongside Alain Delon in Plein Soleil. Food lovers are being treated to the Chefs’ Competition, where culinary teams from the yachts are serving up inventive dishes under the watchful eye of Michelin-honoured jurors. And tomorrow, the Concours d’élégance will parade vessels and crews before a jury led by Allegra Gucci, blending naval etiquette with style and artistry.
Alongside the heritage and glamour, the Exhibitors’ Village on Quai de l’Hirondelle continues to attract visitors, showcasing artisans, artists and shipyards. Vintage vehicles, including a 1930s BMW 309 and motorcycles from 1932 and 1957, provide a land-based counterpoint to the nautical show. And this weekend, La Belle Classe Academy, the YCM’s training centre, will host a public seamanship workshop, teaching knot-tying to those eager to try their hand at maritime traditions.
As Monaco basks in the late-summer sun, the event is reaffirming its reputation as more than a boat show: it is a celebration of history, culture and community, one where nostalgia for the past sails easily alongside innovation and the future of yachting.
