I
1990
Darai · Carrain · Rossi · Vianello
G.B. Pedrini, CUV 38, Lamborghini
1.500+ nm
The Race
Italy’s coastline at full throttle: more than 1,500 nautical miles from the Venice Arsenale to the Principality of Monaco.
The history
The Venezia-Montecarlo was born in 1990 from a group of Venetian and Monegasque champions: Renato Della Valle, Alberto Smania, Gianfranco Rossi and Angelo Vassena, with the Circolo Motonautico Veneziano and the Yacht Club de Monaco. Prince Albert of Monaco raced in the first edition; 45 hulls crossed the finish line.
Gianfranco Rossi won five editions; in 1997 Prince Albert of Monaco himself triumphed at the helm of the Montecarlo 32. After the last edition of the historic cycle in 1998 and the 2015 comeback, the 2023 Prologue fired up the ninth edition.
Roll of honour
1990 → 2023
II
1991
Della Valle · Rossi · Pozzetto · Ferraris
INA Assitalia, Super Hawaii, Seatek
III
1992
Della Valle · Rossi · Pozzetto · Di Giusto
INA Assitalia, FB Design Racing, Seatek
IV
1993
Scioli · Nicolini · Taylor
YPF Marlboro (ARG), FB Design, Seatek
V
1996
Boni · Ventura · Vitobello
Banca di Roma, Prototipo 1: the rebirth after a two-year stop
VI
1997
H.S.H. Albert of Monaco · Rossi · Peitchev · Giraldi
Lineltex, Montecarlo 32 by Cantieri di Sarnico, Yanmar
VII
1998
Rossi · Vacirca · Foresti · Peitchev
MASE, FB Design, Seatek · 5,865 points
VIII
2015
Gabbiani · Luhrmann · Nicolson
Flotta Italia, Power Marine, 4,300 points
IX
2023
Prologue: Outerlimits (GBR)
Lockyer · Vaughan · Gardner, 927 points
The Prologue route
Three Adriatic legs for the ninth edition’s dress rehearsal: out of the Venice Arsenale, down the open sea along the coast to Milano Marittima and Pescara, finishing at Rodi Garganico at the foot of the Gargano. Around 300 miles always offshore, touching land only at the host ports.
The full race is another story: Italy’s coastline end to end, more than 1,500 miles from Venice to Monte Carlo through the Ionian, the Strait of Messina and up the Tyrrhenian. The "Dakar of the sea" is the next chapter.
2023 Prologue stages
- Venezia Arsenale
- Cervia · Milano Marittima
- Marina di Pescara
- Rodi Garganico
The 2015 voyage
The eighth edition raced the whole of Italy: ten stages from Venice to Monte Carlo, down the Adriatic, around the Ionian, through the Strait of Messina and up the Tyrrhenian to the Riviera. FICr-timed standings: Flotta Italia wins on 4,300 points.
The official stages
The first edition, 1990
July fifteenth to twenty-fourth, 1990: the baptism of the "Dakar of the sea", with Tamoil among the first-hour sponsors. Nine stages and 1,450 miles around Italy, 45 hulls at the finish, Prince Albert of Monaco in the race. G.B. Pedrini won with Darai, Carrain, Rossi and Vianello: a peralluman CUV 38 powered by Lamborghini, averaging 55.9 knots.
The nine stages of 1990
The non-stop record
Outside the race, the route hosts record attempts. The benchmark belongs to Mario Invernizzi and his crew: Monaco to Venice non-stop in 22 hours 13 minutes 17 seconds in 2011, averaging 51.3 knots on an FB Design 48.
2023 Prologue, overall standings
| # | Boat | Crew | points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outerlimits | Lockyer · Vaughan · Gardner | 927 |
| 2 | Albatro | Cesati | 696 |
| 3 | Searex | Greve · Gross · Podolski | 694 |
| 4 | Interceptor | Vittoria Shipyard | 563 |
| 5 | Rush | G. Roda · A. Roda · Poletti | 467 |
| 6 | Dream Team | Tomba · Ghedina · Bulleri | 340 |
The Golden Lion
The Golden Lion goes to whoever wins the complete Venezia-Montecarlo, Italy’s coastline end to end to the Principality: the symbol of St Mark handed over at the Monte Carlo finish. The trophy that binds the race to its starting city.