A Crown for the Principality: Yacht Club de Monaco wins the 2025 Admiral's Cup
by Louay Habib / RORC 30 Jul 05:40 PDT
17 July - 1 August 2025
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is delighted to announce the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) as the winner of the 2025 Admiral's Cup. After an intense battle during the RORC Channel Race, six inshore races in the Solent and the prestigious finale, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Yacht Club de Monaco team is victorious.
Runner-up for the Admiral's Cup is the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Completing the Admiral's Cup series podium is the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
Overall Results can be found here.
Vice-President of the Yacht Club de Monaco and co-skipper of Carkeek 42 Jolt 6 (YCM) is Pierre Casiraghi, who spoke about the historic win:
"Honestly, I still can't quite believe what we've achieved. To win the Admiral's Cup in its revival year and with Monaco's first ever participation is beyond words. I'm not a professional helm and this was the most exhausting race I've ever done. But we knew the Fastnet would be decisive and our team executed it flawlessly. Will Harris, our navigator, was just phenomenal, he didn't miss a beat.
"From the moment we exited the Solent everything went to plan. We held our lead, fought off relentless pressure from Callisto (RNZYS) and Beau Ideal (RHKYC) and made every move count. The team showed incredible resilience, character and trust in each other. This was a true team effort, from the sailors to the shore crew.
"For Monaco, this is historic. We're a small place, but we've just shown we can achieve great things. I hope this inspires the next generation of young sailors at Yacht Club de Monaco - they followed our every move. Right now, I'm exhausted and can't imagine doing another offshore race on a 42-footer any time soon, but this has been a magical journey. The Admiral's Cup is an extraordinary event, brilliantly organised and fiercely competitive. I'm proud beyond words to have been a part of it."
Yacht Club de Monaco member Peter Harrison, skipper of TP52 Jolt 3 (YCM), spoke about the debut win in the Admiral's Cup for the YCM:
"This is without a doubt the biggest result I've ever had in sailing and I doubt it will ever be topped. To help lead the Yacht Club de Monaco to its first Admiral's Cup victory on our very first attempt is just extraordinary.
"From the start, Pierre Casiraghi and I believed in this campaign. The Club was fully behind us, and with Matt Adams managing the project and a world-class team around us we built something truly special.
"We had a strong core, many of whom I've sailed with for years on the Maxi 72 and we carefully brought in talent who would complement that group. It was about chemistry, trust and shared commitment. Everyone delivered. From shore crew to helm, from sailmakers to strategists, it was a true team effort. It's a huge moment for Monaco and I believe it firmly establishes YCM as a force in offshore sailing.
"Right now, I'm a bit exhausted, but if you're going to win the Admiral's Cup, you need to start planning a year out and I know we'll be thinking seriously about defending it. The event was impeccably run and every race was delivered. Full credit to the RORC team. It's been a phenomenal experience and a celebration we will remember for a long time."
The Admiral's Cup Prize Giving will be held in the Rolex Fastnet Race Event Village from 18:00 local time on Thursday 31st July, 2025.
For more details about the Admiral's Cup, visit admiralscup.rorc.org