Monaco Water Bike Challenge: what it is all about

The Princess Charlene Foundation of Monaco is organizing a relay race entitled The Crossing: Calvi – Monaco Water Bike Challenge which will take place on 12 and 13 September 2020. The purpose of this new sporting challenge is to sail from Calvi to Monaco in a minimum time on water bikes. Beyond the sports performance it entails, this event aims to raise awareness about drowning prevention and water safety. 

On September 12th, team Serenity led by H.S.H. Princess Charlene and team Notorious led by Mr. Gareth Wittstock, General Secretary of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, will set off from the port of Calvi for a race lasting more than 24 hours. The 4 athletes from each team will take turns at sea over a distance of 180 kilometers. 

The route

The race is scheduled to start on September 12th, at the Quai d’Honneur of the port of Calvi at 2 pm. The port of Calvi is located at the foot of the Genoese citadel. This harbor is named after Xavier Colonna, one of the former mayors of the city of Calvi. The race is scheduled to end on September 13th at the Quai Louis II of the Yacht Club de Monaco. 

The Water Bikes

The crossing will take place exclusively on water bikes of the Schiller SC-1 brand. These machines use a lightweight propeller shaft, optimized for hydrodynamic performance. The patented transmission system consists of a carbon fiber belt, a flexible transmission shaft and a propulsion system that allows athletes to create a push force that ensures great maneuverability. They require no fuel and have zero gas emissions; hence they have no impact on the environment. Water bikes are ergonomic and extremely stable: they can reach a speed of about 6 knots per hour (13km/h). 

The teams

The race will oppose team Serenity, led by H.S.H. Princess Charlene, to team Notorious, led by Mr. Gareth Wittstock, General Secretary of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. In relay, the members of each team will be able to change as often as they wish: the duration and rotations are free. Relays can commence at 20 minutes after the start of the race. After the start, the composition of each team cannot be changed, even in the event of injury or forfeit. Only members of each team present at the start will be able to participate in the race. 

Recently, Jérôme Fernandez, former handball player and French international, joined team Notorious for the crossing on 12-13 september 2020. He will replace swimmer Yannick Agnel, who had to renounce to the race due to a minor injury.

Following the race live

Georacing (www.georacing.fr) offers an ideal technological solution for live tracking of outdoor sports events. Equipped with GPS, participants can be tracked at any time on an interactive 2D map to ensure their safety, manage the race and above all to communicate with spectators about the classification, the gap between the participants, their sailing speed, the timing at the checkpoints, the distance to the finish, etc. 

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation unite for the preservation of the marine environment 

As part of its mission to raise awareness of marine conservation issues, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation approached the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation to jointly carry out two actions to raise awareness of plastic pollution, simultaneously in Monaco and Calvi, on the morning of Saturday, September 12 2020. 

A major clean-up and waste sorting operation will be carried out in Monaco, on land and in the port, by some fifty volunteers. 

The waste will be collected, tagged and counted, before being presented to the children of the fifth grade class at the Fontvieille School in Monaco in charge of the management of the Aire Marine Éducative (AME) this year. This tagging and sorting will allow us to compare the data and better identify the different forms of pollution affecting their Marine Area. 

Echoing the clean-up operation in Monaco, the Corsican association Mare Vivu, supported by the BeMed initiative, will also carry out an awareness campaign on the port of Calvi, alongside the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. Two workshops will be offered: a creative workshop for young people to create art from collected and disinfected plastic waste. 

To make a donation: www.fpcm.mc/thecrossing