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FORCE ONE #46
FORCED TO YACHT
Every September, we face the same cruel destiny: visiting gleaming superyachts, sipping champagne at endless parties, and pretending it’s all just “work.” A tough life, but someone’s got to do it!
The Monaco Yacht Show is once again the beating heart of the season, pushing not only the boundaries of luxury but also of responsibility, with an ever-stronger focus on technology, policies, and behaviours steering yachting towards a greener horizon.
This issue also celebrates one of the most romantic success stories on the water: the legendary Riva family and their timeless motorboats. We dedicate a special feature to Monaco Boat Service, the historic local company carrying forward that legacyand we thank them warmly for hosting our “Old Money” fashion shoot, in partnership with The Collection Paris of Monte Carlo.
Of course, that’s not all: plenty of spectacular yachts, sleek catamarans, and a deep dive into Lürssen’s 150 years of history. For true sea lovers, there’s no shortage of stories.
Fashion lovers aren’t left behind either, with the aforementioned exclusive shoot, a fresh look at the Fall/Winter 2025 collections, and of course a shopping guide for the season.
And because Force One never stops: we announce our exclusive partnership with the World Caviar Awards in November, explore the new spas at the Metropole Monte-Carlo, and bring you a thousand more ideas and discoveries.
Happy reading!
Luca Marotta Publisher and Creative Director
MONACO BOAT SERVICE
Port Hercule
8, Quai Antoine 1er 98000 Monaco
Tel: +377 93 10 53 33 sales@riva-mbs.com www riva-mbs com
RIVA AQUARAMA SPECIAL - Year 1974
ENGINES: 2 x RIVA CRUSADER 350HP - TOP SPEED: 40 knts
LOA (Lenght overall): 8 78 m - MAXIMUM BEAM: 2 60 m
FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 480 lt - COLOUR: Mahogany
NR. CABINS: 1 - MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 5
FLAG: French - LAYING IN Monaco
ASKING PRICE: € 950 000 (VAT PAID)
ENGINES: 2 X MAN V12 1650 HP EPA 3 - TOP SPEED: 37 Knots
LOA (Lenght overall): 20,67 m - FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 3 800 lt
NR CABINS: 3 + crew - NR BATHROOMS: 3
HULL COLOUR: Shark Grey - LAYING IN Monaco
PRICE: € 3 395 000 (VAT PAID)
ENGINES: MAN V12 1900HP - TOP SPEED: 30 5 knots
LOA (Lenght overall): 25,29 m - MAXIMUM BEAM: 6,08 m
FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 6400 lt - COLOUR: Shark Grey
MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 20 - NR. CABINS: 4 + 2 crew
FLAG: Malta - LAYING IN Monaco
ASKING PRICE: € 6 500 000 (VAT NOT PAID)
RIVA 68’ DIABLE - Year 2022
RIVA 82’ DIVA - Year 2025
A BLUE REVOLUTION?
by Andrea Dini
The Monaco Yacht Show turns 34 this year, and something interesting is happening beneath the familiar spectacle of gleaming hulls and champagne receptions. When Port Hercule fills with over 560 exhibitors and 120 superyachts, visitors will witness an industry wrestling with questions that go far beyond horsepower and square footage.
The show remains the world's most significant yachting exhibition, yet this year's edition reveals tensions that would have seemed impossible a decade ago: How do you reconcile 80-metre floating palaces with genuine environmental responsibility?
The numbers tell one story-mega yachts over 100 metres continue proliferating, builders push performance boundaries, and comfort innovations multiply. The cultural shift tells another. Owners now discuss solar integration as readily as marble selection. Designers debate electric propulsion with the same intensity once reserved for engine room layouts.
Monaco itself has moved beyond mere hosting duties. Through Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting, the Principality actively champions environmental research and information sharing. This initiative signals that traditional luxury destinations recognise the need for fundamental change in their relationship with the oceans
they depend upon.
Shipbuilders have responded with surprising creativity. Solar panels are integrated into architectural concepts from the earliest design phases. Electric and hybrid systems have evolved from experimental curiosities into viable alternatives for serious cruising. Perhaps most tellingly, sail power is experiencing unexpected renaissance-not token steadying sails, but genuine winddriven propulsion systems that meaningfully reduce fuel consumption.
The catamaran revolution exemplifies this broader transformation. These vessels represent more than alternative hull configurations; they embody different yachting philosophies. Stability over speed. Space over ostentation. Environmental consideration over pure performance. They appeal to owners seeking quieter, more contemplative experiences-yachting as meditation rather than competition.
This philosophical shift runs deeper than technical specifications. Today's buyers increasingly question traditional metrics of success. Why chase 30 knots when 12 knots offers better fuel economy and smoother passage-making? Why prioritise ostentatious entertaining spaces when intimate, well-designed areas create more meaningful experiences?
Design Innovation Takes the Spotlight
The Monaco Yacht Show has calibrated itself to these evolving priorities. The established Yacht Design and Innovation Hub features 16 distinguished designers and naval architects, including Argo Navis, Espen Øino International, Hydro Tec, Lateral Naval Architects, and Winch Design. Their presentations at the Monaco Yacht Summit promise frank discussions about environmental challenges alongside design innovation-conversations that acknowledge complexity rather than offering simple solutions.
Van Berge Henegouwen's immersive experience returns for its 3rd year, allowing visitors to explore 3D yacht environments through high-definition LED screens. The technology democratises design exploration-owners
can navigate spaces and understand possibilities without requiring physical prototypes. The Innovation Deck complements this by chronicling how onboard technologies have evolved, creating historical context for current innovations.
These conversations address fundamental questions about yachting's future direction. How do you maintain luxury standards whilst reducing environmental impact? What compromises prove acceptable, and which represent genuine progress? The technology demonstrations reveal how digital innovation accelerates sustainable design, allowing comprehensive exploration of concepts before committing to physical construction.
Blue Wake: Charting New Waters
However, 2025's most significant development is Blue Wake, a programme that moves environmental consideration from peripheral concern to central focus. Developed with the Water Revolution Foundation, Blue Wake represents serious institutional commitment to sustainability verification. 59 exhibitors earned inclusion through rigorous evaluation-not marketing promises, but demonstrated environmental impact.
This partnership addresses credibility issues that plague environmental initiatives across industries. Robert van Tol, Executive Director of the Water Revolution Foundation, emphasises their focus on technical integrity and fairness, ensuring nominees demonstrate real environmental value backed by credible data rather than marketing claims. Blue Wake integrates throughout the show experience. The interactive map helps visitors identify participating companies through distinctive logos, creating coherent journeys through sustainable solutions. This isn't segregated green-washing relegated to forgotten corners; it's environmental consideration woven into the event's fabric.
The inaugural Blue Wake Awards ceremony during the Grand Opening Night on 23 September represents the industry's 1st comprehensive environmental excellence recognition programme. 4 categories plus a Special Jury Award acknowledge that sustainability encompasses multiple approaches-no single solution dominates.
Gaëlle Tallarida, GM of the Monaco Yacht Show, describes the awards as embodying the show's vision of making environmental sustainability a driver of excellence. The language is revealing: sustainability as driver, not
constraint, suggesting philosophical evolution rather than reluctant compliance.
Participants must demonstrate measurable environmental benefits through independent verification. This standard separates authentic innovation from marketing rhetoric-a crucial distinction in an industry where claims often exceed performance. The programme extends beyond exhibition space to encompass genuine industry transformation.
The transformation reflects broader cultural changes within yachting communities. Environmental consciousness is migrating from regulatory obligation into genuine priority. Owners, builders, and designers increasingly view sustainability as creative catalyst rather than limiting factor.
The 2025 Monaco Yacht Show promises to illuminate where this industry stands through actual products, real innovations, and genuine conversations about yachting's environmental future. The boats will still gleam, the champagne will still flow, but underneath runs a current of change that may prove more significant than any single yacht launch.
The Monaco Yacht Show 2025 runs from Wednesday 24th to Saturday 27th September.
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MONACO BOAT SERVICE THE ESSENCE OF RIVA STYLE
BETWEEN MONACO, CANNES, SAINT-TROPEZ AND PARIS
Some names require no introduction because they embody a history of passion, style and vision. Riva is one such name. And in France and Monaco, this legend bears a precise identity: Monaco Boat Service.
Some names require no introduction because they embody a history of passion, style and vision. Riva is one such name. And in France and Monaco, this legend bears a precise identity: Monaco Boat Service.
Since 1959, exclusive distributor of the iconic Riva fleet, Monaco Boat Service represents absolute excellence. The company offers its owners a comprehensive range of services: reserved berths in the Côte d'Azur's most exclusive harbours, technical assistance and repairs,
winter storage, yacht charter and nautical concierge services.
Beyond being a reference point for yachting, Monaco Boat Service is also a cultural and lifestyle destination. Lia Riva, daughter of the legendary Carlo, has always interpreted passion for the sea as an art of living, organising unforgettable events that unite glamour and sophistication with charitable, cultural and artistic initiatives.
by Andrea Dini
The Riva legend thus lives not only on the water, but also through elegant boutiques, exclusive events and spectacular rallies that, from Monaco to Paris, celebrate a timeless style suspended between luxury, tradition and innovation.
Monaco Boat Service carries forward this heritage with a contemporary perspective, extending its presence beyond the Principality to Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Paris.
A Riva isn't a boat: it's a dream floating on water.
Monaco
The headquarters remains in Monaco. Here owners find not only an iconic reference point for purchasing their vessel, but also a centre of excellence bringing together all essential services: charter organisation, reserved berths in the heart of Port Hercule, winter storage, mechanical workshops, upholstery, carpentry, painting and a spare parts warehouse managed with just-in-time systems.
Every detail is designed to ensure the Riva experience remains worry-free and translates into pure navigational joy.
Adding to the Monaco base's allure is a legendary location: the celebrated Riva Tunnel. Carved beneath the rock of the Palais Princier and stretching one hundred metres, it safeguards vessels like precious jewels. In this space, which unites historical mystery with technological efficiency, each Riva hull receives the same dedication reserved for a work of art. Here one breathes the brand's essence: the scent of wood, the timeless lines that have captivated the international jet set, the artisanal meticulousness that coexists with modern service provision.
Cannes
In Cannes, Monaco Boat Service finds its natural showcase in the city that more than any other embodies the marriage between international glamour and Mediterranean dolce vita. Here, amongst the celebrated Film Festival, haute couture maison boutiques and the Croisette's legendary hotels, the Riva world integrates with harmony and prestige.
The MBS office in Cannes, situated at Port Canto, is not merely a commercial outpost, but an authentic meeting point for owners and enthusiasts who choose the Riviera as the stage for their elegance. The strategic position, with direct access to reserved berths and one of the Côte d'Azur's most refined harbour contexts, enables Monaco Boat Service to offer continuous, exclusive and personalised assistance.
Cannes thus becomes a veritable "Riva home" on the Croisette: a place where the shipyard's heritage meets international lifestyle, and where every encounter, every launch and every event celebrates the legend of a marque that continues to seduce the world.
Saint-Tropez
Then there's Saint-Tropez, the enduring icon of international yachting. On the central Boulevard Louis Blanc, Monaco Boat Service has inaugurated a new office that is far more than a showroom: it's a declaration of style.
Here, MBS's presence is strengthened through partnership with the historic CNB Villanova shipyard, which provides the harbour's most prestigious berth, offering technical and commercial assistance of the
Cannes
Saint-Tropez
highest calibre. A strategic alliance that ensures Riva owners receive immediate, personalised and impeccable service, right in the heart of the most exclusive Mediterranean.
For Monaco Boat Service, Saint-Tropez represents much more than an operational base: it's a symbol, a mythical and strategic location, a genuine "place to be". Not coincidentally, since the 1950s, when the international jet set discovered the magic of the Côte d'Azur aboard legendary Riva motorboats, this Provençal village has become synonymous with freedom, luxury and timeless style.
Paris
And finally Paris: elegance away from the sea, yet close to the heart of global culture, fashion and luxury.
Riva Privé is an exclusive oasis in the French capital's heart, a refined and intimate venue that recalls the shipyard's iconic style in every detail.
Here, enthusiasts and clients can experience Riva even on land, amongst sophisticated furnishings and atmospheres that evoke Italian Dolce Vita.
Enriching this setting is the presence of the legendary Riva Aquariva, which plies the Seine's waters transforming every cruise into a dream. Watching it navigate past Parisian monuments means witnessing the perfect encounter between Mediterranean charm and the romantic magic of the Ville Lumière.
A demonstration of how Riva is far more than a nautical marque: it's a truly global lifestyle, without boundaries.
Bespoke Luxury: The Riva Experience
Monaco Boat Service doesn't merely sell yachts. It sells an experience. From purchase to daily assistance, from private mooring to the most sophisticated artisanal work, every service is conceived to be tailor-made.
Owners who choose MBS needn't worry about anything: their sole task is enjoying the sea. Everything elsemaintenance, logistics, technical details-is managed by a team of professionals working with discretion and precision, respecting a lifestyle that privileges beauty and freedom.
Luxury here isn't ostentation: it's the art of perfect simplicity.
Saint-Tropez Paris
The Riva Trophy: A Ritual of Elegance at Sea
Some events have become legend. The Riva Trophy is one such event. Born in the 1990s, this exclusive rally unites owners and enthusiasts from around the world in the Principality every two years. It's an appointment that combines sport and lifestyle, competition and glamour. The latest edition, in 2024, was a triumph of elegance. Seventeen Riva vessels plied the waters from Monaco to Saint-Tropez, creating an unforgettable weekend of navigation, beach lunches, glittering galas and moments of unique conviviality. It's not merely a regatta: it's an experience celebrating the beauty of belonging to the Riva family.
The next edition, scheduled for 2026, promises to be even more spectacular, confirming the Riva Trophy as one of the international scene's most anticipated and refined nautical events.
Monaco Classic Week: Beauty That Never Fades
Every two years, Monaco becomes the stage for Monaco Classic Week-La Belle Classe Tradition, organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco. An event celebrating maritime heritage, transforming the harbour into a living open-air museum.
In this setting, historic Rivas always play a leading role. The iconic mahogany runabouts, symbols of the 1960s and '70s, parade alongside century-old sailing vessels and vintage motor yachts, capturing the gaze of enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. These are the same boats that accompanied stars like Brigitte Bardot or Gunter Sachs in Saint-Tropez waters, that shone on the silver screen, and that still today embody the art of experiencing the sea with style.
Thanks to Monaco Boat Service, these jewels don't remain confined to memories or museums: they continue to navigate, resplendent and vital, carrying a piece of history every time they cleave the waves.
A Continuing Legend
Since 1842, when Pietro Riva founded his first shipyard on Lake Iseo's shores, through to the visionary Carlo Riva, who transformed his boats into an international legend, every generation has contributed to building a heritage of beauty and innovation.
Today, with Lia Riva at Monaco Boat Service's helm, this legacy lives and renews itself. Not only in the legendary wooden hulls that captivated celebrities and aristocrats, but also in the modern yachts that continue to carry forward the brand's spirit.
Owning a Riva means entering an exclusive community, sharing an idea of timeless beauty, embracing a lifestyle that fuses tradition and contemporaneity.
In Summary
Monaco Boat Service is an ambassador of style, culture and innovation.
With its historic Monaco headquarters and centres in Cannes and Saint-Tropez.
With its elegant Parisian outpost, bringing Riva spirit to the luxury capital's heart.
With iconic events like the Riva Trophy and Monaco Classic Week, celebrating the legend between tradition and future.
An ecosystem of exclusivity and passion, capable of transforming every navigation into an unforgettable experience. Because living Riva isn't owning a boat: it's safeguarding a dream, being part of a legend.
Timeless icons, protagonists of an imagery that transcends the sea.
Riva boats are objects of desire, protagonists of stories, films and moments that have marked an era. In the 1960s and '70s, when Saint-Tropez became the heart of Mediterranean dolce vita, mahogany runabouts were symbols of freedom and seduction.
Brigitte Bardot received her first as a gift from husband Roger Vadim: a Super Florida, with the iconic aft sundeck, which soon became co-star of her Côte d'Azur summers.
Those same elegant lines appeared in paparazzi photographs and helped transform the Bardot myth into legend.
Riva's charm also conquered personalities like industrialist Gunter Sachs, producer Carlo Ponti and European aristocratic families.
Liz Taylor, Peter Sellers, Sean Connery... For all, navigating on a Riva was - and remains - declaring a certain lifestyle: discreet, refined, exclusive.
Unsurprisingly, Hollywood fell in love. Rivas have appeared in films like 007, Ocean's Twelve, Casino Royale and even Men in Black, bringing to the silver screen the same charm that enchanted the Riviera.
As one collector once said: "A Riva isn't a boat: it's a dream floating on water."
Timeline:
The Riva and Monaco Boat Service Legend
1842 - Origins on Lake Iseo
A young craftsman, Pietro Riva, opens a small shipyard in Sarnico. It's the beginning of a story that would forever change the yachting world.
1959 - Monaco Boat Service's Birth
Visionary Carlo Riva establishes the brand's exclusive dealer in Monaco. He chooses the evocative Riva Tunnel, carved beneath the Palais Princier, as headquarters: a location destined to become mythical.
1960s-'70s - The Wooden Icons Mahogany runabouts - Aquarama, Super Florida, Ariston - captivate stars, aristocrats and the jet set. Brigitte Bardot, Gunter Sachs, Carlo Ponti: all enamoured with Riva style.
1993 - The Riva Trophy is Born
Monaco Boat Service launches its most exclusive event: a biennial rally uniting competition, glamour and passion for the sea. An appointment that immediately becomes legend.
2009 - Lia Riva Takes the Helm
Carlo's daughter, Lia Riva gathers the family heritage and guides MBS towards the future. Under her direction, the brand expands to Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Paris, consolidating its international dimension.
2024 - The 15th Riva Trophy
A memorable edition: more than 20 vessels ply the waters from Monaco to Saint-Tropez. Elegance, sport and lifestyle fuse in an event celebrated throughout the Mediterranean. riva-mbs.com
Charles Leclerc on Aquarama Boat during the Monaco Classic
SAILING GLORY MONACO CLAIMS ADMIRAL’S CUP
Admiral’s Cup 2025: Yacht Club de Monaco makes history. After three stages of relentless competition, the Admiral’s Cup returned to the international sailing stage this summer and ended with a historic triumph for the Yacht Club de Monaco. For the first time in its history, Monaco entered the competition – and for the first time, it won.
The decisive moment came in the Rolex Fastnet Race, a gruelling 695-mile offshore challenge that concluded the Admiral’s Cup programme. With Pierre Casiraghi steering Jolt 6 and Peter Harrison skippering Jolt 3, the two-boat Monaco squad navigated the tightest of margins to secure overall victory in the team ranking, ahead of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
The result propels Monaco into an elite circle of clubs that have managed to engrave their name on the trophy of one of offshore sailing’s most prestigious competitions.
The deciding race pushed both boats and crews to their limits. On corrected time, Jolt 6 took victory in its class, edging out rivals in the final stages after a tense
duel across the Channel and back to Cherbourg. Jolt 3, meanwhile, produced a strong performance in AC Class 1, securing a podium place that proved crucial in the team’s final points tally.
Pierre Casiraghi admitted to being overwhelmed by the scale of the achievement: “To win the Admiral’s Cup in its revival year, and at our first attempt, is something I never thought possible. This was the hardest offshore race I’ve ever sailed. But our crew was flawless. From the moment we left the Solent, every decision was spot on, and we managed to hold off constant pressure from our closest rivals. For Monaco, this is a piece of history.”
His Jolt 6 crew included seasoned professionals such as Ben Saxton, Joey Newton, Will Harris and Cole Brauer,
whose collective experience made the difference when fatigue and weather turned against them. Harris, in particular, was singled out for his navigationa decisive element in keeping Jolt 6 in front.
On Jolt 3, Peter Harrison shared the sense of disbelief: “This is without doubt the biggest sailing result of my life. Pierre and I believed in the campaign from the start, and the Yacht Club gave us everything we needed. It was about trust and chemistry, and everyone delivered.
To bring the Admiral’s Cup to Monaco, at the very first attempt, is extraordinary. I doubt I’ll ever top this.”
A demanding format
The 2025 edition marked the return of the Admiral’s Cup after two decades of absence. Fifteen nations competed, each fielding two boats across three stages. The Channel Race opened proceedings with 160 nautical miles offshore, followed by six short-course races in the Solent, before the Fastnet’s offshore marathon decided the outcome.
The structure rewarded consistency but weighted the decisive Fastnet more heavily, with triple points on offer. Monaco’s ability to combine inshore discipline with offshore endurance proved key. By the end of eight races, Jolt 3 had won AC Class 1, Jolt 6 had taken
second in AC Class 2, and their combined tally left Monaco 16 points clear of Hong Kong. The prize-giving is scheduled for 31 July in Cherbourg, bringing the curtain down on a competition that once again showed why the Admiral’s Cup carries such weight in the sport’s history.
Monaco’s wider presence
Beyond the winning team, other Monaco-flagged entries made their mark in this year’s Fastnet. Remon Vos’s Black Jack 100, helmed by Tristan Le Brun, crossed the line first among monohulls, ahead of Leopard 3. In the multihull fleet, Oren Nataf’s Rayon Vert placed 19th on real time. And at the other end of the experience spectrum, young YCM sailor Didier Schouten completed one of his first major cross-Channel races aboard Ocean Breeze, an initiation into offshore sailing he will not soon forget. For the Yacht Club de Monaco, the victory is both symbolic and practical: it signals the arrival of the Principality as a genuine contender in offshore racing. For Casiraghi, Harrison and their crews, it is the culmination of a campaign built on trust, skill and stamina. And for the Admiral’s Cup, it marks a revival that lived up to its billing - fierce, demanding, and unforgettable.
KNIGHTS OF CANVAS THE AMERICA’S CUP BETWEEN POETRY, SPEED, AND THE MEMORY OF THE SEA
by Luca Marotta
There is a scent one never forgets: the salt that burns the nostrils at dawn, when the sea lies like a sheet of silver and the sails are still asleep, furled and waiting.
The America’s Cup was born here, among men who scanned the horizon with their hearts in their throats, and hulls that slid slowly-almost in prayer-along the edge of infinity.
Today, the sound of the wind has become a roar. The boats literally fly above the water, lifted by their foils like mythical creatures refusing the laws of gravity.
It is a brutal, hypnotic spectacle-like the new Formula 1 with its wings, its flawless circuits, its obsessive telemetry.
But there was a time when sailing, too, was poetry more than engineering. The J-Class yachts of the 1930s-long, sinuous, sculpted like racehorses-did not fly, but they carved a furrow into memory. To watch them tack was to
witness a duel between knights armed with wood and canvas, in a silence broken only by the crack of sails and the hiss of water.
The old hulls were not slow because they lacked spectacle; they were slow because each gesture told a story. Like the Formula 1 of Niki Lauda or Jim Clark, when risk was etched on the drivers’ faces, and overtakes were born not of algorithms, but of courage and instinct.
Today’s AC75 monohulls skim the water like mechanical dragons. They leap from 0 to 50 knots in seconds. No wave hinders them: they seem to vault over the sea itself.
They are the triumph of aerodynamics, of simulation, of flawless calculation. And in that, they are terribly
compelling-like the racing machines of Verstappen or Hamilton.
Yet when you watch them, you no longer smell wet wood, nor see sailors clench their teeth as they grind a winch by hand, nor sails that swell and collapse with an ancient breath.
There is no longer the slow dance of boats shadowing each other tack after tack, in a psychological game that could last for hours.
Of course, today’s America’s Cup delivers sharp, powerful, televisual thrills. It is made for a global audience that wants everything instantly. But those who love sailing know that, behind the numbers and the speed records,
there lingers a faint regret: for an age when the sea was not conquered, but courted. For at heart, the America’s Cup has always been challenge, ingenuity, vanity, and beauty. Only once, that beauty kept the pace of man, not of the machine.
And if today’s Formula 1 is a sport for engineers disguised as a race, today’s America’s Cup is an aeronautical laboratory where the sea is nothing but a track. Yet beneath those steel and carbon foils, the sea is always waiting. Indifferent, immense. Ready to remind anyone-in a sudden gust of wind-that no calculation can prevail.
Because in the end, the America’s Cup remains what it has always been: a promise of glory whispered by the wind.
Despite the tug-of-war flaring up between CEO Uwe Sasse and the chairman of the supervisory board and main sponsor Ralph Dommermuth of Team Germany, the country’s first America’s Cup challenger, skipper Jesper Bank and his crew
SAILING’S ETERNAL CHALLENGE
There are publishers, and then there is Taschen. For decades, their books have shaped the way we see art, design, photography and culture. Each new release feels less like a publication and more like a statement-an invitation to linger with beauty. With Il n’y a pas de second, Taschen once again demonstrates why it remains the world’s most inspired publisher.
The book could not arrive at a more resonant moment in the history of sailing. The America’s Cup has become a theatre of aerodynamics and precision engineering, yet its allure is still rooted in stories of courage, rivalry and the endless dialogue between man and sea. This volume pays homage to that unique blend of myth and machinery, retracing the Cup’s history from the schooner America’s astonishing triumph in 1851 to the spectacle of today’s flying monohulls.
AMERICA'S CUP.
MARC NEWSON ART EDITION
Pino Allevi
Hardcover volume wrapped in special fabric, 30.7 x 41.0 cm, 7.65 kg, 564 pages; with bookstand Availability: September 25, 2025 Edition of 175 / € 12.500
In Taschen’s hands, the narrative becomes more than a chronicle of victories and defeats. It is a saga of ambition, visionaries and vision itself. Archival treasures, rare photographs and unpublished documents are woven into a narrative that feels as alive as the races themselves. Skippers and sailors, patrons and challengers, engineers and dreamers: all are brought into the light with elegance and reverence. What makes this book remarkable is its ability to balance grandeur with intimacy. The scale of the Cuppharaonic, egotistical, fuelled by limitless ambitionmeets the fragility of human endeavour, the risk etched on every decision. It is, at once, a monument to progress and a reminder of sailing’s eternal truth: that the sea cannot be owned, only courted. In celebrating the America’s Cup, Taschen has also captured something larger: the spirit of human aspiration, whispered by the wind and carried across generations.
FERRARI HYPERSAIL
WIDTH approx 20m
HEIGHT approx 40m
LENGHT approx 30m
DESIGNED TO FLY on three points of contact
TWO T-FOILS with flaps
CANTING KEEL with elevator
RUDDER with elevator
ENERGY AUTONOMY designed to operate exclusively using renewable energy sources
The meeting of different cultures and advanced technologies is enabling us to build a yacht that is revolutionary in many respects.”
Giovanni Soldini, Team Principal
TICK TOCK, VROOOM!
997CC OF HOROLOGICAL INSANITY
by Richard McCreery
When horologists meet petrolheads, magic happens - and occasionally, someone gets gloriously carried away. Enter the RMB01, a collaboration so utterly bonkers it makes perfect sense: Richard Mille, the Swiss master of wrist-based wizardry, has joined forces with Brough Superior to create a motorcycle that's essentially a 997cc tourbillon on two wheels.
This isn't your typical midlife crisis purchase.
The RMB01 pays homage to 1910s Boardtrackers, those raw, radical racing machines that made early motorsport look like organised chaos. But where those pioneers used whatever materials they could find, this modern interpretation employs titanium, carbon, and aerospacegrade aluminium-because why wouldn't you apply watchmaking precision to motorcycle mayhem?
The numbers are deliciously absurd: 18 months of collaboration, 12 design iterations, and 160kg of raw aluminium machined down to just 23kg of finished components. That's not manufacturing; that's sculpture with a serious weight problem. The result produces 130bhp of what Richard Mille calls "broad usage range and flexibility"- presumably the same philosophy that
makes their watches cost more than most people's houses.
Only 150 examples will exist, each hand-crafted in France like tiny mechanical symphonies. Three colourways await: Nocturnal Sapphire (midnight blue for the sophisticated speed demon), Selene (matt grey with orange details for the understated exhibitionist), and Pearl of Speed (pearlescent white with red details for those who've abandoned all pretence of subtlety).
The RMB01 features divided rims inspired by watch gear trains and casings that echo tourbillon calibres. It's a motorcycle designed like a timepiece, engineered like a racing machine, and priced like a small country's GDP.
Because sometimes, telling time just isn't enoughsometimes, you need to outrun it.
If the Cannes Yachting Festival is the barometer of global yachting, then the fever for the future is running high – and it is called YOT.
The Catana Group brand transformed the 2025 edition of the show into a global stage for its evolution, moving decisively from promising newcomer to established benchmark. No longer limited to the two outboard models that first made a splash on the market, the range now extends upwards with the YOT 53, the brand’s first inboard model, to be launched at Cannes 2026. This completes a bold and revolutionary vision of the power catamaran.
YOT’s story at Cannes 2025 is one of refined power. The path has been clear: from the YOT36, launched in 2023 with 300 hp V8s, through the spring upgrade to twin Mercury V10 400 hp engines that enhanced its sporty character, culminating in the highlight of the show - the YOT41, powered by the celebrated Mercury V12 Verado 600 hp engine.
This engine, the first V12 outboard on the market, is a concentrate of technology that elevates the helming experience: a two-speed automatic transmission, independently steerable lower unit, counter-rotating propellers, and an ARO system for optimised range. Combined with joystick piloting and Skyhook, it transforms a 12.57-metre catamaran into an incredibly smooth and manageable giant. Both models can reach close to 40 knots, combining unprecedented brute
power with the efficiency and frugality inherent to twin hulls.
Yet the real news that broadened the brand’s horizons was the official unveiling of the YOT 53, the first model with inboard propulsion. This is not simply a scaled-up version, but the full translation of the YOT spirit into a true motoryacht, capitalising on the catamaran’s “power of two” factor: 40% more surface area than a monohull of equivalent length, greater stability, reduced consumption, and a practical beam for Mediterranean berths.
Designed by JnJ Design, the YOT 53 has been conceived for the most demanding yachtsmen. It incorporates innovative solutions proven on the group’s Bali catamarans, such as the up-and-over aft door that unites cockpit and saloon into a single sea-facing space. The interior layout is equally distinctive: the U-shaped galley is positioned forward in the nacelle - an unprecedented choice in the sector - freeing valuable space aft.
The jewel in the crown is the “Super YOT” owner’s cabin, spanning the full beam with a king-size bed and a spacious bathroom. Its most exclusive feature is
direct access to a private forward cockpit - a terrace over the sea reserved solely for the owner’s relaxation. A versatile rooftop completes the offering, with dining area, grill, bar and sunbathing space, becoming the true command bridge of life on board.
Two configurations are offered: an owner’s version with three cabins (full-beam master, VIP and guest) or a charter version with four cabins. Propulsion comes from 440 or 550 hp Yanmar engines, ensuring comfortable cruising at 15-18 knots and peaks of 23 knots. The lithium battery option and 48V system allow for air conditioning without a generator, guaranteeing silence in the most pristine anchorages.
YOT is no longer a gamble but a global industrial reality. The new state-of-theart factory in Aveiro, Portugal, dedicated to producing the 36, 41 and future 53 models, demonstrates the group’s commitment to meeting rapidly growing demand.
The dealer network, already strong in Europe, the US and the Middle East, has expanded further, reaching new markets such as Thailand. The digital configurator remains at the heart of the sales strategy, offering unparalleled customisation with over 20 options to create a tailor-made YOT.
Success has been confirmed by accolades: the YOT41, following its nomination, triumphed as “European Powerboat of the Year 2025” at the Düsseldorf Boat Show last January.
The Cannes Yachting Festival 2025 confirmed YOT’s maturity. The brand no longer presents individual models but an entire ecosystem of power catamarans. From the sporty YOT36 to the versatile YOT41, and now the innovative YOT 53 motoryacht, the range offers a solution for every need - all sharing the twin-hull values of space, stability, efficiency and, above all, a revolutionary relationship with the sea.
YOT has proved that the future of motor yachting is not a mere evolution of the monohull, but a paradigm shift. And the global market - from Cannes to Asia - is already moving in its direction.
European Powerboat of the Year 2025 @ Düsseldorf Boat Show
LESSONS FROM THE DEPTHS: DON'T BALANCE. INTEGRATE.
by @Manuela_Schinaia_Coach
Certified Strategic Coach and Evolutionary Tarologist, with 25 years experience as a marketing strategist in Monaco, Manuela transformed her own career path to guide both individuals and organizations through authentic professional evolution, specializing in leadership integration for executives and highachieving teams.
Through her proprietary Strategic Symbolic Integration (SSI) methodology combining strategic coaching and symbolic insight, she helps clients and corporations dismantle limiting patterns and design integrated lives aligned with authentic leadership. Her comprehensive programs - from individual transformation journeys to corporate integration workshops - have supported professionals and organizations across Monaco, France and Italy.
I'm diving into the Mediterranean off Monaco's coast as September's golden light dances across the water. The sea is still warm from summer's embrace, yet there's a crispness that whispers of autumn's approach. This is my ritual-the water calls, and I answer.
As I swim through the crystalline depths, something profound happens. I'm not "balancing" myself against the water's resistance-I'm moving with it, becoming part of its natural rhythm. There's no separation; there's integration, flow, unity. Looking at the magnificent yachts moored in Monaco's harbour-this global hub of yachting excellence-I'm struck by a realisation. We've been approaching life all wrong.
Work-Life Balance is a Myth
Here's a question that's been haunting me: In "work-life balance," there's work, and there's life. So what exactly is work then? Is it not life?
Are we seriously suggesting that life-real, authentic, meaningful life-only exists in those two hours after work, weekends, and holidays? That for 8 hours a day (often more...), five days weekly, we're not living?
We've created this artificial binary where work sits on one side of a scale, and "life" on the other. As if they're opposing forces rather than integral parts of the same experience. But here's what I've discovered coaching successful highachievers in Monaco: the most fulfilled people don't balance work against life. They integrate work into life so seamlessly that all boundaries become irrelevant.
The Swimming Pool Versus The Ocean
Most people approach careers like swimming laps in a pool. Structured, compartmentalised, predictable. Work lane, personal lane, family lane-clearly marked, never overlapping. But life isn't a swimming pool. Life is the ocean. When I'm swimming in Monaco's open sea, I don't fight the currents-I read them, use them, become part of them. Some
days the water is calm; others challenging. But I'm always swimming. Always living.
This is true integration: understanding that professional growth deepens personal relationships, that personal insights revolutionise your professional approach, that meaningful work can express who you truly are.
Monaco's Lesson in Luxury Integration
In Monaco I witness something fascinating. The most successful individuals here don't compartmentalise their excellence. The precision they bring to deals flows into family planning. The creativity they unleash in business appears in weekend pursuits. They've understood something profound: authenticity doesn't recognise office hours.
The Art of Professional Swimming
How do we stop drowning in the myth of balance and start swimming in integration?
Recognise natural rhythms. Just as tides ebb and flow, your energy has patterns. Stop fighting cycles and start surfing them.
Seek synergies, not separations. That mindfulness practice that centres you personally will revolutionise your professional presence.
Embrace messiness. Perfect balance is a myth. Integration is dynamic, fluid, alive.
The Deep End
As I float in Monaco's waters, gazing up at luxury yachts that represent integrated living-vessels where work, pleasure, adventure, and rest coexist-the goal isn't to divide our lives into compartments. The goal is to dive deep into existence where every part nourishes the whole.
Stop asking how to balance work and life. Start asking how to live so authentically that the question becomes irrelevant.
Don't balance. Integrate.
AVERELL PRIVATE COUNSEL FOR MODERN WEALTH
In the discreet world of private client advisory, where influence and legacy intersect with risk and responsibility, Averell has emerged as a trusted partner for a select circle of families. Founded by internationally qualified lawyer Tracy Wong, the firm is redefining what it means to advise the world’s most discerning individuals at a time when wealth is global and reputation paramount.
A MOVEMENT TOWARDS MULTIDISCIPLINARY ADVICE
The old model of relying on a single banker, lawyer, or wealth manager no longer serves today’s global families. Instead, they require a more cohesive approach - one that blends legal precision, strategic foresight, reputational intelligence, and governance expertise. “Clients no longer want to deal with fragmented advice from ten different specialists,” Wong notes. “They want cohesion - someone who understands the full picture and can quietly connect the dots.”
Averell was designed with this philosophy at its core. Neither law firm, family office, nor wealth manager, it operates as private counsel: agile, discreet, and deeply personal. With an emphasis on quality over scale, the firm works with only a handful of families at once, fostering relationships defined by trust and thoughtful dedication.
SUCCESSION AND THE NEXT GENERATION
Succession has always been central to wealth, but Wong’s approach goes beyond drafting documents. At Averell, succession is seen as a living process: preparing families for transition, mentoring heirs, and aligning structures with enduring values. “Succession is never just about legal documents or tax efficiency,” she explains. “It’s about values, relationships, timing, and preparedness.”
The next generation is more mobile, socially conscious, and entrepreneurial than ever. They are asking not only what they inherit, but how it is managed, aligned, and protected. Averell works with families to ensure continuity of both wealth and purpose - a framework that preserves the past while empowering the future.
PHILANTHROPY AND PURPOSE
For today’s ultra-high-net-worth families, philanthropy is not an afterthought but a pillar of legacy. Averell designs impact strategies that go beyond charitable donations, helping clients create measurable, values-driven outcomes. “Legacies are no longer measured only in assets, but in the impact they create,” Wong observes. Whether establishing foundations, directing ESG-focused investment strategies, or mentoring the next generation to become responsible custodians, philanthropy at Averell is about building meaning into wealth.
RISK, SECURITY, AND PRIVACY
If discretion is the ultimate luxury, it is also the most fragile. In an age of transparency, where headlines can travel faster than facts, reputational and digital risks rival financial ones. “Risk today is fluid,” Wong says. “It can come from a headline, a hack, or a hashtag.” Averell helps clients anticipate and mitigate exposure across all dimensions: reputational, regulatory, digital, and geopolitical. From discreet crisis management to designing robust governance structures, the firm ensures that even in moments of uncertainty, clarity and calm prevail. Privacy, too, is safeguarded with rigor - across cyber, operational, and physical domains.
THE FUTURE OF INHERITANCE
Inheritance itself is undergoing a quiet revolution. With families dispersed across borders and generations driven by values as much as assets, the very concept of passing wealth is shifting. Increasingly, inheritance is being structured to protect continuity, foster responsibility, and preserve alignment with family ethos. “It’s becoming less about what, and more about how,” Wong explains. “How it’s structured, how it reflects values, and how it adapts to a transparent, fast-moving world.”
Averell’s approach recognises inheritance not as a one-time event, but as an ongoing architecture - flexible, defensible, and valuedriven.
WOMEN, WEALTH, AND INFLUENCE
Another defining shift in modern wealth is the rise of women as decision-makers and wealth holders. Women are not only inheriting but creating and shaping wealth on an unprecedented scale. Wong herself exemplifies this new era of influence: a lawyer-turnedentrepreneur who has carved a niche as private counsel to some of the world’s most prominent families. She sees women’s expanding role as an inflection point for private advisory. “We’re entering an era where women’s voices and leadership in wealth will fundamentally redefine priorities - from impact and sustainability to governance and succession.”
PRIVATE CLIENTS, PUBLIC WORLD
Perhaps the most profound challenge of all is reconciling private wealth with a hyper-public world. Families that once lived in discreet anonymity now face scrutiny from regulators, media, and the digital sphere. The architecture of modern wealth must therefore be resilient and adaptive - able to withstand both the weight of tradition and the glare of transparency. At Averell, this means constructing strategies that are as reputationally sound as they are financially robust. Wong brings to her practice a rare ability to blend discretion with decisiveness, ensuring that clients feel not only protected, but prepared.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF MODERN WEALTH
What defines the architecture of modern wealth? For Wong, it is multi-jurisdictional, technology-aware, and rooted in values. It is not about stockpiling assets in one location or relying on legacy advisors, but about designing flexible structures that can adapt to shifting laws, social expectations, and global volatility.
Ultimately, Averell exists to provide clarity in a world of complexity. “My role is to absorb complexity and return simplicity,” Wong says. “Above all, I want clients to feel that nothing is insurmountable - that there is always a thoughtful path forward.”
In Monaco, where wealth, discretion, and influence converge, Averell’s model resonates deeply. For those few families who demand not only expertise but trust, not only protection but purpose, Averell offers something rare: a true partner in legacy.
THE SUSTAINABLE "PALACE" OF THE SEA EXPLORA JOURNEYS
by Olivia Rose
The 248-metre Explora II commands attention for representing an entirely new paradigm in ocean travel. Like Monaco itself - a destination that holds a particular place in world's luxury sphere - this floating marvel embodies the Aponte-Vago family's vision to achieve something unprecedented: the maritime equivalent of a "Palace."
As President Anna Nash observes, each arrival in Monaco is "imbued with glamour, elegance and timeless tradition that aligns perfectly with Explora Journeys' values."
"Palace is a category that exists uniquely in France, beyond five stars," explains Patrick Pourbaix, Explora Journeys' General Manager for France. "We genuinely tick every criterion of a floating palace. There are only thirty such establishments in France-half in Paris, the remainder throughout the countryand we are establishing ourselves as the first floating iteration."
This distinction transcends marketing hyperbole. Where conventional vessels of Explora II's dimensions might accommodate nearly 3,000 passengers, this ship limits capacity to just 922 guests. The mathematics of luxury become apparent: every soul aboard enjoys unprecedented space with a remarkable crew-to-guest ratio with 750 dedicated team members ensuring flawless service.
Traditional cabins don't exist; instead, 461 ocean-front suites comprise the entire inventory. Entry-level Ocean
Terrace Suites begin at 35 square metres with private terraces, while the Owner's Residence spans 280 square metres across the ship's full width, featuring panoramic terraces and dedicated butler service.
Martin Francis, the British designer renowned for superyachts, collaborated on the exterior profile to ensure Explora II's aesthetic aligns with luxury yachting rather than conventional cruise architecture. This philosophy permeates every detail, from eleven distinctive culinary experiences to the 1,000-square-metre spa and curated art and photography gallery that elevates the onboard cultural experience. Yet most remarkably, this floating palace achieves luxury whilst maintaining an almost negligible environmental footprint-previously impossible.
Anna Nash, Explora Journeys' President, emphasises that environmental consciousness is fundamental to the brand's DNA. "The family are incredibly passionate about the ocean," she explains. "They want to give back and protect the ocean because they thrive professionally and personally on the seas." This commitment manifests through cutting-edge
technology. Explora I and II, whilst operating on light fuel oil, incorporate advanced environmental systems including Selective Catalytic Reduction technology, which reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 per cent. The ships have earned RINA Dolphin certification for reduced underwater noise, protecting marine life corridors.
However, the environmental revolution truly accelerates with future vessels. Explora III and IV will utilise LNG, reducing CO₂ emissions by 20-25 per cent whilst maintaining identical performance. These engines can also burn biofuels or synthetic fuels when available, potentially achieving net-zero emissions. The technological pinnacle arrives with Explora V and VI, featuring hybrid propulsion combining LNG with hydrogen fuel cells generating six megawatts of electricity. "When these ships dock at ports like Monaco, they'll operate on hydrogen fuel cells with engines completely shut down, achieving zero emissions," Pourbaix proudly explains. "They'll be cleaner than any land-based hotel."
This environmental leadership extends beyond propulsion. No single-use plastics appear aboard or during shore excursions. Advanced wastewater treatment systems exceed Baltic Sea standards-among the world's most stringent. Shore-to-ship power capabilities allow connection to local electrical grids, whilst France's 99 per cent clean electricity makes this particularly advantageous. The ship's sustainable credentials complement rather than compromise the luxury experience. The 64 private
cabanas surrounding four heated pools (including an innovative indoor pool with retractable glass roof) create intimate spaces for relaxation. Meanwhile, over 700 square metres of indoor and outdoor wellness facilities, including nine treatment rooms and state-of-the-art fitness equipment, ensure guests' physical wellbeing matches their environmental consciousness.
Explora Journeys deliberately challenges the industry's approach to destinations as well. Rather than brief port calls, itineraries emphasise longer stays and smaller groups for authentic cultural immersion. The company's Destination Experiences programme supports local artisans, gastronomy, and traditions, ensuring tourism benefits rather than burdens visited communities.
As Nash observes, "We're taking the helm and redefining the category of ocean travel." With four additional ships entering service by 2028, Explora Journeys is pioneering a sustainable luxury future.
This is a new travel philosophy: authentic luxury and environmental responsibility aren't competing priorities, but complementary elements of truly exceptional experiences. In an era where conscious consumption increasingly defines genuine luxury, Explora II represents not just what premium ocean travel can become, but what it must become.
Standing aboard this floating palace, surrounded by the Mediterranean's azure waters, one glimpses the future of luxury travel-where environmental stewardship and uncompromising elegance exist in perfect harmony.
Peter Lürssen lacks the iconic handlebar moustache that distinguished his great-great-grandfather Friedrich in the shipyards of northern Germany, yet the fourth-generation leader of the family business shares the same calculated gaze that has guided the company through 150 years of maritime construction. As Lürssen marks its sesquicentennial this summer, the question facing Peter is whether the principles that built a regional boatyard can navigate the complexities of modern luxury yachting.
Founded on 27th June 1875 by Friedrich Lürssen, then 24, the company began operations in a small annexe adjoining his future father-in-law's home in Bremen-Aumund. Today, Lürssen employs approximately 2,000 people across three German shipyards and claims responsibility for 35 of the world's top 100 largest yachts, including the 180.61-metre Azzam and the 156-metre Dilbar.
The trajectory from Friedrich's handcrafted rowboats to contemporary superyachts reflects broader shifts in both technology and clientele. Friedrich's breakthrough came in 1886 with the collaboration alongside Gottlieb Daimler on the world's first motorboat with a combustion engine. The six-metre REMS proved so controversial that locals near Stuttgart prevented its testing, forcing Daimler to disguise the engine with copper wires to make it appear electric.
My dream is to ultimately build the first yacht without a combustion engine, marking the beginning of a new era for the industry.
Peter Lürssen
This early innovation established a pattern the company has maintained through successive generations. Lürssen introduced hybrid propulsion systems in 1997, pod drive technology in 2005, and various emission-reduction technologies throughout the 2000s. The upcoming delivery of Cosmos, a 114-metre vessel featuring methanol-powered fuel cell technology, represents the latest iteration of this approach.
"It was my great-grandfather who built the first motorboat in 1886, paving the way for yachting as we know it today," Peter observes. "My dream is to ultimately build the first yacht without a combustion engine, marking the beginning of a new era for the industry." The methanol fuel cell system aboard Cosmos is designed to support the yacht at anchor for 15 days or provide 1,000 nautical miles of cruising at reduced speed.
Yet the company's environmental initiatives emerge against a backdrop of growing scrutiny of the luxury yacht sector.
While Lürssen has partnered with Blue Marine Foundation on ocean conservation projects covering 4.4 million square kilometres, the fundamental tension between luxury consumption and environmental responsibility remains unresolved. "The ocean is not what it used to be," Peter acknowledges, though he frames the solution in terms of individual responsibility rather than industry-wide transformation.
The company's approach to sustainability reflects this complexity. While propulsion systems attract attention, Peter notes that "the bigger portion of a typical large yacht is associated with the hotel load for air conditioning and general service systems on board." Lürssen's focus extends to hull design efficiency and waste heat recovery, alongside more visible innovations like Tesumo, their sustainable teak alternative.
Founder Friedrich Lürssen, 1875 ca Lürssen_modest beginnings at Aumund - drawing by Reinhard Bunje
Surer Lürssen at top speed racing off Monte Carlo, 1875 ca
The recently established Lürssen Foundation, supporting engineering scholarships and clean energy startups, represents another attempt to balance tradition with contemporary expectations. "We are committed to supporting the next generation of engineers who aim to drive meaningful and responsible change," Peter explains, though the foundation's impact remains to be demonstrated. This balancing act extends to client relationships in an industry where discretion often outweighs transparency. "We don't set out to build the biggest yachts; we set out to build the best yacht for each client," Peter states, a philosophy that has apparently served the company well in attracting high-net-worth individuals seeking bespoke vessels.
The transition from Friedrich's rigorous working conditions-13-hour summer days with wage penalties for lateness-to today's focus on innovation laboratories and environmental initiatives illustrates broader changes in industrial practice. Whether these represent fundamental shifts or merely updated presentations of consistent priorities remains an open question. Looking ahead, Lürssen faces the challenge of maintaining its position in a market increasingly subject to regulatory pressure and social scrutiny. The company's commitment to "quality, innovation, and engineering excellence," as Peter describes it, must now accommodate environmental considerations that were absent from Friedrich's original calculations.
"The story of Lürssen is, in many ways, a story of German engineering – but more importantly, it is a story about people," Peter reflects, acknowledging that the company's journey has included "trials, challenges and jubilations." Whether the next 150 years will prove as straightforward as the first depends largely on how successfully Lürssen can reconcile the demands of luxury craftsmanship with the requirements of environmental stewardship.
As the luxury yacht industry grapples with questions of sustainability and social responsibility, Lürssen's evolution from Friedrich's disruptive innovations to Peter's environmental consciousness demonstrates a capacity for reinvention that has sustained the company through 150 years of technological and social change.
There are yachts that float, and yachts that dream. The new Numarine 40MXP belongs firmly to the second category, a vessel that doesn’t just sail the sea but embraces it-wrapping every horizon in a promise of discovery.
Launched as the new flagship of Numarine’s celebrated XP Series, the 40MXP builds on the DNA of the much-loved 37XP, adding length, elegance, and a Mediterranean spirit. “Preserving the same stylistic cues and DNA of all our models, the 40MXP retains our highvolume, long-range ethos while offering a number of new design features that enhance the intimate connection with the sea,” explains Ömer Malaz, Chairman of Numarine.
That connection begins on the aft deck. Extended and reimagined, it now hosts a vast alfresco dining space, a bar, and a lounge surrounding a shimmering aft pool with glass transom.
From here, life flows seamlessly onto the full-beam hydraulic swim platform-an outdoor sanctuary where guests can dine, relax, or dive directly into crystalline waters. A retractable awning brings shade when needed, making the yacht equally at home in Capri or the Caribbean.
Yet the 40MXP remains true to its explorer soul. With an optimised hull form by Umberto Tagliavini, she delivers a 6,000-nautical-mile range at 8 knots, powered by twin MAN engines.
Inside, Can Yalman’s design balances space and intimacy: six suites accommodate up to 12 guests, with a fullbeam master on the main deck and versatile layouts for personalised luxury.
“We are extremely excited to have delivered the first of the all-new 40MXP,” says Chris Gore, Sales & Marketing Director. “Our flagship offers true luxury blended with versatility, whether for family cruising or charter, while staying faithful to the Numarine DNA.”
In the end, the 40MXP is more than a yacht. It is a floating horizon, a Mediterranean dream with global reach-a promise of nights under starlit skies and days when the sea itself becomes home.
Forty years of emotion, innovation, and speed. Pershing celebrated its anniversary in a setting that seemed designed to tell a legend: Capri, with its iconic Faraglioni and the endless blue of the Gulf of Naples. Three intense days unfolded, filled with thrilling cruises, stellar dinners, and unforgettable memories.
The opening could not have been more spectacular: the unveiling of the new Pershing GTX70, announced by a dazzling drone show with 300 lights painting the most romantic sky in the world. Then came lunches and dinners in the temples of Italian gastronomy: from Antonio Mellino’s renowned “Quattro Passi” in Nerano to Capri itself, where Il Riccio and Franco Pepe’s seafront “a-Ma-Re Capri” were reserved exclusively for the event.
But the beating heart of the celebration was, of course, the sea. A breathtaking parade brought together Pershing’s legendary 6X, 7X and 8X models, alongside the more recent GTX116 and the brand-new GTX70. Owners from around the globe were joined by fresh enthusiasts, including Formula 1 driver George Russell, who recently became the proud owner of a Pershing 6X. “With my Pershing, I’ve found the same adrenaline I feel on the track,” he revealed with a smile.
“Pershing is pure beauty, like Capri,” said Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi. A perfect match to celebrate not only history but also the future of a brand that continues to define the art of yachting: cutting-edge design, luxurious comfort, and exhilarating performance.
Choose your ultimate epicurean experience: Wine tastings, truffle hunting, and gourmet lunches in France and Italy.
GLITTER, GRAINS AND GASTRONOMY
If Monaco is already the playground of the rich and glamorous, come November it will also be the kingdom of caviar. On Thursday 6 November 2025, the Principality will host the second edition of the World Caviar Awards inside the glittering setting
His mission? To let the world discover just how dazzlingly diverse caviar can be.
This year, more than 100 caviars from farms and refining merchants will compete for top honours. Expect entries from Spain, China, Dubai, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Switzerland, the United States, Belgium, Monaco, and
The judging itself is no casual nibble. Two juries of 10 professionals and passionate amateurs will taste the entries in the purest of conditions: blind, à la royale (that is, directly from the back of the hand), under identical serving and temperature protocols, and always anonymised. The entire process is supervised by sworn bailiffs to ensure absolute fairness.
The criteria are as precise as they are poetic: colour, brilliance, grain size and shape, firmness, aroma, flavour, aromatic intensity, and the delicate balance between salt
The jury presidents are gastronomic royalty. Gérald Passedat, the Michelin-starred genius of Le Petit Nice in Marseille, will preside over the refining merchants’
THE WORLD CAVIAR AWARDS SAIL INTO MONACO
category. Philippe Joannès, MOF and culinary consultant to the Yacht Club de Monaco, will head the farms’ category.
They’ll be joined by a glittering cast: Pierre Sang-Boyer, Michel Portos, Pascal Garrigues, Michel Roth, Franck Garanger, Christian Garcia, Claire Verneil, and caviar aficionados like Pierre Casiraghi, Laurent Soler, Franck Couecou, and Louise Petitrenaud. It’s less a jury than a culinary Who’s Who.
Of course, this being Monaco, the competition is only half the story. The real crescendo is the gala dinner, where the winners are unveiled amid champagne bubbles and culinary theatre.
Proceedings begin with a cocktail reception, complete with caviar bar, Oyster bar with Les perles de Monte-Carlo and Ostra Regal, champagne stations, virgin oil tastings, and even black garlic discoveries. Guests then sweep into the Yacht Club ballroom for a ten-hands dinner entirely devoted to caviar. Yes, every course-from starter to mignardises-will be caviar-infused.
The line-up is a gastronomic fantasy:
• Philippe Joannès with the starter.
• Eulalie Rus on the fish course.
• A champagne ice creation by the House of Comte de Monte-Carlo.
• Michel Roth at the meat course.
• Cheese, courtesy of the Yacht Club de Monaco.
• Dessert by Claire Verneil.
• And finally, mignardises by Antony Prunet. Naturally, the dishes will be paired with exquisite bottles from Comte de Monte-Carlo and Baron & Champagne de Monte-Carlo. After all, what’s caviar without champagne? Whether you’re a seasoned aficionado or simply someone with a taste for the finer things, the World Caviar Awards promise an evening of indulgence, elegance, and pearls of pure pleasure.
So polish your shoes, press your dinner jacket, and prepare your palate. On 6 November 2025, Monaco isn’t just hosting a competition-it’s throwing a black-tie love letter to caviar itself.
And as the chandeliers sparkle in Monaco, one thing is certain: between every bubble and every pearl, taste itself will be redefined.
TIME, TERROIR, AND THE ART OF CAVIAR
Founded on in-depth craftsmanship and relentless patience, Monte-Carlo Lifestyle stands at the intersection of Monaco’s heritage and modern luxury.
Led by Co-Founder and CEO Erwann Guegan, the group experienced a pivotal year in 2025 as its wine and champagne brands, Comte de Monte-Carlo and Baron de Monte-Carlo, amplified their presence at prestigious events such as the Monaco Grand Prix and the World Caviar Awards.
F.O.:How does Monte-Carlo Lifestyle approach its role in Monaco’s cultural and lifestyle scene?
E.G.: Our vision is to promote Monaco’s image internationally by developing highest quality products that honor the Principality’s spirit of excellence and tradition. We have invested over 7 million euros so far in everything from product development and aging stocks
to building a brand. We want every detail, from the vineyards to the experience at our partner events, to reflect uncompromising quality and authentic Monegasque tradition.
F.O.: This year, you made a notable return during the Monaco Grand Prix.
What set your offer apart from others?
E.G.: We created an immersive, unified experience by focusing exclusively on our own products or products developed together with our licensed brand partners. Guests enjoyed our champagne, wine, caviar, cigars, spirits, and beer. Every detail and the entire hospitality concept was designed to showcase coherence and a true sense of art de vivre Monegasque.
F.O.: What is the philosophy behind investing so much time and effort in champagne production, and what does “time” mean to you in this context?
E.G.: Time is an essential ingredient. By directly owning vineyards in Champagne, we can guarantee excellence at every stage. Some of our champagnes age for up to 10 years before release. This patience is crucial: it’s how we achieve refinement that defines our house. True luxury respects the rhythm that nature and craft require.
F.O.: How does your approach to caviar, especially as a partner for the World Caviar Awards reflect this same philosophy?
E.G.: True caviar is one of the rarest culinary treasuresglobal production is only around 364 tons annually.
Patience is at the core of everything we do, it ensures our champagne and our brand embody true excellence
Erwann Guegan
by Oliva Rose
Like champagne, caviar’s excellence is a function of time: sturgeon must mature for 8 to 20 years before yielding their precious roe. We partner with the World Caviar Awards because both worlds demand commitment and patience.
We take pride in celebrating the craft and the years of invisible work that create what guests taste in a moment.
F.O.: Can you describe the experience of the World Caviar Awards for our readers?
E.G.: It’s extraordinary, gathering over 100 caviars from around the world and presenting them for blind tasting by juries of chefs, sommeliers, and caviar experts.
The entire process is transparent and impartial, ensuring that quality is judged solely on merit. For us, it is a second edition, and it’s a chance to showcase how Comte de Monte-Carlo champagne elevates not just accompanies caviar.
F.O.: Your product portfolio is expanding. How do you maintain the same attention to excellence across wines, spirits, and even beer?
E.G.: We’ve created a dedicated structure called SMGS under Monegasque law to focus exclusively on our beverage categories. Every product, from Châteauneufdu-Pape to our Monte-Carlo beer is subjected to rigorous testing by leading experts in the craft and industry.
F.O.: Looking ahead, what can we expect next from Monte-Carlo Lifestyle?
E.G.: We are dedicated to curating experiences that travel beyond borders, carrying the spirit of Monaco into limitless territories. You can expect new collaborations and bold partnerships, where wine, caviar, cigars, spirits, and culture converge in unexpected ways.
We will be crafting moments that reflect time, terroir, and true artisanal mastery, all while celebrating the art de vivre Monegasque wherever our journey takes us.
OLD MONEY
by Anaël Boulay
Hat
Trench Coat and Shirt CELINE
Bag BOTTEGA VENETA
Eyewear TOM FORD
CHANEL
Shirt RALPH LAUREN
Beachwear BAIAH
Hat KITH
Camera Bag, Earrings and Bracelet CHANEL
Photographer / Art Director
Special Thanks
Monaco Boat Service
Le
Anaël Boulay
shooting with Leica m11 for FORCE ONE / THE COLLECTION PARIS
Styling Anaël Boulay
Model Gabriele Tevainyte
Hair & Make up DLaurire Feligioni
Dressing Monaco
REAL ESTATE
EXCEPTIONAL RENOVATION FACING THE
CASINO
This turnkey apartment, finished to the highest standards of luxury, features a grand entrance hall, a spacious and light-filled living room that seamlessly opens onto a terrace with breathtaking views of the Casino gardens and the sea.
The open-plan kitchen is fully equipped and includes a stylish dining area, a bar, and a wine cellar. The property offers a stunning master suite with a private terrace, as well as a second elegant suite.
The atmosphere throughout is both refined and inviting, creating a perfect blend of sophistication and comfort.
CULLINAN DIAMONDS
Love. One of the most precious things in life. When that moment arrives to declare your endless love to your partner, you will want to be sure that the symbol you choose to seal your eternal pact is forever too.
This is why every ultimate precision cut Cullinan® Diamond engagement ring comes with the option of a Cullinan® Diamond Report.
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ART AND DESIGN #3 A JOURNEY OF INSPIRATION
by Chiara Condi
As a luxury magazine, Force One delves into the world of art and design to satisfy its readership's appetite for culture, patronage and collecting. International art and design curator Chiara Condi selects four distinguished artists and designers to put forward in every issue.
We invite you to delve deep into the work and creations of these artists to uncover their inspiration and technique. By uncovering their work we hope to bring you more closely to the artists, we invite you to travel with us to their studios. We hope that their creations will inspire you as much as they have inspired us.
Sophie Barber has created a powerful aesthetic combining language and images that speak directly to our heart. There is something incredibly bold and direct in her work that establishes an immediate connection with the viewer. Her social reflections are brilliantly and masterfully delivered through the depth and beauty of her work. We cannot help but look, feel, and react before her work and her messages stick with us forever.
Ina Gerken’s work guides us through a beautiful introspective journey deep within our souls. As we observe the mystical layers of gouache and acrylic color the artist masterfully applies on the canvas, we are left mesmerized. Its meaning is in the eye of the beholder. As we uncover the layers of the work we uncover the layers and depths of our own soul standing before it. And the works are so beautiful that we can stare at them and stay in dialogue with them forever.
Ivan Paradisi’s beautiful collections masterfully transform the finest Italian craftsmanship traditions into highly elegant contemporary designs. His perfected forms are like musical notes that jump out of a symphony through their perfection in shape and form. Somewhere between the past and the present, the pieces carry a deep reflection on tradition and modernity. Ivan’s pieces are lush, voluptuous and harmonious masterpieces that will enrich any interior.
Francesco Maria Messina’s deeply-thought out collections transport us to beautiful lands, distant memories and far away times. The immense creativity he exhibits in the design and creation of each piece, as well as its perfect functionality elaborated with an architect’s eye to detail leave us awestruck each time. He succeeds through his choice in well-researched materials and elaboration of shapes and forms in creating an unforgettable visual effect that transports us onto an exquisite journey.
Sophie Barber is an English-born artist who lives in a small fishing town in East Sussex near Brighton, seemingly on the edge of the world and certainly very far removed from the international art scene. Her art is deeply inspired by her immediate surroundings, which leave a strong yet invisible imprint in the backdrop of her work. Sophie draws inspiration from the activities of her everyday life, such as walking her dogs through the fields, baking, and listening to birds to create works that are deeply tied to celebrity culture, pop culture, and art history. Her works are beautifully combined layers and assembled pieces. Each work is a combination of cuts of larger canvases, the layers of which are wrapped up like presents. The canvases are not traditionally stretched with nails. Instead, they are rolled over, creased and covered in plastic bottles and chocolate bar wrappers, old paint tubes, and socks and rubbish, giving them a slightly asymmetric appearance. Before she proceeds to paint, Sophie stretches the large works on the floor and treads on them, adding layer upon layer of paint. The layers can build upon each other for months as she adds debris and repeats the process. If one looks closely at sections of the canvas, one can observe tiny footprints and drawings that remain inscribed as small memories of this process. Once she has spent months preparing her canvas, Sophie covers it in thick layers of paint that require hundreds of tubes of oil paint.
Sophie’s work is as memorable for its elaborate process as it is for her striking choice of imagery. At times the artist is inspired by her image repertory, such as photographs of works by other artists, from which she borrows and reinterprets by adding or subtracting essential elements. Her body of work consists of well thought out and elaborated visual and verbal references to the art world. She links her work to illustrious people, institutions, and trends in the art world. In a world that takes itself very seriously, she finds humor essential. She can search for hours for a good painting from artists including Hockney, Mitchell, Renoir, and Cecily Brown. She photographs it, enlarges it into a six foot painting, then adds and removes elements. As she does this, she changes how the image is perceived, creating a story about and around the image.
On her painting of a rabbit, she inscribes “Cecily Brown’s rabbit escaped from Gagosian.” Another one of her paintings is a clever reference to a gallery’s commentary on Renoir’s out of vogue paintings, stating : “I gave Renoir another chance to be loved.” At times she portrays amusing concepts, such as an ice cream inflatable sculpture melting in a gallery. Other images, such as her beautiful sunflowers, are inspired by her life, surroundings, and passion for gardening.The words are always thickly inscribed and very apparent, perhaps a reference to the artist's own dyslexia. As something in the word becomes part of the image, it transforms into a form of direct and unmistakable communication. Her words become so ingrained in the image that like subtitles in a film, they immediately catch the viewer’s attention. These powerful images are rendered onto beautiful, and sometimes enormous canvases. Some works are framed, while others are meant to be hung like drapes of a large theater backdrop. Her works captivatingly communicate with the audience as part of a larger conversation between individuals and artists. They invite the viewer to take part in this conversation. Sophie believes that what works best is what is most direct, and nothing speaks more directly to the heart than figurative art. Sophie believes that children make the best art because art needs to be direct and uncomplicated. It should not be hard to understand drawings and things. As she rightly points out, “life is too short to figure things out.”
Ina Gerken’s abstract works invite the viewer embark upon an explorative journey of self-reflection through the many layers of her work. As a child, Ina was inspired by her uncle’s large abstract paintings that hung on the walls of her home. She always felt particularly drawn to color and shapes. Once in art school, Ina began exploring with abstract paintings that do not feed the viewer, but instead invite the viewer to get in touch with himself. One has to make the effort to look into oneself to unravel what the work means beyond its aesthetic perfection. Ina believes that we should all practice this level of introspection and learn to harness our imagination. On a more profound level her paintings force us to question reality without giving us a strict definition of it, but instead by leading us to question ourselves to develop our own understanding of it. In a world that pushes individuals towards immediate consumption it has become crucial to inspire people to use their imagination.
Although the artist began working on small formats, today all her paintings are large (human size and larger) and their palettes are meditative and soothing. The large formats also allow the artist the ability to exercise greater freedom over the paint. This creates a desired effect that forces the viewer to get “lost in the painting.” These immense works immerse the viewer into the present moment through their layers of complexity. Ina paints these beautiful works on a linen canvas, using gouache and acrylic paint. As she slowly washes away parts of these layers with water the canvas transforms. She executes the work feverishly as it dries very quickly.
Ina’s paintings do bringing us closer to ourselves. They invite us to reflect on the human subconscious, everything that we cannot necessarily name but rather merely feel. Ina’s paintings are all inner landscapes. Some of them represent actual landscapes, while others are inner landscapes of feelings. Some of her works are inspired by the memory of her travels to various cities as well as actual landscapes. Ina’s process is an inner meditation that morphs into something of a shared living experience that she transfers onto her canvas. In doing so she is not delivering a personal story, but rather an essence of being.
Ina executes her work without any preparatory sketches or laid out plans. She paints spontaneously, guided by her intuition, without a definite idea of where the process will lead her. Her practice has become a strong exercise in trust, especially during that messy inbetween state on the canvas when she has to surrender to her quick, instinctive gestures without thinking. Her palette ranges from a narrow one to a broader color selection; some of the colors are very apparent, while others are layered and mixed. Ina paints either on the wall or on the floor using a paint monotype technique, by adding paper onto the linen or canvas. She then turns the canvases around onto their sides, making it difficult to distinguish the upper from the lower part. She adds layers of silk paper and tracing paper on top, attaching the pieces onto the surface with acrylic paint. She then adds another surface with gouache and thin acrylic paint. Her canvases are beautiful combinations of light layers delicately placed on top of each other. This translucence in the canvas leaves the viewer mesmerized for hours before the visually stunning effects she masters.
Ivan was born in Turin, the Italian capital of industrial design. Ivan follows a long legacy of ebonists in the city that started with Pietro Piffetti. Prior to entering the world of collectible design, Ivan began his career as a musician and singer, which continues to be a source of inspiration for his art. He then began to restore antique furniture before crafting his own pieces. Ivan creates elaborate designs with the rarest and finest available materials. Through his work, the designer has rediscovered wood and craftsmanship in unprecedented ways. His creativity has been met with significant recognition, ranging from exhibiting at the Venice Biennale and the Italian Pavillion in Turin, to winning the Artisan Excellence Award.
Ivan’s musical background visibly influences his pieces; each one of his creations is a harmonious note that jumps out of the page. Each one of his creations blends texture with form in a symphony of design to poetically bring spaces to life. Ivan’s creations are symphonies of form and beauty, transcending the conventional boundaries of woodworking. Much like a composer weaving notes into a symphony, Ivan transforms iconic song titles into tangible, functional masterpieces. His minimalist designs respect the inherent patterns and hues of the wood, while paying homage to the musical influences that inspire him. His “Synchronicity” cabinets and the “Master Blaster” sideboard are poetic compositions that masterfully bring musical notes to life through wood.
The Gran Torino desk, the masterpiece of his collection, is a modern and elegant yet highly functional desk. It pays homage to the city of Turin, rich in artistic culture, as well as the industrial capital of the car industry. The straight lines and abstract forms combined evoque a sense of elegant timelessness that also lives throughout the city. Through the curving forms of his desk, embedded somewhere between tradition and contemporary edginess, Ivan brings his native city to life. The Baroque-inspired D’Ivan daybed also sits somewhere between tradition and modernity, elegantly filling the space through its rounded shapes and voluptuousness. The design, which directly alludes to the 4/4 rhythmical cadence, has a massively powerful presence that gives a warmth to every modern or classic room. Its neutral colors confer a soothing and harmonious feel to the designs.
Ivan has succeeded in creating visually compelling collections through his perfect mastery of materials and well-researched forms. The pieces are characterized by straight lines and modern inlays that are contrasted with beautiful layers and curves. Ivan embeds each piece in a contemporary context while staying faithful to a long tradition of Italian craftsmanship. The designer perfectly masters traditional techniques such as wooden inlays, which he completely reinvents into innovative designs. This confers onto Ivan’s designs an overall uniqueness and eccentricity that are the pillars of the designer’s own recognizable style. The designer’s full mastery of his craft radiates through every detail of his art.
After completing architecture school in France, finalizing a stint as an architect on a stadium in Cameroon, participating in the founding of an architectural school in Lyon, and working as a furniture designer in Mauritius, Francesco Maria Messina (born and working in Pisa) returned to Pisa to create of collectible design built around Italian excellence. Each one of his pieces is carefully crafted with materials that are strongly ingrained in local tradition and history, such as marbles from Carrara, alabaster from Volterra, and glass from Empoli.
The materials are visually lush-ranging from colored marbles to onyxes and lavic stones. Perhaps the most original material he employs is a 40-50 million year fossilized wood, which serves as a living record of the long-gone dinosaur era. There is an intrinsic value in the material: the physical transformation it goes through with pressure in the absence of air leaves in a state between petrified wood and stone. The designer pairs the stone surfaces in unexpected ways, such as an organic mineral alabaster surface combined with a smooth glass. In his eyes this contrast represents the very equilibrium of the soul, somewhere in between pure smoothness and the tormented roughness of the mineral. Perfectly geometrical mirrors are surrounded by bronze frames placed on marble bases that are half smooth and half rough.
The designer’s architectural beginnings are echoed in his search for materials and in the executional complexity of his pieces. His five collections are inspired by his lifetime passion for volcanoes, Italian bell towers, antiquity, and Tuscan cities. Tables and lamps are built out of lava representing nature’s ability to create and to self destruct. The frail white alabaster reminds us of the fragility of ice, delivering a powerful environmental message about our retracting glaciers. Other pieces, such as the travertine Roma console, directly evoke antiquity, or Italian bell towers that guided travelers for centuries. Every object also reveals an unexpected surprise; the volcano-inspired lava table supports a two-meter glass on a very small base.
Francesco Maria develops each piece as if it were an architectural project, beginning with a sketch, transforming it into a maquette, and then finalizing it in the flesh. Each piece can stand alone as a sculpture. It often takes Francesco Maria years of research to reach the perfect equilibrium between aesthetics and functionality (such as the new lights he has most recently added to his pyrite cabinet). The pyrite cabinet, inspired by his childhood mineral collection gifted to him by his grandmother, is by far the most iconic piece. Visually, its surface and color trick the eye into believing that it is a block of gold with many perfectly smooth cubic faces. Its containers, however, are roomy enough to serve as a highly practical bar cabinet.
I am very happy, proud, and yes, a little anxiousbut anxiety is part of the DNA of every hotelier, always driven by the desire to do well.
Serge Ethuin
SERGE ETHUIN COOL ATTITUDE
by Luca Marotta
On the occasion of his (first!) ten years as General Manager of the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, I meet once again with Serge Ethuin.
With his elegant dynamism and the calm assurance of a seasoned director of international five-star luxury hotels, he has guided this legendary establishment through a journey of constant renewal - never abrupt, never disruptive, but a subtle evolution, always evident in its ability to uphold the highest standards of luxury hospitality in the Principality of Monaco.
L.M.: Ten years at the helm of a hotel of this calibre is no easy task. What has been the guiding principle throughout your journey?
S.E.: You should know that within our hotel we have an internal manifesto created at the time of the hotel’s rebirth. It embodies the philosophy of the house and, in very clear and direct terms, provides the framework for how we operate. Whenever I faced moments of doubt, I simply read it again and took inspiration from it.
L.M.: Could we know the content of this charter?
S.E.: I will share only one point, but it is highly evocative: the charter states that if the hotel were a person, it would be Audrey Hepburn.
L.M.: Is that why the majority of your senior collaborators are women?
S.E.: As you can see, apart from our deputy general manager, all my closest collaborators are women. This was never a deliberate decision based on gender; it happened naturally over time. But it has brought a distinct sensitivity and perspective, which are truly valuable.
L.M.: After ten years in charge at the Métropole, how do you take stock of this period? Do you feel pride, satisfaction, any concern?
S.E.: You are right, ten years is exceptional in our profession. I have been working for forty-three years, nearly thirty of them as a general manager.
Yet this is the first time I have remained in the same establishment for so long.
I am very happy, proud, and yes, a little anxious - but anxiety is part of the DNA of every hotelier, always driven by the desire to do well. What truly explains this longevity is that I fell in love with the owners’ vision: their definition of luxury and the objectives they set for this hotel. Previously, I was intellectually stimulated by the projects of other houses. Here, I was genuinely seduced. And seduction is not of the head, but of the heart. From the beginning there was this famous “concept document”, a single page that defined who we are, why we are here, and what we must offer our clients: an emotional, sensory, cultural and gastronomic experience. That mix convinced me immediately.
The Métropole also has a special life of its own, with employees who have been here for twenty
or twenty-five years, and a unique anchorage in the Principality. All this made my integration and attachment much easier.
L.M.: Over these ten years, what do you see as the key milestones?
S.E.: We achieved a great deal. Twice we had to close the hotel for major renovations, we changed our spa brand, and we transformed our dining offer.
We also lost Joël Robuchon, who was the greatest chef in the world. But we retained Christophe Cussac, and that is a remarkable story of loyalty and success. Another decisive factor is the exceptional relationship I enjoy with the ownership. I am general manager, but also in many ways a trusted person, supporting projects directly linked to the hotel.
One must add that the Métropole is an independent hotel. And something I discovered in Monaco is what I like to call benevolent competition. I worked
in Paris, Rome, and London - in all these great cities, among luxury hotels, it is war. A peaceful one, but still a war.
Here, of course, there are competitors. Yet it is a rivalry marked by respect and even collaboration. Two or three times a year, coordinated by the tourist office, we carry out joint promotional operations abroad to promote Monaco as a whole. That is rare. There is a genuine spirit of cooperation, something I have seldom, if ever, experienced in other places.
L.M.: During this period, has the clientele changed? As a guest myself, I have noticed younger people. Has the average age dropped?
S.E.: Thirty or forty years ago, one only achieved financial success after the age of forty-five. Today, thanks to new economic activities, especially digital, there are 25-year-olds who are already very wealthy. They want to enjoy their money, to travel, and to live luxury experiences.
At the same time, we make sure to keep our older guests, while developing concepts adapted to the younger generations. For example, Yoshi, our Japanese restaurant, generally attracts a younger clientele. Zia, our new Italian concept by the pool, also reflects this trend - more relaxed than our two-Michelin-starred fine dining, yet maintaining impeccable quality.
Expectations have also evolved. Clients aged 55–65 expect a certain solemnity. Younger clients want to live an emotion, sometimes with fewer human interactions and more digitalisation. That pushes us to adapt our services to these new generations, while preserving the DNA of the hotel.
L.M.: Jacques Garcia’s architecture and design also seem to embody this blend of generations.
S.E.: Exactly. Garcia had a very particular vision: to create a place where a duchess of seventy in her
elegant hat and a rock star of twenty-five could both feel at ease. That diversity works here thanks to the intimacy of the spaces and the variety of ambiences, without vast, impersonal lobbies.
L.M.: Let us turn now to recent news. After a long period of work, what can you announce today?
S.E.: Two major highlights. The first is the opening of our new Guerlain Spa. Guerlain, with its 300 years of history and some thirty spas worldwide, perfectly embodies the refinement we were looking for. The second is the delivery of 45 newly renovated rooms and suites by Jacques Garcia. The tones are Mediterraneanpale yellow, blue, touches of pink - with completely redone bathrooms and furniture.
L.M.: Beyond gastronomy and renovations, the Métropole has also developed a cultural programme. Could you tell us more?
S.E.: Yes, this is an essential element of our concept document: to nourish our guests not only with gastronomy and cocktails, but also with the mind. That is why we launched the Cultural Rendez-Vous. We have welcomed renowned writers and artists such as Yasmina Khadra, David Foenkinos, Francis Huster and Anne Parillaud. These events create a special connection with the local clientele, particularly Monegasque residents.
L.M.: And regarding renovations, what remains to be done?
S.E.: The first phase covered 45 rooms. The second, planned for late 2026, will address the rest of the floors. We chose to close the hotel for five months to avoid noise disturbances, because I believe you cannot provide a true luxury experience if guests hear drills or hammers.
We kept all our employees during that closure, which was a strong gesture. The next phase will be lighter - new carpets, fabrics, furniture, …
L.M.: And you personally, after ten years at the Métropole?
S.E.: I may stay a little longer, but not forever as general manager. Perhaps another role, perhaps simply as a loyal guest of the hotel (smiles).
For generations, a well-guarded secret has been cherished among a small circle of Mexico’s most respected families and the master jimadors of Los Bajos. These fortunate few were the only ones to taste El Tequila Privado, a unique recipe from a small distillery in Amatitán.
Passed down through generations, a local artisan family crafted this spirit with unwavering dedication, honouring the ancient codes and customs - Los Códigos - that still shape Código 1530 today.
What was once a nameless, private tequila is now shared with the world under the name Código 1530.
Each expression - Blanco, Rosa, Reposado, Añejo, and Origen - is the result of time, patience, and devotion, perfected over centuries without straying from the traditions of Los Bajos. Produced by the same family for five generations, every drop carries with it heritage, authenticity, and artistry, making it a reference point in the world of ultra-premium tequila.
Even its rituals are steeped in legend. In Amatitán, Código 1530 was once enjoyed from church candleholders, which had a small cross fixed to the bottom.
To this day, locals raise their glasses with the cry “hasta la cruz” - “to the cross” - before finishing in one shot, not unlike the European “bottoms up.”
The spirit remains as much about tradition as it is about celebration, weaving history into every toast.
Some wines are tasted. Others are lived. At Château Sainte Marguerite, wine is poetry written in sunlight and sea breeze, sung by vines rooted in Provence since 1929.
The Fayard family, custodians of the domaine for nearly half a century, have transformed it into a sanctuary of certified organic viticulture, where respect for nature walks hand in hand with the pursuit of elegance. Eleven parcels spread across 22 kilometres ensure a mosaic of aromas, each vintage a harmony of climates and soils, each grape variety free to express its truest self.
The Symphonie Rosé captures the soul of Provence: pale, limpid, and endlessly refreshing, with whispers of peach, citrus and summer herbs. Its twin, the Fantastique Blanc cru classé, shimmers with floral brightness and mineral depth. For moments that demand intensity, the Fantastique Rouge delivers a tapestry of spice and ripe berries, smooth and lingering like the last notes of a love song.
But more than flavours, these wines evoke a way of life: afternoons beneath olive trees, the laughter of friends carried on warm breezes, the glow of twilight over the Mediterranean. “Wine is our way of translating Provence into glass,” says Enzo Fayard, “an eternal summer, shared.”
To drink a glass of Château Sainte Marguerite is to taste not only a wine, but the poetry of Provence itself.
Just a few minutes from Saint-Tropez, on the heights of Gigaro, Lily of the Valley is far more than a summer hotspot. Designed by Philippe Starck, this five-star hotel combines contemporary elegance, discretion and nature to become a wellness destination open throughout the year, where taking care of yourself becomes a lasting ritual.
Keeping the hotel open all twelve months is a rare luxury. Outside the summer crowds, the Côte d’Azur changes - light softens, landscapes shift - but the spirit here stays the same: calm, refined and inspirational. Lily of the Valley embodies a philosophy that wellness isn’t a fleeting indulgence, but a continuous journey that enriches every moment of your life.
At the heart of this ethos are four expert-designed programmes, each tailored to specific goals and with tangible outcomes:
FOUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMMES
WEIGHT LOSS
bespoke support to lose weight in a sustainable way, with no deprivation - just the gradual reshaping of habits.
DETOX
a fusion of nutrition, treatments and activities to cleanse your system and restore energy.
SPORT
whether you’re a seasoned athlete or an enthusiastic amateur, this programme raises physical capability under dedicated expert coaching.
BETTER AGING
combining cutting-edge technology and natural methods for vitality and longevity - to age well, for longer.
YOUR ALL-YEAR WELLNESS ESCAPE
THE SHAPE CLUB
The beating heart of Lily of the Valley is the Shape Club: some 2,000 m² entirely dedicated to health and wellbeing.
A sanctuary for both movement and recovery, it houses the latest in fitness technologies and wellness treatments.
Among the most recent innovations, The Shape Club includes a cold bath in the Nordic circuit to boost circulation and speed up muscle recovery - offering an instant lift in how you feel.
There are studios for sport and Pilates Reformer, a gym with top-tier equipment, a semi-Olympic pool, and a spa delivering the full spectrum of massages, treatments and advanced technologies.
HEALTHY, LUXURIOUS GASTRONOMY
Well beyond the Shape Club, the culinary experience here is central. Under chef Vincent Maillard, menus are flavourful and balanced, always aligned with the programmes but never at the expense of enjoyment. Healthy yet refined: seasonal produce, sourced locally, elevated by precise culinary craftsmanship that honours taste.
Here you’ll find generous, creative dishes - caviar, lobster, truffle among them - marrying the riches of the Mediterranean, the rigour of nutritional science and the elegance of French haute gastronomie.
Lily of the Valley’s lifestyle promise is simple: to nurture body, mind and spirit in all their dimensions, in a genuinely authentic place where nature and design are in harmonious dialogue.
GOLF, PERFUME, & PURE JOY
by Olivia Rose
The sun was shining on Saturday 14 June 2025 at the Golf de Terre Blanche, where the Pro-Am des Parfumeurs returned once again for a day of sport, camaraderie and celebration. More than just a tournament, it was an occasion for the fragrance industry of Grasse to gather and share their values, their passion and, above all, their good humour.
Players, both professional and amateur, enjoyed the eco-friendly facilities designed by architect Dave Thomas. Among the professionals, the presence of European Tour golfers Tom Vaillant, Romain Langasque and Clément Sordet brought an extra sparkle to the competition, offering amateurs the thrill of playing alongside them.
After a delightful lunch, participants headed to the pontoon of O’Key Beach in Cannes for the prize-giving, champagne in
hand, before the evening shifted naturally into a festive mood. Prizes were generously offered by BMW Bayern Avenue, Caisse d’Épargne, Misaki and Coverpla, whose elegant trophies shone almost as brightly as the smiles of the winners.
The evening gala was a feast of entertainment: singer Mandy charmed the guests with timeless classics, accompanied by a saxophonist who filled the night air with jazzy warmth. Two magicians worked the room with close-up tricks, adding surprise and wonder to the party atmosphere.
In terms of results, the Parfumeurs’ BRUT category went to team MPE, led by Alen Crnjac with teammates Thomas and Eric Argenti and Rémy Scarpa. In NET, Diffusions Aromatiques triumphed with Elliot Anger, Stéphanie Beek, Fabrice Salvatico and Frédéric Mey. Across all NET categories, Sermed Impressions, led by Mathieu Berti with Gilles Berti, Frédéric Estrade and Vincent Coutand, took first place.
The evening ended with two lucky draws, sending delighted winners to Terre Blanche and Domaine de Manville.
A sparkling 26th edition- already paving the way for an unforgettable 30th!
An autumnal echo embraces the cities. Billet aller-retour. Everything is in motion. A whirl of velocities inscribing themselves in the day's tempo, traversed by languid gazes that yield to the silence of bodies crossing urban space.
Fashion intercepts this pulse, translates it into imagery, returning to the present the sweet nostalgia of a fading summer, like a postcard forgotten between the pages of a freshly closed book.
FERRAGAMO Pre-Fall 2025
The silhouettes are soft, warm, enveloping. Max Mara captures a season in motion: coats, the indispensable protagonists, choose the caress of cashmere and the fluid rigour of timeless lines. Today's woman is a romantic heroine, emerged from novels steeped in inner tempests: velvets and tweeds punctuate poetic compositions, a silent strength allows itself to be traversed by wind, transporting us to the set of a Fifties film.
Rather like Ferragamo, where memory and future intertwine.
The iconic Vara underfoot reinvents its grace, Tramezza footwear reaffirms artisanal craftsmanship, whilst Hug and Soft bags adopt dreamlike hues, decorated with palms or trimmed with shearling. The prints, applied florals, poppies blooming upon garments transform the catwalk into a surreal reverie, a tale that vibrates like an eternal love story yet anchored in the present.
For Brunello Cucinelli, luxury is tranquil harmony. Instinct and reason interweave in precious fabrics, measured tailoring, proportions that breathe. It's an elegance that doesn't impose itself, but endures: like polished stone, like architecture that weathers the seasons.
by Dafne Funeck
Gucci chooses bordeaux for the autumnal season, logo-embossed leather and Sixties echoes: parallel movements that never cease to vibrate, a continuum running between memory and future without pause.
And then Chanel, igniting Parisian dreams. Couture sighs in natural tones, ecru and greens evoking distant landscapes, masculine silhouettes opening into generous proportions. The prêt-à-porter instead sparkles beneath the Grand Palais cupola: trompe-l'œil tweed, monumental bows, pearls glittering like street lamps on a rainy night. Two movements, one melody.
Finally, Viktor & Rolf's narrative reads in one breath. Sculptural volumes become wearable, noble fabrics interweave with sustainable denim, the palette oscillates from deepest black to golden fawn. Feathers and transparencies rise like clouds above the city, transforming it into theatre.
A seasonal billet aller et retour that flows like music, an enveloping current through the urban heart, capable of transforming time into beauty and beauty into memory.
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Fall/Winter 2025
GUCCI Fall/Winter 2025
CHANEL Pre-Fall 2025
SPF LUXURY FROM CANNES TO THE SLOPES
From the glittering lights of the Cannes Film Festival to pristine alpine slopes: L.RAPHAEL, the Swiss luxury skincare and wellness marque, now conquers winter with its latest innovation.
Unveiled en avant-première on the Côte d'Azur amongst celebrities and distinguished guests, SUN DEFENSE SPF 30 with UV PEARL™ Technology proves the perfect ally for those who refuse to compromise on glamour, even at altitude
Whilst summer demands protection, winter on snow makes it utterly essential. UV rays reflected from pristine white powder intensify exposure, rendering cutting-edge defence indispensable. L.RAPHAEL's revolutionary UV PEARL™ technology encapsulates organic UV filters within transparent silica pearls that remain on the skin's surface, neutralising harmful rays without penetrating the epidermis.
"This isn't merely sun protection-it's a philosophy of lasting beauty and skin longevity," explains Ronit Raphael Leitersdorf, the brand's founder. The ultralightweight, transparent texture blends seamlessly with every complexion, offering superior wearresistance to traditional formulations-ideal for intensive days between piste and après-ski.
This launch underscores L.RAPHAEL's holistic approach, anchored in their Seven Foundations of Beauty, uniting medicine, nutrition, and aesthetics. A vision soon expanding globally: Ronit Raphael has announced forthcoming spa openings across America and Europe, bringing this philosophy of luxury and longevity even closer to international clientele.
Perfect for post-treatment skin and daily ritual alike, SUN DEFENSE SPF 30 supports natural regeneration whilst delivering exceptional protection.
From Cannes red carpets to snow-capped peaks: true beauty never takes a holiday, even in winter's embrace.
This is not just sun protection - it’s part of a greater philosophy of lasting beauty and skin longevity.
DANIELE FIESOLI Long-sleeve polo shirt with cotton collar danielefiesoli.com
Total Look FW 2025/26 dior.com
SILHOUETTE
Optical frames in tortoiseshell Clear Sky silhouette.com IWC
Ingenieur Automatic watch with steel bracelet iwc.com
Melody fragrance with green aromatic notes millerharris.com
LOUIS VUITTON Pégase trolley in Damier Graphite canvas louisvuitton.com
MILLER HARRIS
BUCCELLATI
Haute Couture FW25 spherical handbag in black velvet decorated with diamonds and yellow gold handle buccellati.com
LORIBLU
Court shoes with heel in red velvet and crystal detail loriblu.com
LUDOVIC SAINT SERNIN
Total Look FW 2025/26 ludovicdesaintsernin.com
DRIES VAN NOTEN
1972desa.com
Havana Gold Eau de Parfum fragrance with warm, enveloping notes driesvannoten.com
SCAROSSO
Golden court shoes with ankle strap scarosso.com
Total
marco-rambaldi.com
Alice geometric optical frames in acetate lapima.com
MARCO RAMBALDI
LAPIMA
In a world where declaring the number of followers and clicks has become an obsessive demand, it's important to understand that if you work and live in luxury, factors such as credibility and the genuine exclusivity of the venues where you are visible are truly the only things that matter.
In luxury, less is more, as long as this "less" is the best one ;-)
