Prince Albert II crowns Pierre Casiraghi at 2025 YCM Awards
Prince Albert II presented the Sailors of the Year award to Pierre Casiraghi and Peter Harrison © Liam Fabre
During the YCM’s winter cocktail reception, the Sovereign presented annual trophies to sailors who distinguished themselves in 2025, including his nephew Pierre Casiraghi, named sailor of the year following his historic Admiral’s Cup victory.
On Tuesday evening, Prince Albert II presided over the traditional YCM Awards ceremony at the Yacht Club of Monaco. The evening’s highlight came when the Sovereign bestowed the title of “2025 Sailor of the Year” upon his nephew Pierre Casiraghi, the club’s vice president. The distinction, voted by members and presented before the eyes of Beatrice Borromeo, who came to support her husband, carries particular resonance for this institution founded in 1953 by Prince Rainier III.
A historic Admiral’s Cup triumph
The award recognises Pierre Casiraghi and Peter Harrison’s victory in the Admiral’s Cup, a prestigious competition that hadn’t been held in over two decades. The co-skippers were jointly honoured for this achievement. “This victory is obviously special. It holds value for all those who have tried to win the Admiral’s Cup and those who have succeeded. I thank Peter for making this possible,” Pierre Casiraghi said in a statement.
Pierre Casiraghi and Monaco Yacht Club win Admiral’s Cup 2025
Prince Albert II also distinguished American navigator Paul Cayard with a Special Prize for his Star class world championship title, secured with Frithjof Kleen. Thirty-seven years after his first crown, the 33-year YCM member proves that competition knows no age.
Louise Debeaumont received the YCM Youth Award. Currently competing in the Youth World Championship in Portugal, the young sailor will head to Brazil this coming January.
Setting course for 2026
Prince Albert II announced that the classic yachts Tuiga and Viola will represent Monaco during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. The Sovereign also highlighted the expansion of the SEA Index, now present in some twenty Mediterranean ports as well as the Seychelles and the Caribbean.