Participation in the Société Nautique de Monaco

The Monaco Tribune presents Monegasque Sports Clubs each month. The focus of July will be the Société Nautique de Monaco (Monegasque Voyaging Society), which again hosts many courses for young rowers this summer.

The Societe Nautique de Monaco, the oldest sports club in the principality, was born in 1953 when the Societe des Legat split. Since then I have been sailing with the Yacht Club de Monaco and rowing with the Societe Nautique de Monaco.

It is a historic club with nearly 300 licensed members. I have trained many champions like Quentin Antonelli. Athletes who participated in the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

“In those days, rowing was the sport of kings, a noble sport that everyone was betting on,” explains Olivier Vincent Maréchal, the club’s communications officer. “It was like football today, but rowing has lost some of its luster over the years.”

Prince Albert II, honorary chairman of SNM, has always had a special affinity for the field. His maternal grandfather, John Kerry, was a great rowing champion. He won his two Olympic gold medals at the 1920 Antwerp Games and his 1924 Paris Games.

Affiliated to the French Rowing Federation chaired by Matthias Raymond, the Monaco Nautic de Monaco (SNM) perpetuates the enormous tradition of its founders and organizes competitions in the principality every year. .

With several specialties, including sea rowing, which many of its recreational members practice, the club is based on Lake Saint-Cassien in the Pays-de-Faience region. Young license holders who attend the competition can therefore hone their skills all year long.

And, as has been customary for the past few years, the summer course completes the offering of the Nautical Institute. The course is run by Daniel Fauché, SNM Base Leader. It’s a chance for young people to go out to sea in the morning before eating lunch in the club’s restaurant.

“We provide an introduction to rowing for girls and boys ages 10 to 15,” explains Daniel Fauchet. “The goal is to have young people enroll when the new season starts in September.” And who knows who will one day be the future champion of the sport?