Page 137 - Paddock Life Issue 13 ADRENALINE

STRONG
EMOTIONS
IMAGES JOHN J BREEN
Monte Carlo, a mere mention evokes feelings of history, decadence and luxury, add the world’s most glamorous sport to the mix
and you have all the ingredients for our favourite weekend of the year, the Monaco GP.
Each year Auto Vivendi, our members and guests make the annual pilgrimage to spend a weekend embracing all that this magical principality has to offer during one incredible weekend. Here’s a snapshot of what went on...
It was a bit of a rollercoaster from the start as our friends at Aston Martin had kindly offered us a blast on their amazing new speedboat, the AM37. It was always going to be tight for time as the boat was booked out almost all weekend with AML and Red Bull VIPs and also a certain Serena Williams so we simply had to be on time! There was nothing for it but to jump straight into a helicopter from Nice airport. (it’s a tough life). As the chopper danced along the sun washed coastline of the Cote D’Azur the sky was littered with other helicopters and private jets heading in for the weekend, and yachts and tenders skipped along the ocean all with one destination – Monaco!
As we came in to land, the cliffs and architecturally haphazard apartment blocks which fill the hills engulfed us, time was eking away and we had to make a brisk walk to the small port where the speedboat was waiting. We were introduced to the Quintessence team who made this one-off (unbelievable!) boat and were swiftly boarded. There was just enough time to take in the gleaming blue finish and sleek lines of this unique craft before almost 1000bhp of fury took over and blasted us across the ocean at circa 50 knots! This was no show boat, it was the real deal and from the luxurious interior we enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds as the weekend kicked off in proper style.
WORDS CRAIG WILLIAMS
By night we headed to the harbour in Monaco where it was a whirlwind of cocktail parties on increasingly mind-blowing yachts which meant the night disappeared in a haze of mojitos and champagne. The atmosphere is simply intoxicating as the world’s most glamorous people descend throughout the course of the evening and the Super yachts compete as to who is having the biggest and best party!
The next morning we screamed across the bay in our Van Dutch tender which took us to our Sunseeker super yacht which was to be our base for the next couple of days. Free flowing champagne and cocktails are enjoyed with gourmet food and non-stop laughter as day turns into night and the party kicked off with Kiss FM DJ Justin Wilkes at the decks! In fact, our party turned out to be so good that our neighbouring boats switched off theirs and partied to ours!
Sunday is race day and it’s simply hard to put into words the sensory overload of the surroundings, the sights, smells and of course the operatic wail of the cars as they scream around this iconic circuit. As you watch the cars disappear from sight your head automatically switches to the screen as you haphazardly keep track of the race whilst embracing more fizz and fun as the floating party continues! As the race comes to an end a cacophony of boat horns and cheers echo across the bay. Seems like a time to celebrate – ‘more Champagne!’...
As we depart our gorgeous yacht as the sun sets, it seems appropriate to take in a short walk of the circuit, chunks of tyre litter the roads and as they open again, the world’s finest supercars take to the streets to follow in their heroes’ tracks and we meander our way up the hill to the famous Casino Square. We end this mind-blowing long weekend with a relaxed dinner at Café De Paris, it’s the perfect finale with typically appalling service but great food as we raise a glass, already looking forward to next year.
Thank you Monaco, it’s been emotional xxx
137
IMAGE CRAIG WILLIAMS