Copyright: monacoeye • 2011 • Monaco • Do not copy without permission.

A few pics from the Grand Prix… Indian Empress dominates the T-jetty again with Force India beside her. Incongruous sight of a dozen portaloos being hauled off yesterday - apparently they’d had a party with 600 guests the night before and didn’t want them using the ships toilets! Out at sea, the new 85m Cakewalk (above) is the most impressive…

Here are the big photos, new all-on-one page format this year - you do have broadband, don’t you? - enjoy!

PS A couple of pics from Cannes, which finished last week thrown in (Sea Shepherd and Octopus), plus a couple of Katara, which also visited Monaco fairly recently.

All photos on this page copyrighted: NT/monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

“Jenson what took you so long?”

Above, Lewis Hamilton stands on his car for photos after a decent finish in Q3, assuring himself of 5th place on the grid, and looks over at Button arriving in 8th place (back right).

Force India, below, the popular new Mangusta 165…


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

The James Bond themed Quantum of Solace, ex Midlandia…


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Looks like the official Jenson Button yacht …


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

At least someone’s got their priorities right. Friday night is party night for the Virgin Racing crew on entrepreneur Richard Branson’s new catamaran, Necker Belle. A couple of hard working team members let their hair down and take a few Carlsberg-fuelled holiday snaps on the bouncy castle. Boss of the year, surely!


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission Read More...

Photos: monacoeye - KH - NT • Monaco Grand Prix • May 2009

There was a good turnout for this year's Grand Prix. Stands seemed full and many yachts turned up for the event, despite the credit crisis. Although there seemed fewer sponsored charter parties than last year.

One car manufacturer had apparently downsized from a 115 metre yacht to one a quarter of the size. Conspicuous by its absence was any sign of Roman Abramovich's fleet. But some regulars like Rahal and Kogo were not going to miss the fun.

Nice Airport, which is usually heaving with Cannes-bound Parisian party people, seemed eerily quiet mid-week. Some usually highly-coveted apartments overlooking the track, which can be let out by locals for five figure sums for the weekend (paying several months' rent!), went unbooked …

NT spotted the Queen's cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, who later presented the cup to Jenson Button, hopping off to Blue Bird in Talitha's Chris Craft tender with Nick Edmiston before the race. Blue Bird and the Talitha tender flew the White Ensign. KH glimpsed Prince Albert being ushered onto one of the yachts on Saturday night. Dilbar visited on Thursday but departed before the race.

Utopia, Nero, Talitha, Aviva, Princess Mariana, Siren, Siran and Fortunate Sun dominated the skyline outside the port. Inside the port Indian Empress, Ronin, Lionheart, Addiction, Annaeva, Kogo, Phoenix and Alfa Nero were some of the big yachts moored on the jetties. The Hugo Boss 20m Open 60, usually skippered by Alex Thomson, was zipping around below the Oceanographic Museum. Larger photos here.

Car model: Bugatti Veyron

Photo: monacoeye • July 2008

What better way to drive up to your yacht …

Photo: Tatiana Hughes • Monaco Amber Fashion Show • 23 May 2008
Photos: monacoeye • Monaco Grand Prix • 25 May 2008

Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix delivered a famous victory for Lewis Hamilton, in an action-packed race. All drivers had difficulty controlling their cars in the wet conditions, but Lewis Hamilton managed to make up lost ground, after hitting a barrier early in the race, and went on to win the event and move into first place in the drivers' championship.

The weather was too poor for photos - you can get an idea from the pictures above of the Porsche Supercup, and the spectators on the hill above the Rascasse, taken a couple of hours before the Formula One Grand Prix.

On Friday, Alfa Nero pulled in next to Indian Empress to form an Oceanco triumverate with Amevi on the T jetty. We went for a spin round the track just after the racing finished at lunch time…

Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton battled it out for fastest lap in the Grand Prix F1 practice sessions on Thursday. But Felipe Massa secured pole on Saturday.

These committed Irish fans have been there since last Sunday (!) to stake out their patch on the hill overlooking the Rascasse corner - the only free spot in Monaco. They explained their trick is for one guy to sleep there with a sleeping bag and the rest to rotate during the day. Apparently there is a "gentleman's agreement" not to nab other fans' places. They come armed with shovels and pickaxes - really ! - to flatten out the ground, and then set up a somewhat elaborate rope webbing around their patch to deter encroachers. They've been coming for four years so have it all nicely worked out. At €600 ($1000) a ticket in the stands, it sounds like they're onto a good thing. They reckoned they'll be supporting Lewis on the big day…

The ever-popular Red Bull hospitality centre was floated in on Monday morning. In previous years Red Bull have cross-marketed with Superman and Star Wars, but unfortunately no tie-in with Indiana Jones this year.

Toyota engineers checking the wheels.

The paddocks seem bigger than ever this year - no wonder the traffic has been a nightmare for the last few weeks - as all this paraphenalia has to be brought in by truck.

The big race follows on Sunday. Boats are still busy shuttling to and from Cannes but many, like Indian Empress, have taken up their race positions already.

Photos: monacoeye • Monaco Grand Prix • May 2008

Photo: monacoeye • Monte Carlo • 27 January 2008

Sebastien Loeb sealed his first victory of the year today, in the first event of the 2008 World Rally Championship.

The final stage of the Monte Carlo Rally was held on the lower half of the Grand Prix track around the port, with cars racing in staggered pairs.

Australian Chris Atkinson drove like a complete loony in the port stage and finished with the fastest time, allowing him to hold on to third place in the general rankings by just one second. Finn Mikko Hirvonen finished second overall.

2007 World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, and Monegasque co-driver Daniel Elena, cruised home in 8th place in the final port stage, but 1st in the overall rankings, with a comfortable two and a half minute lead over Hirvonen. This was Loeb's fifth Monte Carlo Rally victory.

Visitors to Monaco often want to know where the Grand Prix track is. Well here it is, most of it anyway, at a speed marginally slower than Lewis Hamilton is capable of !

Lightning McQueen in the flesh…