Pierre Casiraghi sailor and businessman

Where do I begin... After four long days of gruelling racing in this year’s Admiral’s Cup — the tournament often described as ‘the World Cup of sailing’ — the winning margin came down to a razor-thin 10 seconds. That achingly slim gap fell in favour of the boat from Monaco, who beat out Australia to the gold medal in a dramatic final day. At its helm was Pierre Casiraghi, the 38-year-old sailor, businessman, and nephew of Prince Albert of Monaco. It was his first race in the Admiral’s Cup, and the first time that Monaco had entered. “Honestly, I still can’t quite believe what we’ve achieved,” Casiraghi said in the hours after the victory. “To win the Admiral’s Cup in its revival year and with Monaco’s first-ever participation is beyond words. I’m not a professional helm and this was the most exhausting race I’ve ever done.” Here, Casiraghi discusses life on the water, his admiration for Mr Richard Mille and the importance of sticking to the plan.