Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting starts with the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022

The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022 will be held from 4 to 9 July, the event dedicated to innovation and sustainability in the boating sector that is part of “ Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting ”, the project launched by the Yacht Club of Monaco to consolidate the Principality of Monaco’s position as a centre of international excellence in zero-impact yachting. “Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting” is intended to be the relaunch of “Monaco Capital of Yachting”, born ten years ago and organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation together with the Oceanographic Institute, the Scientific Centre and the Yacht Club of Monaco. Under the banner of “Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting”, a series of international initiatives related to the yachting world are gathered, including the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022, with the aim – explains Prince Albert II of Monaco – of “encouraging and promoting our tradition of innovation based on technological progress to build a responsible future for yachting, in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals that I share through my foundation”. Specifically, “ Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting” is one of the initiatives the Principality is pursuing to achieve zero emissions by 2050.

In order to position Monaco as an example in terms of environmental protection, the Principality’s institutions have also signed a charter of commitments together with various players in the boating sector, including SEPM (Société d’Exploitation des Ports de Monaco), Monaco Yacht Show, Oceanco, Monaco Marine, MB92, Fraser Yachts, Espen Oeino International Gordon Blair, Catalano Shipping Services, Bunker Engineering Solutions, M3 (Monaco Marina Management) and start-ups Lanéva, HY-Plug and Ethyc.

The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022 programme

As mentioned, among the joint actions to achieve zero-impact boating is the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022, scheduled from Monday 4 to Saturday 9 July for its ninth edition. This is a major event for alternative propulsion systems for carbon-free yachting, launched in 2014 and now established as a major international meeting for clean energy source-based engines.

Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022 will bring together young engineers and professionals in the sector within an exhibition showcasing start-ups and companies dedicated to tackling the environmental challenges of our century as seen in the yachting sector, with a unique format between innovation and sustainability that includes competitions at sea, conferences and round tables, talks and forums.

For this new edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, more than 35 teams from 27 different universities from some 20 countries around the world will be hosted, including France, Indonesia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Peru, China and Canada. “Our desire is to build the future through an eco-responsible and social prism in order to take care of future generations. The yachting industry will not be able to evolve if it does not integrate the concept of sustainable development into each of its initiatives” comments Yacht Club de Monaco Secretary General Bernard D’Alessandri.

Among the competitions scheduled for the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022 are “Class Energy”, in which 16 teams of 11 nationalities will compete in designing a zero-emission steering system for catamarans; and “Class Solar”, dedicated specifically to solar propulsion. As far as debates are concerned, on Thursday 7 July there will be the conference “The energy transition in yachting: opportunities and limits”, while on Friday 8 July there will be the third round table of the Monaco Hydrogen Working Group, entitled “Unlocking the obstacles to hydrogen in the maritime sector: port regulation and economic viability of projects”.

The full programme of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2022 can be found at: https://energyboatchallenge.com/en/home-english/

The other ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ projects

Also as part of “Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting”, for superyachts over 40 metres, the Yacht Club of Monaco has launched the SEA Index®, the first carbon footprint index aimed at environmental targets to reduce carbon emissions in the yachting industry.

Another event on the 2022 roadmap for “Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting” is the second edition of the “Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous”, an event that aims to build a carbon-free future, with special focus on greener marinas with facilities to host the ecoyachts of the future.