The 6th Monaco Yacht Ocean comes to an end: sustainability took centre stage

The prestigious Yacht Club de Monaco held the 6th Monaco Yacht Week, an initiative supported by the Prince Albert II Foundation. The event, which took place at the club’s facility, was the meeting point for numerous players in the yachting sector, with a special focus on environmental sustainability.

It was an intense week of initiative which included the 12th edition of the Environmental Symposium, the 27th Captain’s forum and the 3rd YCM Explorers’ Awards. Moreover the YCM hosted the Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous, an innovative event kicked off by HSH Prince Albert II.

The Yacht Club de Monaco was also committed to being a key player in the environmental transition as a communication and exchange platform for the yachting industry, as Secretary General Bernard d’Alessandri emphasized during the event:As part of our public service remit, Yacht Club de Monaco intends to be a key player in the environmental transition as a platform for communication and exchange for the yachting industry. All these meetings are part of our collective Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting approach ”.

Highlights of the Monaco Ocean Week included the YCM Explorer Awards organized by La Belle Classe Superyachts. The awards were destined to owners who stand out for their commitment to protecting the marine environment, both in the design of their yacht and in the way they use it. The ceremony was attended by Prince Albert II of Monaco who called for continued collaboration to protect the planet for future generations

“I hope we can continue to work together to protect the planet for future generations– stated Prince Albert II-We must continue to be fascinated by what nature and the ocean show us, at the same time preserve it”.

The 12th Environmental Symposium brought attention to yachting sustainability and how this issue is addressed by the new generations of engineers, with the aim of promoting a more responsible yachting through alternative energies, innovations and collaboration: an issue that had already been discussed during the Monaco Yacht Show 2022..

During the initiative, the Captains of the YCM Captains’ Club played a very important role, bringing together 150 captains with the 3000 certificate, who work on superyachts flying the YCM flag and who enlivened the 27th Captains’ Forum.

Focusing on the theme “Superyacht Commitment: Management, Leadership and Mentoring”, the meeting aimed to provide a platform for captains to exchange views and help develop the future of yachting.

As part of the initiative, the 1st Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous also came to life, organized by Monaco Marina Management, which gave the 50 Startups, Scaleups and Corporates the opportunity, as well as shipyards, architects and designers, to present their innovative and adaptable solutions for superyachts.

The event, dedicated to the yachting industry and to innovative companies wishing to provide a collective response to the problems related to climate change, concluded the two days with the Smart Innovative Yacht Awards ceremony, which rewarded the most intelligent and eco- responsible solutions in three categories:

Startup – NLcomp (Italy)

Scaleup – Lineat Composites (UK)

Corporate – Wisamo (France)

Last but not least, the Monaco Ocean Week also included the Superyacht Chef Competition. Organized by Yacht Club de Monaco in collaboration with YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre, the culinary competition aims to spotlight the artistic talents and creativity of professional chefs as another important aspect of yachting.

Supervised by Joël Garault, President of Goûts et Saveurs, the jury of experts will be chaired by two-time three Michelin star Yannick Alléno. Nine superyacht chefs will compete in a series of three 45-minute heats, from which three finalists will advance to determine the winner.

In short, an all-round event, which met with great success, touching on absolutely current issues and in line with the demands that new needs impose: more awareness, greater sustainability and above all respect for our seas and our planet.

Surely this year’s edition has highlighted the fact that anyone can contribute to the protection of our planet, and the world of yachting, first of all in this sense, must be a leading example for all sectors.