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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMonaco, 4th<\/sup> May 2026. Along the quays of the Yacht Club, anticipation builds gently. Students, scientists, sailors and journalists mingle in an atmosphere at once studious and vibrant. A few metres away, the sailing vessel Wiki, an elegant silhouette launched in 1920, is preparing to write a new chapter of her history\u2014and perhaps, in her own way, that of the Mediterranean Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At 3:45 p.m., the ribbon falls. A few minutes later, at exactly 4:00 p.m., Wiki casts off her moorings as all eyes turn seaward. The gesture is symbolic, almost solemn: that of a departure which goes far beyond mere navigation. Carried by the Help Save The Med project, the expedition promises to be exceptional in scope: three years at sea, more than 40,000 kilometres to be sailed, and a clear ambition: to reconnect the shores of the Mediterranean around a shared purpose. \u201cThe Mediterranean is in danger. But this project is not only about the environment; it is also about culture,\u201d explains Tom Woods, the initiator of the venture. \u201cIt is about creating a community of interests among the 24 countries and territories that border it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On board, the crew embodies this plural vision: sailors, scientists, filmmakers and young reporters form a floating micro-society dedicated to transmission and sharing knowledge. Far from a regatta, Woods is keen to stress: \u201cThis is not a race. We will sometimes encounter difficulties, but the idea is to create dialogue where none exists.\u201d The concept is simple\u2014almost radical in the world of yachting: to sail with purpose. Each port of call becomes a laboratory of exchange, bringing together scientific research, educational workshops and local encounters. \u201cSailing, celebrating, racing\u2026 that\u2019s all well and good. But can we do something that is genuinely useful?\u201d he asks. \u201cPersonally, I want to leave a clean sea for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The expedition places young people at the very centre of its course. Tens of thousands of school pupils will be involved, either in person or remotely, through an international educational programme. From Nice on 5th<\/sup> May, then on to Port-Cros, Corsica and beyond, each stopover will be transformed into a platform for learning and awareness-raising. The aim is simple: to understand, to document and to pass on. \u201cThe young are less uncompromising than adults,\u201d Woods continues. \u201cWe, ourselves, have not succeeded, so let us give them the means to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Monaco was chosen as the starting point, it is no coincidence. \u201cBernard d\u2019Alessandri once told me: yachting must change. I listened straight away,\u201d Woods confides. Supported by the Yacht Club de Monaco, presided over by H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, the project finds a natural resonance in the Principality. \u201cIt is a place that understands the sea, which protects it, and where values of continuity and commitment are shared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/yachtclass.mc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DSC02141-copie-700x394.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA departure full of meaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSailing with purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Youth at the heart of the project<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMonaco, home port of a shared ambition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A collective dynamic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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