Yacht Class n°42 (Sept-Oct-Nov 2025)
On Saturday 5th July, four days of emulation, competition and high technology have just ended in the Principality. For its twelfth edition, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has become much more than a simple competition: it is today the reflection of the energy transition in the world of sailing, entrusted to the driving forces of the youth.
Written by : Nicolas Massines – Photos : YCM/Studio Borlenghi
At the launch of the event, Bernard d’Alessandri, Secretary General of the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM), underlined the importance of this meeting: “Technologies are moving forward, ideas too, but we must accelerate… It’s time to move from intentions to actions.”
42 teams compete in 4 categories
Alongside HSH Prince Albert II, more than 1,000 students from 29 universities spread over 20 nationalities crossed the swords of ingenuity to defend their vision of a sustainable yachting. This one-of-a-kind event, supported by the Prince Albert II Foundation, UBS, BMW and SBM Offshore, put 42 teams in the running, in a spirit of competition and conviviality both on the water and on the pontoons. Four distinct classes were thus able to measure each other. First of all AI Class, that is to say autonomous boats piloted through artificial intelligence, then the Energy Class featuring hulls with a standard profile, but equipped with various electric drives. The SeaLab Class then expressed itself on the water in order to explore new avenues, such as hydrogen for example, and finally the Open Sea Class for zero emission prototypes, certified CE, with a length of up to 25 m and capable of carrying at least three people. This represents a total of 30 boats powered by electricity, 12 by hydrogen and 12 equipped with foils. A complete and original listing for exciting sports competitions. We can highlight the performances in Open Sea Class, by Frauscher Boats, which wins by flirting with the 50-knot mark (49.84)! While the Italians from UniBoat (University of Bologna) are marking this edition, they have established themselves in endurance, slalom, voting and innovation thanks to a contrarotative pro-drive system, an optimized shell and a very efficient battery.
A gateway between the student and professional world
But the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge goes well beyond pure performances, like the acts held on the sidelines of the events. One can mention the Corporate Mentoring Programme, where companies such as Monaco Marine, SBM Offshore, Sanlorenzo or even Azimut-Benetti, bring their expertise or their engineering to the teams. The Job Forum, for its part, once again served as a bridge between the student and professional worlds, like the Indian team Sea Sakthi, which received no less than four job offers after the 2024 edition. Brilliant, as emphasized by Jérémie Lagarrigue, CEO of EODev and president of the technical jury: “It is unique in the world in the maritime sector. This complementarity between students, industrialists and institutions… We even see the emergence of projects to implement the concept internationally.”
Conferences around hydrogen, decarbonation, and of course AI
Two highly anticipated conferences enriched these days around the crucial issues for the nautical sector. On the one hand, the Advanced Yachting Technology Conference, which brought together guests to discuss underwater noise and its visible environmental impact, carbon capture, green hydrogen supply, cybersecurity, pointing for example to the necessary compartmentalization of networks on board, and of course AI as an essential lever to improve efficiency and reduce carbon footprint. The 6th Hydrogen & Alternative Fuels conference, supported by the Prince Albert II Foundation, explored new technological avenues around methanol, biofuel and storage infrastructure on board the yachts of tomorrow. And as today is preparing for tomorrow, the leaders of the Yacht Club de Monaco have taken it into account since the SEA Index®, this tool for assessing the environmental impact of super-yachts, developed in partnership with UBS, is enriched by new criteria. In addition to the carbon budget, it now includes the measurement of local pollution through fine particles (PM), and the evaluation of underwater noise: NOx. The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is therefore an essential event on the international maritime scene. Days that go beyond technological performances, by exploring new solutions related to environmental problems. We must congratulate the entire management team of the YCM, as well as its partners, for giving today’s youth the opportunity to develop the yachting of tomorrow
