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YACHT CLASS n°37 (june-july-august 2024)
Yacht Club de Monaco
Last March, the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) organised its traditional “yachting day”, a key event of Monaco Ocean Week, with exploration as this year’s theme.
Written by Aurore Teodoro – Photos : Studio Borlenghi – Mesi / YCM.
It’s an important date in the Yacht Club de Monaco calendar. On Thursday 21 March, it held its yachting day, a key event of the Monaco Ocean Week, organised by the Prince Albert II Foundation in partnership with the Monégasque government, the Oceanographic Institute and Monaco Scientific Centre. As usual, this was a busy day as the club hosted the Environmental Symposium and the YCM Explorer Awards, as well as the Smart Yacht Rendezvous (see page 164). After “Yachting, Laboratory of the Future and Vehicle for the Preservation of the Ocean” in 2019 and “Encouraging the Future of More Responsible Yachting” last year, the 13th edition of this event saw the Monegasque institution celebrate the spirit of adventure with the theme “A Day of Exploration”, organised in partnership with The Explorers Club of New York, whose board of directors includes Prince Albert II. Nearly 150 explorers with diverse backgrounds and experiences attended this conference day. Among them, American astronaut Kathy Sullivan, French explorer Bertrand Picard, Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean, or Emmanuelle and Ghislain Bardout, founders of the Under the Pole expeditions, shared their experiences and the importance of understanding the environment in order to protect it. This year, in addition to the meetings, the club’s marina hosted its first Explorer Dock, inaugurated by YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri, and William Roseman, Executive Director of The Explorers Club. Seven of the boats nominated for the YCM Explorer Awards were moored at the foot of the YCM, including JFA’s NDS Evolution (our article page 52) and the M/Y/King Benji from Dunya Yachts, which was christened during the event.
The YCM Explorer Awards as a highlight
In keeping with the theme, the day ended with the YCM Explorer Awards by La Belle Classe, which since 2019 have rewarded owners who put the environment at the heart of their approach, both in the boat design and their sailing. The awards were presented by YCM President Prince Albert II, alongside Richard Wiese, President Emeritus of The Explorers Club, Mike Horn and Bertrand Piccard. In the “Technology & Innovation” category, S/Y Cachalote, owned by Francisca Cortés, won for its innovative design and sustainable technologies, embodying excellence in the use of technology for marine conservation. The 25-metre also received a 4-star SEA Index® certification on the occasion. The M/Y Archimedes (68m) was awarded the ‘Science & Discovery’ prize for its global explorations and scientific programme with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and SOMAS, while the M/Y Gigi (49m) received the ‘Adventure & Environmental Ethics’ one for its explorations and philanthropic commitment with Allen Exploration. This year’s ‘Coup de Coeur’ went to the M/V Latitude (47m).
