10th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge from 5 to 8 July 2023

Friday 30th June 2023. Forty-six teams from 25 nations, including 31 universities adds up to around 50 boats all set to participate in this landmark 10th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. Organised by Yacht Club de Monaco, the meeting is for alternative energy sources to power the maritime industry and is unique in that it brings engineering students and professionals together to present their latest innovations.

As one aim is to exchange on sustainability year-round in open source, the event has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2014. With the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, as well as Credit Suisse, BMW and SBM Offshore, the event involves leading players in the yachting industry such as shipyards Oceanco, Ferretti, Sanlorenzo, Lürssen, Monaco Marine and Palumbo SY Refit. "The goal remains to stimulate creativity to design eco-friendly propulsion systems and share the experiences and knowledge acquired," says Bernard d'Alessandri, General Secretary of the Yacht Club de Monaco which organises the event.

Live Career Day: intergenerational bridge

In effect the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge started on Thursday 15th June with the first Live Career Day, an online networking session that kick started initial contacts between yachting professionals and the upcoming generation of engineers as part of the Job Forum. This successful initiative was set up in 2019, since when some 20 young people have taken their first steps into the world of work. Its two-pronged objective is to meet a growing demand by students looking for internships and engineering jobs and meet the expanding needs of the industry.

For this first Live Career Day, Palumbo SY Refit, Comarbel, Vita Power, Sealence and SBM Offshore presented their companies and job offers to potential applicants. "Evidence of curiosity is a key quality when applying to us, as well as being convinced of the role electric propulsion can play in the future for yachting," says Leonard David, CEO of Comarbel. "We need a high skill level but also personalities who are not afraid of a challenge and enjoy working as a team," adds Eleonora d'Ermo from Palumbo SY Refit.

Recruiters are therefore looking for budding young talent with proven technical abilities, but not only that "passion must take precedence on the same level as technical skills," concludes Rory Trahair co-CEO at VITA Power. Beyond motivation, international profiles are sought-after as "we have many opportunities, customers and projects abroad even though our bases are in Milan and Parma," notes Davide Lusignani of Sealence while for Leif A. Stavøstrand, co-founder and CEO of Evoy and Alex Caizergues, CEO at Syroco, "future candidates will also be required to work remotely. They need to be enthusiastic and have a good team spirit".

A total of more than 30 offers were submitted prior to the event and appointments with engineering students made for Thursday 6th and Friday 7th July for the recruitment days at the actual event.

From projects to reality: when professionals lead the way

What sets the event apart is that it unveils the latest advances in greener energy solutions, a major challenge of our times, to the industry and the public. For example, renowned Italian shipyard Sanlorenzo has developed through its subsidiary, Bluegame, a 10m long hydrogen-powered foiling boat with a maximum speed of 50 knots and a range of 180 nautical miles which will be used for the next America's Cup.

New this year is the SeaLab set up in the YCM Marina where visitors can see avant-garde projects, prototypes and demonstrators, including non-CE certificated boats competing in the Open Sea Class like the Hydro Motion Team, a Dutch boat from TU Delft University who are intent on beating the endurance records.

Also present is Malizia-Seaexplorer, the new IMOCA of Team Malizia founded by YCM Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi, which will be in the Principality for the first time on 4th July 2023, with Pierre Casiraghi on board as well as Boris Herrmann and the whole team, having completed The Ocean Race round the world in stages with crew, a distance of 32,000 nautical miles. Equipped with Solbian solar panels and hydro-electric generators enabling it to run solely on renewable energy, the IMOCA also has an Ocean Pack. This miniaturised laboratory measures temperature, salinity and CO2 concentrations in seawater, invaluable data that is shared with the scientific community.

Hydrogen: an energy source with a future

After the half-day conference on Thursday 6th July, entitled Challenges, Engagement and Adoption, participants will have a chance to drill down into details of the hydrogen solution at the 4th Hydrogen Roundtable (Friday 7th July) organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Mission for Energy Transition and YCM. Indeed, hydrogen is at the heart of the 10th edition with seven teams using this energy source this year.

YCM E-Boat Rally: a first to demonstrate that the technology is efficient

Alongside contests for the Solar Class, Energy Class and Open Sea Class, a conference, daily Tech Talks and industry pitches, there are many other surprises. Organised in partnership with Aqua superPower, the first YCM E-Boat Rally aims to gather a record number of electric powered boats on the market, as a now viable solution for leisure boats, to demonstrate their potential in a rally from Monaco to Ventimiglia in Italy and back (21 nautical miles). Participants have come from all over Europe such as Evoy & Performance Marine (Norway), Xshore & Candela (Sweden), Lasai (Spain), Hydro Impulse (Austria), Comarbel (France), VAMP Marine (Holland), EDYN (Slovenia), Lanéva (Monaco), Vita (United Kingdom) and the Italians of Sealance with El-Iseo from the Ferretti Group.  It is an all-electric version of the popular versatile Iseo, a 27-foot runabout with sleek modern lines that retains its air of sophistication, hull, deck and stylish details and colour, but which runs on an electric Parker GVM310 engine.

Also new this year is the first E-Dock, a pontoon equipped with AC (Alternative Current) and DC (Direct Current) chargers capable of recharging 20+ boats at the same time with a fast reliable supply.

As part of the collective 'Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting' approach, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge continues to assert its position as a key player in the environmental transition.