Monaco Energy Boat Challenge: nautical innovation berths in Principality
Monaco Energy Boat Challenge: the 12th edition is underway © YCM
From 1 to 5 July Monaco’s waters are a life-size tech laboratory thanks to the 12th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, where 42 teams from 20 countries use their considerable ingenuity to reinvent maritime propulsion.
Organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco with the support of the Prince Albert II Foundation, the fixture in the nautical calendar has evolved considerably. “There’s a maturity to the projects that we’ve never seen before,” says Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of the YCM. The growing involvement of schools, universities and industry is shaping a promising collaborative ecosystem.
Three technological revolutions
The 2025 edition features some spectacular advances. Artificial intelligence now optimises battery management, maximising performance and range. Hydrogen is taking a major step forward, as a prototype fitted with a revolutionary combustion engine paves the way for retrofitting existing yachts. And 50% of the teams have used toroidal propellers, which significantly reduce underwater noise pollution.
An ecosystem of excellence
The Corporate Mentoring Programme is a perfect illustration of the industry’s commitment. Monaco Marine is supporting the Hydrogadz-Capgemini team, while SBM Offshore is backing several international projects. “It’s about believing in young people’s boldness and talent to invent the yachting of tomorrow,” says Francesco Prazzo, Managing Director of SBM Offshore Monaco.
Yacht Club de Monaco presents summer projects and innovations
Showcasing the future
Apart from the performance angle, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Sustainable Yachting Technology Award, worth 25,000 euros, will be presented to the most promising innovation. The public can come aboard Energy Observer, moored in the YCM Marina, which demonstrates the viability of zero-emission technologies, having covered 68,000 nautical miles.
Monaco is proving once again that it is the epicentre of sustainable nautical innovation.