Yacht Club de Monaco
Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Series
Yacht Club de Monaco launches the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Series,
an international qualifier circuit for sustainable maritime innovation
Yacht Club de Monaco-The paddocks have only just emptied as the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (14th edition: 29 June to 3 July 2027) opens a new chapter in its history. Following a 13th edition that brought together 54 teams representing 21 nations, Yacht Club de Monaco is launching the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Series. The new international qualifying circuit is for boats in the Energy Class, introduced by YCM in 2018, with the goal being to expand the competition without compromising what makes it unique: a Monaco-based final that showcases the most advanced projects.
“The Challenge attracts the best maritime engineering talent from all over the world. To develop it further has led us to take this next step. It will allow us to welcome new teams while upholding the high sporting and technological standards that define this event,” explains Bernard d’Alessandri, YCM Director and General Secretary.
When success demands a new format
Applications have been pouring in over the last few editions, with the number of entrants continuing to grow, the technical level rising, and new countries keen to enter the competition. Its expansion poses one fundamental question: how can the event maintain its high standards of excellence while accommodating more participants?
Starting in 2027, access to the final in Monaco will start to be assessed at continental qualifiers to support the Challenge’s international growth, while upholding its rigorous standards.
Darwin: first World Series Event for the Asia-Pacific region
The first destination to be officially announced for the World Series is Darwin. The Australian city will host the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge Asia-Pacific Qualifier starting in 2027 as a qualifying event for university teams from the Asia-Pacific region aiming for the final in Monaco. As well as the competition, Darwin aims to become a regional hub for sustainable maritime innovation. Its event will also gather universities, industry players, researchers and institutions to promote development of new technologies and build an ecosystem dedicated to the future of sustainable maritime mobility.
“It’s a real privilege to be selected to host the World Series Asia-Pacific qualifiers; for Darwin, this is a major milestone that puts us on the same level as Monaco,” says Michael Canaris, Director of Big Blue Ventures APAC and the event coordinator for Australia. “Our priority now is to attract university teams from Australia and the wider region, and to ensure a sufficient number of teams compete in Darwin”.
The intention with the World Series is not to create a series of independent competitions, but a path to qualifying for the Monaco final, which is under the aegis of the collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ initiative. The Principality will continue to host the final, bringing together the most accomplished projects from the various regional stages. The new format will enable the Challenge to open up to a larger number of teams without compromising its reputation for high standards.
An expanding network
Other continental stages are already being considered to support the international expansion of the Energy Class. The ultimate goal is to create a global network of qualifiers, each sharing the same ambition: to bring together universities, industry players and institutions to accelerate sustainable maritime innovation, before converging on the Principality for the final.
Since its inception in 2014, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has become established as an experimental platform bringing together students, researchers, industry players and shipyards. The launch of this international circuit marks a logical evolution of an event that is a global benchmark and is now adapting its organisation to its own success.
