8th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

July 6th -10th   2021 

Yacht Club de Monaco

While the 8th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, 32 teams representing 22 worldwide and European universities were engaged with 3 diffents categories : Energy Class (19 boats), Solar Class (10 boats) and Open Sea Class ( 5 boats). The competition took place in the Monaco sea territory with the best sea and wind conditions for such a challenge. Each team  has shown strong speed , endurance, manoeuvrability and fiability

Organised since 2014 by The Monaco Yacht Club, in collaboration with the International Powerboating Federation, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is totally unique througout the world.

The Principality of Monaco is known to be upward and forward. More than a century, some already very pioneers of other type of propulsion came to Monaco to launch their latest technical discoveries. This tradition of open access is always ongoing and its the singulrity of Monaco Teck Talks.

Three different classes, for sport, performance and expérimentation :

Energy Class

In the Energy Class, introduced in 2018 by the YCM — which supplies each team with the same hull design — the challenge for students, working with industry partners, is to design the most powerful and durable propulsion system using a clean energy source of their choice, from a given quantity of energy. A laboratory of innovation, many and varied avenues have been pursued since its launch, from fuel cells to recovering heat to improve efficiency, and artificial intelligence.

In 2020, online presentations revealed that a lot of thought had also gone into cockpit design.

SPECIFICATIONS: Length: 5m – Beam: 2.5m – Height: 0.45m – Displacement: 250kg

Solar Class

Competing at every edition since the first one held in 2014, boats in the Solar Class will be involved in match racing, slalom and endurance races.

Some teams, like AGH Solar Boat Team, have already announced that they are working on new boats. We look forward to seeing future developments that should emerge from this historic class.

Open Sea Class

This class, formerly known as the Offshore Class and mainly open to vessels already on the market or about to enter it, includes a 16 nautical mile coastal course to Ventimiglia in Italy from Monaco, a distance of 16nm (29.6km). An endurance race will also be organised to test the boats’ range. It will be a real test for green-energy propelled boats that are already being marketed or are in development.

Various conferences on environement transition in the yachting industry

While almost 400 students were testing on the sea the solutions for tomorrow, various conferences and meeting about environment transistion in the yachting industry occurred inside the Yacht Club of Monaco. 12 speakers with 4 sessions talked about  the different solutions already available for the yachting industry and some advanced traks towards neutral carbone.

Hydroge,  at the heart of this 8th édition….

Spécialistes, écologistes, économistes parlent d’une solution énergétique imparable. L’hydrogène fait l’objet de toutes les spéculations et de nombre d’études et d’analyses. Une table ronde lui est consacrée dès demain vendredi, l’occasion pour les représentants gouvernementaux monégasques, les institutionnels de la Principauté et des états voisins, d’évoquer le développement de projets hydrogène adaptés aux problématiques de la mobilité maritime mais aussi terrestre.

Innovations up to the propellers

At the Monaco Boat Energy Challenge, innovation has no limit.The Mines ParisTech team worked to produce an propeller in printed 3D which is just unique by the conception, the rate of return.and even flexibility.

Alex Caizergues reached 150 Km/h speed water !

The multiple kite worldspeed recordman, first man to exceed 100 km/h on water, Alain Cayzergues, were there in Monaco. He assisted with passion to the conferences and meetings, to the jury and even presented his own project Syroco, a speed craft push by the wind. 

A world premiere mondiale, a « prao à foils » with solar energy !

With the 7 m- long, its solar panels and its supposed speed of 30nd, the  Swiss Solar Boat is not at all an ordinary boat. It sur-name is even « Dahu ». The EPFL students of Lausanne designed it as a prao. A prao is an asymetric multicoque, like the Polynesian pirogue. They sailed – not to say fligthed ! - at more than 17 nd.

More info :  www.energyboatchallenge.com

Press Contac : Yacht Club de Monaco
Tél : (+377) 93 10 64 09 – E-mail : presse@ycm.org