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Month: September 2026

Prince Albert II tours Benetti’s new hybrid superyacht as M/Y Dagger joins SEA Index

by: Virginia D’Umas
28/09/2026

A new 67-metre hybrid superyacht made its Monaco Yacht Show debut with Prince Albert II on board and a SEA Index certification to its name. The Prince toured Benetti’s Dagger on 24th September, highlighting a partnership with the Yacht Club de Monaco that aims to make the environmental performance of superyachts measurable.

The 67-metre Italian-built hybrid superyacht marked its debut at the show by officially joining the growing fleet of vessels certified by the SEA Index. 

The certification highlights the ongoing partnership between Benetti and the Yacht Club de Monaco in advancing sustainable and responsible yachting. It reflects the shipbuilder’s strategy to integrate practical solutions that reduce environmental impact without compromising performance or onboard comfort.

Expanding standards for sustainable yachting

Developed in 2020 by the Yacht Club de Monaco and Credit Suisse (an UBS Group brand), the SEA Index serves as an independent environmental standard for evaluating and comparing CO2 emissions across superyachts. Certified by Lloyd’s Register and built on verifiable data, the framework provides owners and industry professionals with a transparent benchmark to track and improve environmental performance.

More than 130 vessels over 24 metres currently hold the certification. The scope broadened at the start of the 2026 season to include boats starting from 10 metres, widening its reach across the global fleet while retaining a rigorous, independent methodology. Beyond carbon tracking, the initiative expanded in 2026 to incorporate an air-quality certification developed alongside AtmoSud, focusing on nitrogen oxides and fine particles. Future updates are set to introduce underwater radiated noise measurements to further evaluate maritime environmental impact.

Following the M/Y Kasper 7—Benetti’s first 67-metre yacht to secure the certification—the M/Y Dagger reinforces the shipyard’s commitment to low-emission navigation.

Benetti’s new 67-metre hybrid yacht Dagger. Photo credit: Benetti

Hybrid architecture and efficiency

Designed as hull FB288—the shipyard’s specific sequential project number used during construction—the M/Y Dagger pairs a conventional propulsion setup with electric technology and next-generation salt batteries. This modular system allows the yacht to adapt its energy profile to different navigation scenarios, optimising fuel consumption and power management whenever conditions permit.

The hybrid configuration also cuts down on noise and vibrations, raising standards for passenger comfort. 

Through this latest SEA Index certification, Benetti continues to align with the Yacht Club de Monaco’s broader ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ initiative, positioning environmental accountability as a core pillar of modern luxury shipbuilding.

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From left to right: Bernard d’Alessandri (General Secretary and General Manager of the Yacht Club de Monac0), Giovanna Vitelli (Chair of Azimut | Benetti Group, holding the SEA Index certification plaque awarded to the yacht) and Prince Albert II. Photo credit: Michaël Alesi – Palais Princier 

Monaco Moravia balloon returns to the Palace, and sets its sights on America

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/09/2026

The red-and-white Monaco Moravia hot-air balloon rose once more over the Place du Palais during the Monaco Yacht Show, a weather-dependent spectacle staged for the second year running by the Club des Aéronautes de Monaco — even as the club set its sights far beyond the Principality, on a coast-to-coast crossing of the United States.

Tethered to the ground and fully inflated rather than set free, the balloon was displayed in the square beneath the Prince’s Palace. Staging it there is never guaranteed: wind strength and direction are tracked hour by hour, and at times minute by minute, and the decision to go ahead was confirmed only minutes before inflation began, once conditions were judged favourable.

The public were invited to enjoy the Monaco balloon in the Palace Square. Photo credit: Ed Wright

“The trust placed in us by the Sovereign, by allowing us to fly on his land, is an immense honour,” said Alain Cruteanschii, the club’s founder, president and pilot of the national balloon, who summed up the evening as “a feeling of pride, and of a duty accomplished”.

Prince Albert II has accepted the honorary presidency of the Aéronautes de Monaco, lending official backing to what Cruteanschii called an “eco-friendly red-and-white balloon, a true symbol of the Principality’s commitment”. The display was mounted with the club’s principal partner, Moravia Yachting, on board since last year.

Across America, and around the Alps

The club’s ambitions now reach well beyond Monaco. Its headline plan is to cross the United States from east to west in 2027–2028, over seven stages and nearly two months. “Departing from Philadelphia, the birthplace of Princess Grace,” Cruteanschii said, “this adventure will take us to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, where we will compete in the Nations Cup” — a route that ties Monaco’s balloon to the American hometown of its late princess.

Before then, the balloon has a busy winter. In January it is due to appear at the Mondovì festival in Italy, at Méribel in the Three Valleys and at the International Château-d’Œx Balloon Festival in Switzerland; in February it heads to Verbier and to Auron in the Alpes-Maritimes, with further destinations promised.

For Cruteanschii, the payoff is exposure for the Principality. The American crossing, he said, will provide “a remarkable international showcase for what, in our eyes, is one of the Principality’s most beautiful emblems”.

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Main photo credit: Ed Wright 

The end of Terrae: Jessica Sbaraglia on her urban-farming future

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/09/2026

For a decade, Jessica Sbaraglia showed that vegetables could grow in the middle of Monaco: on a hotel rooftop, beside one of the Principality’s tallest towers and in gardens created for schools, hospital patients and businesses. Now Terrae, the company behind those projects, has been placed in liquidation. Its vegetable production has now ended, but Sbaraglia says she will continue the educational and therapeutic work that became central to its mission.

SARL Terrae was placed into liquidation on 10th September 2026. Speaking to Monaco Life, Sbaraglia said the decision followed difficulty replacing a departing market gardener, rising costs and a desire to spend more time with her young daughter.

“After ten years of activity, I had to face the fact that I could no longer continue,” she said. “It was not a decision I took lightly. It was the result of several difficulties that accumulated over time.”

Why Terrae’s vegetable production stopped

The immediate turning point, Sbaraglia said, was the departure of her market gardener in June. He had decided to leave the region for a new project, and she knew replacing him would be difficult. In a small farming operation, she said, each departure left the business exposed.

At the same time, the costs of running the company had continued to rise. Sbaraglia described the rent for its premises as “exorbitant” and its accounting fees as disproportionate for a business of its size. Those fixed costs became increasingly difficult to carry against the narrow margins of vegetable growing.

The birth of her daughter also made her reconsider a schedule of long working days and few holidays. “Today, I also want to be there for her,” she said. “That pace is no longer compatible with the family life I want to give her.”

According to Sbaraglia, all vegetable production stopped on 30th June. She listed the garden at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, a garden for Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer in Beausoleil, several corporate gardens and the garden at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, or CHPG, among the operations brought to an end. Terrae had been producing around 3.5 tonnes of vegetables a year, she said.

Prince Albert II with Jessica Sbaraglia. Photo credit: Michael Alesi, Government Communications Department

A decade of growing food in Monaco

Jessica Sbaraglia founded Terre de Monaco in 2016, later renaming it Terrae. The business brought vegetable gardens, beehives and chicken coops into spaces that few would have associated with farming. By 2021, it had developed some 1,600 square metres of urban growing space across sites including the CHPG, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Tour Odéon and Monte-Carlo Bay. Its work won the Sustainable Development Award at the 2021 Monaco-Matin Club Eco awards.

Some of those gardens supplied prominent kitchens. At Monte-Carlo Bay, Terrae worked with Michelin star chef Marcel Ravin on a 360-square-metre organic garden. In Beausoleil, it collaborated on a 400-square-metre kitchen garden associated with the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, whose produce was used in the hotel’s restaurant.

Its work reached beyond hotels. Terrae helped AS Monaco establish a garden at the club’s Performance Centre in 2021, growing herbs, vegetables and fruit selected with the players’ nutrition in mind. The club later worked with Terrae on its Ruches Rouges & Blanches beekeeping initiative and brought Academy players to the urban farm at the foot of Tour Odéon. Those projects help explain why Sbaraglia became such a recognisable advocate for urban agriculture in Monaco.

Jessica Sbaraglia with multi-Michelin starred chef Marchel Ravin. Photo credit: Michael Alesi, Government Communications Department

The school gardens and therapeutic workshops will continue

The company’s closure does not mean Sbaraglia is leaving urban agriculture. She said she has set up a simpler business in her own name, without employees, to focus on lessons, workshops and consulting.

She intends to continue working with children in Monaco’s schools, as well as running therapeutic workshops and activities for children and adults at the mini-farm beside Tour Odéon. At the CHPG, she has kept four planting beds specifically for workshops with the psychiatry department.

“These workshops bring a great deal to the patients, and stopping them was out of the question for me,” she said.

The school programme is among Terrae’s best-known projects. In March this year, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Monaco Telecom renewed their support for the initiative run with the Department of Education, Youth and Sports. According to the Foundation, it had reached six schools and nearly 600 children, teaching them about growing food and the cycle of the seasons. That announcement was made less than four months before Terrae ended its vegetable production.

For Sbaraglia, the encounters in those gardens remain the reason to carry on. She spoke of children and adults learning that a tomato grows on a plant, laughing at the sight of an earthworm or discovering how to care for insects and animals. She also thanked the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the education department and the people who had encouraged her work over the years.

“I have invested so much time and energy in Terrae that I have no regrets,” she said. “Closing Terrae is not an end for me, but a transformation.”

The harvests may have stopped, but Sbaraglia says she will keep working with schoolchildren, patients and older residents, including through new intergenerational classes. The business that grew Monaco’s vegetables has closed; the lessons she built around those gardens are continuing.

See also: 

Monaco Telecom and Prince Albert II Foundation renew school sustainability programme

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Lumières sur la Lagune: Venetian masters take centre stage in Monaco

by: Virginia D’Umas
25/09/2026

Nearly thirty paintings by thirteen master artists of the golden age of the veduta have gone on display in the Principality. Conceived by veteran art dealer and gallerist Cesare Lampronti, the exhibition Lumières sur la Lagune opened on 23rd September with a press event at Hartford Fine Art – Lampronti Gallery. 

As the Monaco Yacht Show brings the global maritime elite to the Principality’s harbour, a parallel voyage across the water unfolds just steps away.

Timed to coincide with the annual gathering, Lumières sur la Lagune establishes an immediate dialogue between the modern superyachts docked outside and the historic lagoons of eighteenth-century Venice captured within.

Michele Marieschi’s ‘Capriccio of a Mediterranean Coastal Town with Fishermen by a Bridge’ (left) and ‘An architectural capriccio with figures, the Basilica di San Marco in the distance’ (right). Photo credit: Virginia D’Umas

Sourcing the masters on a global scale

The masterworks, which will be exhibited until 25th November 2026, represent thirteen of the greatest protagonists of 18th-century Venetian view painting, including Canaletto, Bernardo Bellotto, Francesco Guardi, and Michele Marieschi. As Lampronti explained to Monaco Life, assembling this collection was no small task: “As you might expect, this is the fruit of years of dedicated searching—these paintings are notoriously difficult to track down.”

To gather these masterpieces, the gallery sourced works from across the globe—spanning America, England, France, and Italy. The showcase provides a comprehensive cognitive overview of a period when the veduta transformed Venice into a universal cultural image. 

Connecting with new collectors in Monaco

The decision to launch the exhibition during the Monaco Yacht Show was a deliberate choice to engage an international audience. Lampronti highlighted the strong synergy between the maritime setting of the yacht show and the nautical themes of Venetian view painting:

“Launching this during the Yacht Show, when the city is so connected to the maritime world, is a wonderful opportunity to present our gallery here. I hope it helps reignite interest in classical collecting, which faces certain challenges in today’s market.” 

By placing major works alongside more accessible pieces by lesser-known artists, the gallery aims to inspire a new wave of collecting.

A lifelong dedication to old masters

At 84 years old, Cesare Lampronti looks back on a remarkable 65-year career in the art market. Having started his first gallery at age 19 in Rome on Via del Babbuino, he later expanded internationally by opening a London branch in Duke Street in 2012. Following structural changes in the UK market post-Brexit, Lampronti chose his home of Monaco for the gallery’s newest chapter, opening Hartford Fine Art – Lampronti Gallery in April 2026. Reflecting on his mission, Lampronti shared: “I simply hope to be a strong link in the chain—someone who helps keep the world’s eyes turned toward the beauty of Italian art.” 

Masterpiece spotlight: Canaletto’s 1726 Tour de Force

Among the defining highlights that invoke the spirit of the period is Canaletto’s monumental 1726 composition, ‘The French Ambassador’s Arrival in Venice’—depicting the grand reception of Count Jacques-Vincent Languet de Gergy at the Doge’s Palace. Capturing the festivities with analytical precision, the iconic work reflects the absolute pinnacle of Venetian view painting. Describing the magnitude of such masterworks, Lampronti concluded: “It takes a tremendous commitment to secure a piece of this scale. This magnificent painting is truly extraordinary, representing perhaps the most important Canaletto masterwork in existence.”

Whether admiring monumental vistas or intricate architectural details, visitors can experience the exhibition free of charge at Hartford Fine Art – Lampronti Gallery, located at 21 Boulevard Princesse Charlotte in Monaco, until 25th November 2026.

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Cesare Lampronti standing in front of Canaletto’s monumental 1726 composition, ‘The French Ambassador’s Arrival in Venice’. Photo credit: Virginia D’Umas

New private club launched in Monte-Carlo to unite Romanian entrepreneurs and Monaco business leaders

by: Virginia D’Umas
25/09/2026

An exclusive networking event has been held at the Princess Grace Theatre bringing together Romanian entrepreneurs and Monaco business leaders for strategic exchanges and high-level networking, showcasing the Principality’s distinctive lifestyle.

The selected community – brought together by the CCPMR (Club de Connexions Privées Monaco-Roumanie) on Friday 18th September – featured over 200 key Romanian entrepreneurs alongside more than 50 investors, senior executives, and decision-makers. Attendees focused on forging new partnerships and exploring business opportunities across Monaco and the French Riviera.

Bridging two worlds through a new private connection club

The evening marked the launch of the new Monaco-Romania Private Connection Club, opening with remarks from presenter Mihaela Rădulescu Schwartzenberg—a well-known Romanian businesswoman, television host, and producer—who welcomed guests in Romanian, English, and French.

Mihaela Rădulescu Schwartzenberg at the CCPMR launch in Monaco. Photo credit: CCPMR

Mihaela pointed out that while discretion remains Monaco’s defining currency, local residents and professionals still come together to connect, collaborate, and celebrate success. Having lived in Monaco for 17 years, the presenter expressed immense pride in hosting the first major international Romanian event in the Principality, encouraging attendees to be direct, curious, and supportive of one another rather than staying reserved.

Mihaela also highlighted a defining characteristic of the Romanian business leaders present, explaining the absence of generational wealth: “We don’t have old money in Romania because of our communist past, which dismantled private wealth. Yet, everyone in this room started from zero and built impressive careers and fortunes from nothing. They are a testament to incredible resilience, and they are going to make us even more proud from now on in Monaco.”

Institutional support and core values

Corinne Bertani, Vice-President for Commerce and Productivity of the National Council of Monaco, welcomed the participants, highlighting Monaco’s diverse community and excellent educational system. Following this, Daniel Epuré, the founder and president of the newly launched private connection club (CCPMER), delivered an emotional speech emphasising trust, human connection, and creating concrete opportunities for Romanian entrepreneurs within Monaco’s international business environment, saying: “At the base of any durable construction lies trust.”

Additionally, Iuliu Stocklosa, President of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry—an institution representing over 35.5% of Romania’s GDP—shared valuable organisational insights and advised extending leadership terms for long-term stability. 

Ultimately, the initiative bridges Romanian creativity, courage, and ambition with Monaco’s prestige, rigour, and prosperity to turn initial introductions into enduring business success stories.

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CCPMR launch at the Princess Grace Theatre. Photo credit: CCPMR

UAE targets longer yacht stays with new alliance unveiled in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/09/2026

Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah have formed the UAE Yachting Alliance, establishing their first formal three-emirate partnership to promote the country as a connected international yachting destination.

The memorandum of understanding was signed on the opening day of the Monaco Yacht Show by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.

The alliance will develop integrated cruising routes and itineraries intended to make it easier for yachts to travel between the three emirates. By packaging the destinations into a single journey, the authorities hope to encourage longer stays and generate more business for marinas, charter companies and other marine tourism operators.

The agreement also establishes a unified platform through which the emirates can engage with the international yachting industry, participate jointly in yacht shows and coordinate marketing campaigns.

A further objective is to advocate for more streamlined processes for visiting superyachts. Abu Dhabi and Dubai introduced a simplified protocol at the beginning of 2026, allowing sailing permits issued by either emirate to be recognised for travel between them and removing duplicate local entry and exit procedures.

One itinerary across three emirates

The alliance brings together three distinct cruising propositions: Abu Dhabi’s island and cultural attractions, Dubai’s established marina and waterfront infrastructure, and Ras Al Khaimah’s 68 kilometres of coastline beneath the Hajar Mountains.

Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said the partnership would help charter operators and destination management companies create itineraries linking Abu Dhabi’s marinas with Saadiyat Island and Sir Bani Yas Island.

“By creating seamless cruising routes with Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, we are making our capital’s coastal treasures more accessible than ever to the global yachting community,” he said.

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said the alliance would give owners and charter operators greater choice while supporting the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the emirate’s economy by 2033.

“By connecting marinas, coastlines and experiences more closely, we can give yacht owners, charter operators and visitors greater choice, flexibility and even more reasons to explore the UAE as part of a single journey,” Kazim said.

Ras Al Khaimah joins regional yachting push

The inclusion of Ras Al Khaimah significantly broadens the itinerary beyond the UAE’s two largest established yachting centres.

Phillipa Harrison, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said the agreement coincided with substantial investment in the emirate’s waterfront and its ambition to attract more than 3.5 million visitors annually by 2030.

She highlighted the emirate’s combination of coastline, mountain scenery, Emirati culture and expanding hospitality infrastructure, including the forthcoming Wynn Al Marjan Island and new marina developments.

The alliance has not yet released specific routes, implementation dates or details of any further regulatory changes. However, the agreement creates a formal framework for the three emirates to coordinate destination promotion and develop a more integrated yachting offer.

Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok. 

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