Monaco’s yachting industry came together on Wednesday 15th May for the annual Spring Pop-Up hosted by Cluster Yachting Monaco at the Yacht Club de Monaco, where sustainability, innovation, and practical solutions took centre stage. With Monaco’s marina as the backdrop, the event offered a snapshot of the sector’s evolving priorities — from smarter refits to digital diagnostics — and underscored a collective ambition to steer yachting towards a greener future.
The event drew a broad spectrum of the industry’s key players, including owners, designers, engineers and brokers, as well as the Cluster’s newly appointed Vice-Presidents: Arthur Bohr of Monaco Marine and Olivier Lavagna of SEPM. Their presence signalled renewed momentum for industry-wide cooperation.
Learning from the wider maritime world
The day opened with a roundtable led by Vincent Huens de Brouwer, focusing on innovations from the cruise and commercial shipping sectors. Vianney Vautier of Orient Express shared details of the 220-metre sailing yacht Corinthian, calling it “the largest in the world for premium cruises” and noting its use of 6,000 sensors to optimise every voyage. “The best fuel is one that doesn’t combust,” he said, highlighting the ship’s rigid sails and intelligent energy systems.
Victor Gibon of JIFMAR GROUP detailed the Canopée, a hybrid cargo ship built to carry Ariane 6 rocket parts. It’s already seen fuel reductions of up to 50%, and even 100% in sail-only mode. Meanwhile, Victor Collazos of V.ERDE reminded the audience that regulation is coming fast: “Yachting may only account for 0.3% of global maritime emissions, but it won’t escape scrutiny. Europe now imposes an energy rating system from A to E.”
What owners want
In a candid second panel moderated by renowned designer Espen Øino, yacht owners shared real-world perspectives. For Laurent Reiss (M/Y Asteria), family adventure was central to his design priorities. “We wanted to explore the planet and show our children the world,” he said, stressing the need for autonomy and robustness at sea.
Frank Binder (M/Y XEIA) criticised overly standardised designs, while Heigo Paartalu of YachtWay emphasised the need for modular spaces and introduced his tech platform for personalising yacht searches and virtual tours. But all agreed on a key concern: the difficulty in retaining crew. “The rotation system sounds great in theory, but in reality, it works more for the crew than the owner,” said Reiss.
Small changes, big impact
The third and final discussion, led by David Seal, zoomed in on the ageing global fleet and the immediate steps that can make a difference. With 70% of yachts now over a decade old, Arthur Bohr of Monaco Marine argued that each yacht requires a custom sustainability plan. Examples included replacing 520 halogen bulbs with LEDs on a 50m yacht — a move that saves up to 57,000 litres of fuel annually.
Natalie Quévert of SEA Index highlighted the importance of measurement in driving change. “Our CO2 certification is a vital benchmark. Surprisingly, some well-balanced older yachts outperform newer hybrids in energy scores.” The message was clear: improvement starts with data.
Attitudes are also shifting. Bohr recalled an owner who was confronted by his grandchildren refusing to board due to environmental concerns. “That moment was a turning point,” he said.
A market in transition
Beyond the roundtables, 16 yachts from 12 to 52 metres were on display in the YCM Marina, presented by Cluster members including Edmiston, Espen Øino, Ocean Independence, Sanlorenzo, Azimut Yachts and BehneMar. While not all featured green innovations, the lineup reflected growing market demand for sustainable design and performance.
With nearly 100 member businesses, Cluster Yachting Monaco is positioning itself as a driver of responsible innovation. In 2022, yachting represented €567 million in revenue for the Principality — 3% of the total — and supported over 1,400 onshore jobs.
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