MONACO, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After four intense days of action, the curtain falls on the 13th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. Organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco, the event brought together 54 teams from 21 countries, ranging from France, Italy and Switzerland to countries as far away as India, Puerto Rico and China, alongside researchers, shipyards, companies and universities.
One of the major announcements was the launch of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Series. The international competition, stretching from Italy to Australia, will create a more competitive pathway for future editions (the 2027 edition is scheduled to take place from 29 June to 3 July). The first qualifying event will take place on Lake Como, Italy, in April 2027, with the support of Volta27 and Alessandro Volta Foundation, primarily serving European countries with multiple Energy Class entries. A second qualifying event will be launched in Darwin, Australia, providing universities and teams from Asia-Pacific with a direct route to Monaco. Scheduled to debut in 2027, it will serve as the qualifying event for the 2028 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Final.
“We started the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge with just two boats in the first year. It wasn't much, but every year we have continued to grow, with more boats and more participants joining the event. Every year we see young people bringing new ideas. In my opinion, there is no other place where so many young people work on yachting projects while presenting genuine innovations. That is something truly unique,” explained Bernard d'Alessandri, General Secretary and Managing Director of the Yacht Club de Monaco. “We talk about innovation on boats, but we also talk about the conferences. We have built a high-level conference program that brings together people thinking about the future of yachting,” he added.
An all-Italian podium marked the Energy Class at the prize-giving ceremony. Once again, first place went to the University of Bologna Argonauts Team (Italy), followed by Politecnico di Milano and UniGenova. “I'm very happy about the result because we won both the Slalom race and the Championship race. The first one we won for two tenths of a second so it was really close with Milan and for the Championship we won against Croatia for half of a meter. Both were very close,” said Massimiliano Scalzulli, pilot for the team. The Swiss Solar Boat Team was crowned overall champion. In the AI Class, first place went to the Adria Autonomous Boat Team (Croatia), while the SeaLab Class was won by Red Wave (Italy).
Among the newcomers this year was Hainan University from China, which designed and built its prototype in less than two months. "We developed this boat with only six students," explained Professor Yijun Shen, Dean of the School of Marine Technology and Equipment. "Its carbon-fibre tubular structure is completely different from most of the boats here. I discovered the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge only last year and immediately decided to create a team because it is a unique opportunity to showcase our research internationally."
One of this year's major innovations was the introduction of e-methanol, showcased by the SURGE Methanol Foiling Team Twente (University of Twente). As Jérémie Lagarrigue, President of the Challenge's International Jury, explained: “Today, e-methanol is produced by combining green hydrogen with captured CO₂. This allows us to achieve a neutral CO₂ emissions balance.”
Lionel Beffre, Minister of the Interior for the Principality of Monaco, visited the teams on the final day of competition, praising the event as another example of Monaco's commitment to innovation, research and environmental transition. In his view, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has become a true laboratory where students, researchers and industry work together to develop tomorrow's maritime solutions. “It is by bringing together different cultures and ideas that we will collectively move forward,” he said.
Organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco with the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, UBS, BMW, SBM Offshore, Monaco City Hall, NatPower H and ESA NanoTech, the event brought together more than 600 students, alongside researchers, industry leaders and shipyards including Safe Harbor, Oceanco, Ferretti Group, Azimut | Benetti Group and Lürssen, all united by a common goal: accelerating the energy transition of the maritime sector.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/24b8af91-e460-4248-9018-4681c91d4e94