The Yacht Club de Monaco and The Explorers Club of New York joined forces for the inaugural “Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting Rendezvous” — a four-day gathering positioning yachting as a platform for knowledge, exploration and environmental responsibility.
On the occasion of the Yacht Club de Monaco’s end-of-year cocktail reception, its President, H.S.H. Prince Albert II, announced a collaboration between the Yacht Club de Monaco and The Explorers Club of New York, marking a significant new milestone in the collective initiative “Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting.” As part of this partnership, a delegation of around one hundred members from the prestigious American club travelled to the Principality for the 21 to 24 March 2026 event.
The Yacht Club de Monaco, in partnership with The Explorers Club of New York, brought together leading international figures for conferences, exchanges and on-the-water events. Superyacht owners, captains, scientists, institutions and innovation stakeholders all came together around a shared ambition: positioning yachting as a platform serving knowledge, exploration and environmental responsibility.
A Yachting Student Fair
The weekend started with a Yachting Student Fair, with over 800 students visiting Yacht Club de Monaco to discover careers in yachting and exploration, connect with leaders, and find inspiration.
Trevor Wallace joined to share his experience as an underwater archaeologist and expedition leader with the Menorca Shipwreck Project, while Joe Grabowski of Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants connected students with leading explorers in ocean exploration and conservation.
The Future of Ocean Finance Forum
The Explorers Club hosted the first Future of Ocean Finance Forum, led by figures including Rachel Clausing of Fondation Prince Albert II, Irina Fedorenko at Abatable, Chris Verlinden at Entanglement, Inga Thordar at Kanaloa, Philippe Cousteau Jr. at Voyacy Regen, Ralph Rayner at London School of Economics, and Marianne Carpentier at ORRAA. The initiative was started and hosted by Ted Janulis.
A Day of Exploration
“A Day of Exploration” celebrated the ocean on all its frontiers — from discovering more of humanity’s past to devising new ways to protect the blue planet. Speakers shared not just their lifetime of work, but their hopes for the future:
- Daniel Cáceres Bartra — Protecting Peru’s Big 5
- Kakani Katija — The MBARI Bioinspiration Lab
- Franck Baldet, Venturi Space — From Monaco to the Moon
- Trevor Wallace — The Menorca Shipwreck Project
- Arzucan “Zuzu” Askin — Sharks in the Anthropocene
- Martin Nweeia — A Lifetime of Love for the Charismatic Narwhal
- Navarana K’avigak’ Sørensen — Thule drum dance performance
- Philippe & Ashlan Cousteau — A Family’s Legacy of Ocean Conservation
- Andreas B. Heide — Sailing to Protect Fragile Wonders (not streamed)
- Victor Vescovo & Espen Øino — Designing the Greatest Deep Ocean Exploration Vessel
- Steve McCurry & Filippo Ricci, Stefano Ricci — Exploring the World to Explore Ourselves
- Sylvia Earle & Hussain Aga Khan — The Ocean in Popular Imagination
Recognising the Explorer Owners
The final day of the event celebrated the science, technological advancements, and conservation innovations happening within advanced and responsible yachting. Proceedings concluded with the YCM Explorer Awards, honouring visionary owners for using their yachts as platforms for exploration and discovery.
“The four days were of tremendous value and will be a source of inspiration in the days ahead.”
— Gordon Fernandes, Co-founder of Asia Pacific Superyachts and Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association Committee Member
To read more about the event, watch the talks or browse the event photography, visit explorers.org/monaco-2026-recap.