29th Captains’ Forum: MYC 2025

The theme Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity of World Maritime Day, organised by the International Maritime Organization, reflects the vital role the Ocean plays on the day Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) gathered a hundred superyacht captains and international experts for the 29th Captains’ Forum entitled Leading today ahead of tomorrow. The event, created in 2007 and organised by the YCM Captains' Club, brought together more than 115 superyacht captains, representing a combined fleet length of 4,973 metres, and recently welcomed 14 new members.

Bernard d’Alessandri, YCM General Secretary and President of Cluster Yachting Monaco reminded the audience of the YCM’s mission to anticipate major challenges for yachting and bring this committed community together: “It’s a sector that’s progressing. We have launched many processes in the drive to promote eco-responsible yachting. YCM is an ideal platform focused on this very issue and I’m delighted to see so many of us mobilising”.

In a rapidly changing sector, the Captains’ Forum reaffirmed the vital role captains play in this evolution on a human and environmental level. Discussions focused on two sessions: Beyond compliance: the power of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), followed by Ecological strategies to increase yachts value: empowering captains to stay ahead of the fleet - SEA Index.

Chaired by Steve Monk (Director, Da Gama Maritime), former Royal Navy Navigator with over two decades aboard HMS Ark Royal and extensive experience training NATO bridge teams, the first panel explored the issue of CPD. All the speakers were agreed that mandatory training set by STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) is a minimum foundation that must be supplemented by realities at sea and owners’ expectations.

For Chris Andreason (Yacht Management Director - Edmiston), ongoing training must be viewed as a strategic investment, not a constraint. He emphasised that continuous learning reduces accidents, improves crew retention, and strengthens the sector’s reputation. Speakers also insisted on the importance of developing a learning culture on board where every crew member is encouraged to share their skills and adapt to new situations.

According to Tracey Santrian (Co-founder and Senior Consultant - BZ Maritime Leadership), CPD is above all a question of professionalism as it sets standards, ensures skills are up to date and encourages people to plan for the future. Lynne Edwards (Owner and Lead Trainer at Phoenix Superyacht Training) stressed the importance of training crew members in roles not subject to regulatory requirements, although they are in the front line with owners and guests. She pointed out that evolving hospitality standards require increased awareness and investment in CPD for often invisible teams.

Chris Frisby (Director of Training and Operations - UKSA) highlighted the importance of closing skills gaps and creating career pathways for future generations. He spoke about the decisive role played by mentors and trainers in his career and how training is so closely allied to passing on skills. He said it was important to structure clear pathways for the younger generation to support the emergence of tomorrow’s officers and captains.

Finally, James Brooke (RYA Instructor - La Belle Classe Academy, the YCM training center) reminded attendees: “At the heart of performance, there is training.” Drawing on his experience as a Royal Marines Commando and RNLI crewman, he underscored the value of preparing for the unexpected.

An experienced captain took the debate on a more direct turn in denouncing the obstacles encountered. “The captain has to deal directly with owners which is not always easy... You have to train the owner to accept that the crew need to be trained, and need the time necessary to follow a course. It is time for you to respect the rules of crew on board”. His remarks received loud applause, highlighting the fact that training is not just a technical issue but a question of culture and governance.

Continuing professional development is not an option. There are solutions to get round the perceived constraints (online courses, onboard training, partnerships with centres of excellence) but it requires a collective will. Training is above all about protecting the crews, the boats and the industry’s reputation.

In conclusion, Steve Monk summed up the panel’s views: “We need you to help us better understand your problems, so we can build together concrete solutions. One avenue is to develop centres of excellence – here at the Yacht Club de Monaco, but also in other marinas – where we can organise ongoing training and raise awareness among those higher up the decision- making chain. Owners need to be more aware of the realities of the profession. Brokers should stop selling an idealised image. We need a return to reality; we can do our jobs, do them safely and allow crews to go home without being totally exhausted”.

The second session, chaired by Neity Maddock (Investment Promotion and Trade Delegation Specialist), focused on the added-value of ecological strategies. Txema Rubio (Sales Director - MB92) opened the debate by stressing the urgent need to anticipate a regulation that could hit the fleet hard. He stressed that a yacht’s value cannot be reduced to a price comparison saying that “we must therefore start to prepare proactively”.

Nicolas Mior (Head of Jutheau Husson Yachting) confirmed this trend among insurers as premiums are beginning to incorporate environmental performance. “Low emission vessels get a bonus, while the more polluting ones see their premiums rise”, he explained. He notes that some policyholders are already using SEA Index® as an assessment tool. Set up by the Yacht Club de Monaco and Credit Suisse (a UBS Group brand) in 2020, the SEA Index aims to guide owners towards more responsible choices as the benchmark for measuring and reducing the environmental footprint of superyachts.

Captain Pierre Makdessi warned against rushing into anything: “Too many accidents occur because certification is sometimes obtained too quickly. Training is again the key factor”. He shared his personal experience of the SEA Index® and an innovative yacht project, showing that it is possible to reduce fuel consumption through lighter materials and optimised propulsion technologies.

Eleonora Pitasso (owner representative, Bijin Yachting Ltd) widened the debate by pointing out that sustainability is not limited to engines. “It’s about the use of materials, insulation, soundproofing and so on. All can be replaced to be more sustainable. So we are not just focusing solely on propulsion, which I feel is rather an industry bias”.

Finally, Richard McKee, representing owner Matthew Sawyer, emphasised “I particularly appreciate that the SEA Index suggested all the improvements that could be made in a simple and clear way”.

All agreed that sustainability is now a factor in a yacht’s value as an asset, just like its size or pedigree. The panel concluded that action must be taken now, improvements planned in refit cycles, and tools like the SEA Index® used to ensure a transparent, credible transition in the eyes of the market.

Contact the Yacht Club de Monaco - Tel: +377 93 10 64 09 - Email: presse@ycm.org