YCM Explorer Awards 2025 - The International Jury Shortlist Revealed

MONACO, Sept. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, the Yacht Club de Monaco continues its commitment to yachting with purpose with the 5^th edition of the La Belle Classe Explorer Awards.

Created to encourage a new way of using yachts, these awards highlight projects where navigation becomes a tool for exploration and science. More than a means of transport or leisure, a yacht today can serve to discover, to better understand our oceans, to contribute to knowledge, and to share this experience with society.
Through these distinctions, the Yacht Club de Monaco promotes a clear philosophy: the "nobility of purpose" and the capacity of “doing well by doing good." In other words, showing that it is possible to succeed while acting for the common good. The Explorer Awards thus encourage Owners and their Captains to use their yachts as modern exploration platforms, open to scientists, explorers, and research.
The International Jury, chaired by Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club in New York, and composed of experts in maritime affairs, innovation, and the environment, is currently reviewing and analyzing the different applications received ahead of their final deliberation. This year, the International Jury has decided to recognize three categories: Innovation & Technology, Environment & Ethics, and Jury’s Special Award. Here is the shortlist by category for the 2025 edition.

Categories & Shortlist

Technology & Innovation
• M/Y Valor – 79.5 m (Feadship, 2025). Hybrid propulsion and silent technology, chosen by the owner to combine performance and environmental responsibility. In addition, and courageously, they opted for batteries, with all the related challenges: weight, safety, recycling... An interesting path to follow, as it may shape yachting in the next 10–15 years. The use of HVO biofuel is also to be commended.
• M/Y Leviathan – 111 m (Oceanco, 2025). Designed to host submarines and drones; embodies the vision of an owner oriented towards innovation and exploration. Also features techno-anthropology, reinventing life on board by abolishing traditional hierarchies where guests and crew share the same living and dining spaces. Its exploration platform integrating submersibles, launch area for ROVs, and fast tenders offers rare versatility for scientific and logistical missions.

• M/Y Maverick – 44.3 m (CdM, 2023). Flexplorer series; robust and adaptable, selected for its ability to meet a variety of missions. Equipped with advanced communication systems, it enables real-time connection between remote expeditions and shore. Designed for long-range exploration, it features a large, modular aft deck capable of accommodating submersibles, aerial drones, and heavy scientific equipment.

Environment & Ethics
• M/Y Breakthrough – 118.8 m (Feadship, 2025). The first yacht powered by liquid hydrogen; the owner made the pioneering choice of a propulsion system that can generate part of the yacht’s electrical power needs – an innovative, bold, and forward-thinking concept. Exploration platform with modular spaces for scientists, very promising.
• M/Y Valor – Refit integrating hybrid solutions; responsible navigation driven by the owner and his crew. (cf. description above).
• S/Y Cat Art Explorer – 46.5 m (Perini Navi, 2024). The largest aluminum catamaran; used as a floating museum for art and awareness, combining art, science, and discovery. Culture is environment: it shapes our view of nature, protects our living heritage, and mobilizes awareness to safeguard the living world. We commend its transoceanic autonomy and renewable energy production thanks to photovoltaic panels.

Jury’s Special Award
• S/Y Cat Art Explorer – For the boldness and cultural and environmental vocation of its owner. (cf. description above).
• M/Y Valor – For the coherence between technology, responsibility, and human vision. (cf. description above).
• S/Y Panthalassa – 56 m (Perini Navi, refit 2023). An elegant sailing yacht chosen to reconnect with the purity and simplicity of sailing. Its fluid, optimized design enhances energy efficiency while offering an immersive experience inspired by the marine universe.

The Jury in Deliberation
The members of the International Jury are continuing their discussions. The winners will be announced during the Monaco Yacht Show at an exclusive luncheon organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco as part of the Superyacht Owners Lunch.
These awards embody a conviction: the yachting of the future is defined as much by technology as by the human values that drive it, and by the central role of science in maritime exploration. Each project on the shortlist demonstrates that a yacht can become more than an expedition vessel: a vector of commitment, knowledge, exploration, and dialogue. The Yacht Club de Monaco encourages this direction and hopes to promote in the future units that have distinguished themselves in scientific exploration at its next edition during Monaco Ocean Week in March.
The Yacht Club de Monaco also recalls having launched the SEA Index initiative, a benchmark tool for measuring the carbon emissions of yachts. Several candidates have already integrated it, others are in progress, and the Club’s ambition is for all yachts to adopt it, anticipating tomorrow’s regulations. This index represents an essential step: better understanding one’s environmental impact, valuing virtuous initiatives, and sending an important signal to the international community. Another major step confirming the strong commitment of the Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting initiative.

For more information:
Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/07c4b616-7ad6-4313-8089-f231c080debe