First Yachting student fair brings 800 students to the Yacht Club de Monaco

MONACO, March 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Around 800 students participated in the Yachting Student Fair at the Yacht Club de Monaco. Marking its first edition, the event offered a full day of meetings and exchanges dedicated to discovering careers in the yachting and maritime sectors. Middle school students, sixth formers, further education students, and graduates had the opportunity to experience a hands-on introduction to these relatively unknown professions, which combine passion, technical expertise, and international opportunities. The event also kicked off four days dedicated to yachting and exploration, organized in collaboration with The Explorers Club of New York, a world-renowned institution founded in 1904.

“It's very important for Monaco to have a vision for the future and to help the younger generation grow within our industry. In the yachting sector, we need young people and we need people with motivation. In my opinion, the yachting sector is wonderful, and it is important to present it to young people because they rarely have direct contact with it,” said Bernard d'Alessandri, General Secretary of the Yacht Club de Monaco.

Throughout the day, training institutions, maritime organizations, yachting professionals and researchers presented their courses and career opportunities. At his stand, naval architect and renowned superyacht designer Espen Øino shared his experience and professional journey with visiting students. “Over the years we have seen that surprisingly many people do not necessarily know what we do or the many professions linked to the maritime industry. We are one small piece of a much bigger puzzle made up of architects, designers and engineers working together to design and engineer a vessel before it is built. Once it is built and in operation there is a whole ecosystem around that as well,” said Øino. “This is the first time the Yacht Club is organizing this event, and we immediately said we wanted to be part of it. We want to share our passion for what we do and try to attract young talent,” he added.

The École Nationale Supérieure Maritime (ENSM) and the Nautical Institute Academy France provided information about careers as officers and engineers. The Lycée Jacques Dolle in Antibes presented its courses in nautical maintenance, electromechanics and propulsion, while the École Nationale des Scaphandriers explained the requirements for underwater professions, ranging from welding to hyperbaric archaeological operations. Also presenting its international career programs was the European School of Economics (ESE), which offers Bachelor’s degrees, MSc and MBA programs, as well as short courses at its campuses in London, Madrid, Rome, Milan and Florence. Many students found the experience useful in broadening their horizons. “I'm here because I wanted to better understand this world, and I really liked what they explained. The most important thing for me was how they described the path to different careers. I think it was very helpful, especially because there was such a wide choice of activities. I would definitely recommend anyone to come here,” said Jurgen, a high school student. “I'm interested in the yachting world in general, especially since I have relatives who work in this field here. And the variety of jobs presented at the stands were very interesting; covering many different types of yachting jobs from cooking and boat cleaning to boat engineering, and architecture”, added Giovanni.

The higher education division of Monaco’s Department of National Education, Youth and Sport (Monaco) was also present, providing information on post-baccalaureate guidance and financial support for further studies. Participants also had the opportunity to visit some yachts moored at the YCM Marina, including the sailing yacht 7Continent (31m), and meet its owner Patrick Deixonne, navigator and founder of the 7th Continent Expedition. From his early years as a firefighter to his expeditions in the Amazon — culminating in his 2009 row across the Atlantic — his journey illustrated how a career path can evolve over time.

The program will continue in the coming days, culminating on Tuesday 24 March with the YCM Explorer Awards ceremony, which will honor superyacht owners committed to advancing knowledge and protecting the planet through an exploration-driven approach to yachting.

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

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