Captains’ Club – Webinar

 

Tuesday 12th January 2021. Members of the Yacht Club de Monaco’s Captains Club met this week for the first time this year. Around 50 captains came together to discuss and reflect on establishing an Eco Chart of good practices that captains will be committed to respecting.

Chaired by Paul Flannery, Executive Director of IYBA (International Yacht Brokers Association), the conference also benefited from the expertise of Alessandro Flora, Captain on M/Y Crystal Lady (47m) and Matthias du Verle, Captain on M/Y Queen Aida (50m). Several areas were addressed during a very constructive debate.

 

A framework to respect

Top of the agenda were issues like marine pollution, waste reduction and fuel consumption. “It is essential we embark on this path to improve the situation as citizens in terms of the environment,” said Adrian Croft, Captain on M/Y Sea Ranger. “The next generation will judge us on our efforts,” added Captain Matthias du Verle from M/Y Reine Aida, to which Alessandro Flora from M/Y Crystal Lady  responded:  “It is our duty as captains to promote respect and protection of the environment to leave the world a better place for future generations”.

Plastic, the bête noire of this decade, also came in for scrutiny, with many expressing what they are doing to reduce its presence on board. “We have installed a fountain, as well as having reusable glasses for the crew and passengers. For a total of 30 people, that represents a saving of around 400kg of plastic a year!” said Sophie Galvagnon at the helm of M/Y Polarfront.

These key players in the luxury yacht sector are also concerned about protecting marine fauna and flora. They propose using biodegradable cleaning products for all tasks and equipping yachts with technologies such as the REPCET system to avoid collisions with cetaceans.

 

Inform, make aware and educate

Some initiatives require an awareness campaign according to Adolfo Oria, Captain on M/Y Exuma: “We should always anchor at a depth of more than 30m, even when owners ask to anchor as close as possible to the shore. We need to force ourselves to raise their awareness and educate our guests and owner to protect the seabed”.

When it comes to navigation, these proposals and the commitment of those putting them forward are unambiguous. Supporting those around them on the need to preserve the marine environment is one of the priorities of captains who want to work together with their counterparts and share ideas via the YCM’s Captains Club to promote eco-responsible good practices.

The Eco Chart complements a list of initiatives instigated by the Yacht Club de Monaco which brings together under its flag more than 800 owners of superyachts, 37 of which are among the 100 largest yachts in the world.

One such initiative, alongside Credit Suisse, is the Superyacht Eco Association (SEA) and its SEA Index, a bespoke tool to measure the impact of a yacht’s design and operation on the environment. Gradable and collaborative, the SEA Index aims to become the first official air pollution rating for 40m+ yachts, before extending it to other areas, such as propulsion systems, energy recovery, chemicals, waste and water, to become a multi-facetted sustainability index.