The mission of the Captains’ Forum is multi-facetted and includes:
As part of the collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ initiative, the Captains’ Forum positions the Yacht Club de Monaco as a platform for exchange where performance includes protection of the oceans and contributions to scientific research.
How to Follow Heroes: The Intersection of Science, Yachting and Exploration
Presentation on the SEA Index® and its road map
From certification to action: tools for more resilient yachting
Working Lunch: an in-depth look at URN standards
Developing science: connecting research to yachting
How to Follow Heroes
Floating Gold: the Power of Whale Poop
Scientist and explorer specialised in marine ecosystems, he highlights the crucial role played by whales in carbon regulation and ocean health in ‘Floating gold: the power of whale poop’.
Internationally renowned maritime explorer and expert in historical shipwreck research, he discusses underwater discovery as a source of knowledge and meaning for modern exploration in ‘Finding purpose: octopus and the wreck of the Musashi’.
Former US Navy officer and maritime technologies specialist, he presents innovative data collecting solutions in ‘Charting the unknown: passive solutions for data collection’.
Captain and designer of exploration yachts, he shares his vision of a yacht designed as a platform for expeditions and scientific research in ‘SailXplorer: A Captain’s dream, the ultimate explorer yacht’.
A yachting professional focused on crew engagement, he explains how to transform sustainable initiatives into concrete actions in ‘All aboard: converting ideas into engagement’.
A sailor and advocate for citizen science, she presents accessible solutions to involve yachts and their crews in environmental data collection in ‘Easy ways to citizen science’.
All these presentations illustrate how yachting can support oceanographic research, seabed exploration and crew engagement with scientific projects.
Discussions will continue with a presentation of the SEA Index® strategy. Created in 2020 by the Yacht Club de Monaco and Credit Suisse (a UBS brand), the SEA Index® has established itself as an impartial benchmark for measuring and reducing the environmental footprint of superyachts.
A new pioneering “Air Quality” certification, launched in collaboration with AtmoSud, assesses NOx and fine particle emissions. This scheme complements the CO₂ certification to provide owners, captains and ports with a comprehensive environmental analysis.
This sequence aims to clarify the environmental commitments of the SEA Index® and its ecosystem, which mobilises yachting stakeholders around measurable and harmonised indicators.
The environmental transition cannot be decreed; it must be built through practical tools and concrete solutions.
This session will highlight innovations compatible with the SEA Index® approach — digital platforms, measurement systems and onboard technologies — designed to reduce the environmental footprint of yachts.
Speakers will discuss the real impact of these systems on board, beyond announcements:
These presentations will help assess which solutions currently offer measurable effectiveness to accelerate the sector’s transition.
Systems architect and engineer for the aeronautical industry, specializing in cyber-sensitive embedded systems and using data to drive decisions instead of letting it accumulate unused.
Founder of ETYC and former Chief Stewardess, she focuses on turning sustainability goals into measurable onboard action through data, digital tools and crew engagement.
The workshop lunch will address the role of yachting in managing Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) and will present strategies from other maritime sectors, as well as certification solutions developed by the SEA Index and Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.
Although technical and sometimes complex, this topic has become central: reducing acoustic disturbance is now a major challenge for protecting marine ecosystems and advancing environmental certifications.
This workshop fully aligns with the international momentum, as Monaco recently joined the “For a Quiet Ocean” coalition alongside 37 other countries, demonstrating its commitment to supporting ambitious and coordinated actions to reduce underwater noise worldwide.
Discussions will be led by Eric Baudin (Head of Sustainability – Marine Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore).
As places are limited, please express your interest by contacting info@sea-index.com.
In the afternoon, scientists and specialists in the marine environment, marine ecosystems and environmental indicators will take the floor.
The objective is to highlight their expertise and make it accessible, in order to inform yachting stakeholders about their impacts, encourage the adoption of corrective measures and promote effective dialogue between captains, owners and scientists.
Speakers:
• Plan Bleu — Antoine Lafitte (Director)
•Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore — Eric Baudin (Head of Sustainability – Marine Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore)
• Andromède Océanologie — Pierre Descamp (Founder)
• Pelagos Agreement — Maria Betti (Executive Secretary)
• AtmoSud — Pierre-Charles Maria (Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Université Côte d’Azur – Institut de Chimie de Nice, President of AtmoSud)
• Anchor Guardian — Thomas Frizlen
This panel aims to strengthen the essential link between applied research and the maritime industry, ensuring that environmental commitments are based on measurable, shared and recognised facts.
From the morning’s strategic discussions to the afternoon’s technical workshops and scientific exchanges, a shared ambition guides the day: to make yachting a responsible, structured and credible sector in the face of environmental challenges.
The Yacht Club de Monaco’s Captains’ Forum goes beyond a simple annual event. It forms part of a broader momentum: that of a yachting industry capable of anticipating, innovating and fully embracing its role in ocean preservation.
A sustainability advocate driven by ocean stewardship, he offers to turn cutting‑edge underwater noise‑reduction solutions into impactful actions—pushing yachting toward quieter oceans and a truly responsible future.
Antoine Lafitte heads Plan Bleu in Marseille, the center of the Mediterranean Action Plan/United Nations Environment Program. A geographer, he has 18 years of experience in sustainable development.
Dr Maria Betti is an Italian international official with over thirty years of experience in science, international policy and environmental governance. She currently serves as Executive Secretary of the Pelagos Agreement and previously held senior positions at the European Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
He helped create the Mediterranean Interdisciplinary College devoted to Environment and Sustainable Development
Thomas Frizlen, founder of Swiss Ocean Tech, created AnchorGuardian to improve anchoring safety and environmental awareness. An engineer and entrepreneur, he combines a lifelong passion for the sea with maritime innovation.
Posidonia and Yachting: Time for Reconciliation! Protecting posidonia means preserving the clarity of our waters and the beauty of our landscapes. It means safeguarding the attractiveness of our coastlines and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our activities. Through concrete examples, Pierre Descamp invites you to explore new ways of reconciling yachting with the local environment.
Michèle Flandin
m.flandin@ycm.mc
+33 (0)6 42 07 88 59
