The future is here at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 10th edition
The 10th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC) begins Tuesday, July 3, when the Yacht Club de Monaco brings together electric boat industry players and international engineering students to ‘demonstrate and prove the latest technologies and work together on the future of alternative propulsion’.
Events include in-harbour and offshore speed races, slalom and manoeuvring competitions, a SeaLab exploring leading edge technologies, a Job Forum, Conference and an E-Boat Rally featuring some of the world’s leading commercial e-boat manufacturers. A new element this year is the E-Dock by Aqua superPower that will be used to charge the impressive flotilla of electric boats.
Impressive indicator of electric boat growth
The MEBC started out in 2014 as a solar-boat-only competition, with 23 teams from 10 countries. The next year saw the addition of the Offshore class and in 2018 the Energy Class was introduced. Keeping pace with the electric boat industry, a Conference, Exhibition and Job Forum were added in 2019, along with 2 hydrogen boats competing as the first Monaco Hydrogen Round Table discussion and seminar got underway.
The pandemic unfortunately made it necessary to host the 2020 edition online, but in 2021 when it returned in real life there were 32 teams from 17 countries, in 2021 31 teams from 21 countries (7 using hydrogen boats)…and last year 35 competitors form 21 countries.
This year’s 10th anniversary is an impressive indicator of the rapid growth of the electric boat industry and the emergence of hydrogen and other alternative propulsion solutions: 46 university teams from 25 countries and an unprecedented 54 commercial exhibitors.
The MEBC is part of the YCM’s ambition to be a major player in the drive for sustainability. “Faced with the climate emergency, it is imperative that living proof of progress replaces the promises,” said HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, President of the YCM. “We want to demonstrate that the technology exists and is efficient. It is the raison d’être of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, which is positioning the Principality as a driving force for Responsible Yachting.”
The four day slate of events taking place both onshore and in the water, culminate with the Prize Giving Ceremony on Saturday, July 8. An abbreviated schedule is below, the full schedule can be downloaded from the MEBC website:
Three racing events: Solar Class, Energy Class, Open Sea
Solar Class
In the Solar Class, boats are built in accordance with the class regulations and the boats compete in fleet races, match race duels and a slalom contest . Solar energy is the only power and batteries are locked at the beginning of each race so no further charging is available.
TEAMS:
(Boat, Team, Country)
- Adria Hydrofoil Solar Boat, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies: CROATIA
- AGH Solar Boat, AGH University of Science and Technology: POLAND
- BME Solar Boat Team, Budapest University of Technology and Economics: HUNGARY
- HAN Solarboat, NETHERLANDS
- HVA Solar Team, Hogeschool Van Amsterdam: NETHERLAND
- RMT Solar Boat Team (Research of Marine Technology), Undip X Longi, Diponegro University: INDONESIA
- Solar Boat Twente, University of Twente, NETHERLANDS
- Southern Solar, University of Louisiana at Lafayette: USA
- Técnico Solar Boat, Instituto Superior Técnico: PORTUGAL
- Tu Yildiz Solar Boat, Yildiz Technical University: TURKIYE
- Uantwerp Solar Boat Team, Universiteit Antwerpen: BELGIUM
- HVL Zoneboat Team, Hogeschool Van Hall Larenstein, Aeres VMBO & MBO: NETHERLANDS
- Sunflare Solar Team, Sunflare Solar Team Foundation: NETHERLANDS
ENERGY CLASS
The Energy Class was launched by YCM in s2018 and the Club supplies each team with the same design catamaran hull. The challenge for teams is to design the cockpit and the most efficient and durable propulsion system. Everything must be powered by renewable alternative energy sources and each boat is limited to a maximum of max. 10kWh of energy stored on board.
TEAMS
(Boat, Team, Country)
- Adria Energy Class Boat, University of Rijeka, Association of Applied Technical Science: CROATIA
- Caiman ENSTA, ENSTA Paris FRANCE
- Hydrovinci, ESILV: France
- Messina Energy Boat, Università degli Studi di Messina: ITALY
- Naylamp Uni, Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria: PERU
- Néréides – UTT Marine, Université de Technologie de Troyes: FRANCE
- Oceanos NTUA, National Technical Univeristy of Athens: GREECE
- Physis Polimi Energy Boat, Politecnico di Milano: ITALY
- Sailing Tigers, Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai: UAE
- SBM Offshore E-Racing Team, SBM Offshore: NETHERLANDS
- Sea Sakthi, Kumaraguru College of Technologu, INDIA
- Técnico Energy Boat, Instituto Superior Técnico: PORTUGAL
- Uniboat, Universita di Bologna: ITALY
- Unige Elettra, Univeristy of Genoa: ITALY
- Wannsea TU Berlin, Technische Universitat Berlin: GERMANY
RACE SCHEDULE SOLAR CLASS and ENERGY CLASS:
Thursday July 6, 1:00 pm: Parade
Thursday July 6, 1.30 pm to 3.00pm: Qualifying Laps
Thursday July 6, 3:30 pm: YCM Speed Record
Friday July 7, 11:00 am: Endurance Race
Saturday, July 8, 10:30AM: Slalom Race
Saturday, July 8, 2:00 PM: Championship Race
OPEN SEA CLASS
The Open Sea Class is mainly open to exhibitors in the YCM Marina and boats already on or about to enter the market.
Alongside the regular challenges (manoeuvrability trials, endurance race, etc.), the first YCM E-Boat Rally for electric boats available on the market will show the public what the future of leisure boating could look like. e 21 nautical mile rally (there and back) is between Monaco and Cala del Forte in Ventimiglia where contestants can recharge if necessary and present their boats to the Italian public.
It will start with the 1st YCM E-BOAT RALLY (21NM) on Wednesday June 5
TEAMS:
(Manufacturer, Boat)
- AS Labruna SRL: Futura
- AS Labruna SRL: E-Vision Lab
- e’dyn: e’dyn
- Performance Marine X Evoy: E801
- TU Delft Hydro Motion Team: TU DelftE
- VITA: Seal
RACE SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 6, 1:00 pm: Parade
Thursday, July 6, 1:30 – 3:00 pm: Manoeuverability Trial
Thursday, July 6,, 3:30 pm: YCM Speed record
Friday, July 7, 11:00 am: Endurance Race
Saturday, July 8, 12 noon: 16NM Speed Trial
Saturday, July 8, 2:00 pm – Championship Race
Commercial Exhibitors at the YCM E-DOCK
YCM E-DOCK
For the 10th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, Aqua superPower together with the Yacht Club de Monaco will launch the first YCM E-Dock, comprising of a pontoon equipped with AC (Alternative Current) and DC (Direct Current) chargers capable of supplying fast and reliable charging for up to 20 electric boats at the same time.
Participants in the commercial aspect of the MEBC include some of Europe’s leading manufacturers of electric boats. On Wednesday, July 5, they will participate in the YCM E-Boat Rally, showcasing the offshore capabilities of e-boats on the 21 nautical mile (there and back) open water trip between Monaco and Ventimiglia, Italy.
E-RALLY PARTICIPATING BOATS
(Manufacturer, Boat)
- Anvera – Anvera E-Lab
- AS Labruna SRL – Futura
- AS Labruna SRL – E-Vision Lab
- Candela Sud Plaisance – Candela C-8
- Comarbel – Comarbel
- e’dyn – e’dyn VSR
- Ferretti Group – El Iseo
- Hydro Impulse – HI-01 R&D
- Lanéva – NaiadeA
- Performance Marine X Evoy: E801
- RS Electric Boats – Pulse 63
- Sealence- SeaLab #3
- Solarboats – Lasai 20GL
- Vamp Marine – Vamp
- VITA – Seal 5
- VITA – Lion
- X Shore – EELEX 8000
- X Shore – XSHORE 1
Research, discovery and the future: Tech Talks, Sea Lab, Conference
One of the foundational goals of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is to use competition as a way of encouraging more intellectual and financial investment in marine sustainability.
There are three core elements during the week to further those goals: SeaLab, Tech Talks and the Conference.
SEALAB
SeaLab is an opportunity to find out more about avant-garde projects, prototypes and demonstrators. The projects exhibited and explored range from the E1 Series racing technology to new hydrogen prototypes to the Malizia Seaexporer hydrofoiling IMOCA class sailboat that carries a miniaturised lab that tracks water temperature, salinity and ocean CO2 and shars the data with the scientific community.
PARTICIPANTS
(Project, Creators/Designers/Engineers)
- Pravahan – Artira
- EPFL – Swiss Solar Boat
- E1 Series – E1 Series
- Exocet – Polytechnique Montreal
- Green Foiling – Green Foiling Spain
- BLue Nomad – Institut auf dem Rosenberg
- Malizia Seaexplorer – Team Malizia
- TU Delft Hydro Motion – TU Delft
TECH TALKS
Since the beginning, all of the teams participating in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge must present their design process, research and findings to other participants. All of this data is Open Source and available to any future participants. Tech Talks from the 32 participating teams take place throughout the week.
An International Jury will attend all Tech Talks and visit industry’s boats before awarding ve prizes, including the coveted Innovation and Eco-Conception Prizes, as well as the Jury’s Coup de Cœur. The Jury may also propose special mentions and additional prizes.
CONFERENCE
The Conference will take place at the Yacht Club de Monaco on Thursday, July 6.
The overall theme is “CHALLENGES, ENGAGEMENT & ADOPTION” with these topics being covered in detail:
- The America’s Cup
A presentation of what happens when when racing rules power innovations & development! The challenge of having a hydrogen chase boat, which all America’s 2024 Challengers are required to have. - Collaborating towards the construction of more sustainable race boats.
- How to move from prototype r&d to mainstream adoption?
- From advocating to realization: the importance of collective Initiatives
In many ways, this 10th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge is a reflection of the stage of electric boating at this moment. It is arguable that for the past ten years there has been much research and development in the field, but some projects were hampered by lack of a commercial audience.
Now the students working on the boats of the Solar and Energy Classes are meeting with manufacturers who are getting their products out to a growing and enthusiastic market. As both the market and the number of manufacturers expands, this kind of cooperation and collaboration can only lead to greater things for electric boating in the future.
