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MONACO ENERGY BOAT CHALLENGE:

An R&D laboratory at sea By Milena Radoman

Since 2014, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has sought to provide innovative solutions for
yachting, in the propulsion and alternative energy sector

© CarloBorlenghi © LucaBuoto

The event brings together the yachting industry E-Boat Rally. This unprecedented race (round is equipped with a standard 80-kW fuel
and a new generation of engineers from all trip Monaco to Ventimiglia, 16 nautical miles) cell designed to reach a speed close to the
over the world. Academics, start-ups and brought together the electric boats available performance of internal combustion engines,
industrialists come together to challenge on the market, which shows how mindsets ie 26 knots (47 km/h) at full throttle. This first
alternative modes of propulsion to fossil have changed: “At the beginning, it was a bit pleasure boat equipped with EODev’s REXH2
fuels. Amongst nautical events, tech talks and theoretical and the boats were not not really with electro-hydrogen propulsion can now be
conferences, there is a nod to history: over 100 professional; that was the beginning, with these mass-produced.
years ago, Monaco welcomed manufacturers pioneers trying to do something with alternative Another striking innovation: the electric motor
to present their latest innovations in the field of energy - and now it has become marketable! from the start-up, FinX, inspired by the fin of a
internal combustion engines during the Annual These boats are arriving on the market,” dolphin, a nautical propulsion technology that
Motorboat Meeting. commented explorer, Bertrand Piccard, last saves up to 30% energy compared to a propeller
year, founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation, at the same speed. The start-up, which has
«It’s become marketable!» a sponsor of the event. also designed a small motor that reproduces
In July, some 50 boats and 25 nations entered Hynova, the first hydrogen-powered tender, the suction cup movement of the jellyfish, has
the 10 edition of the Monaco Energy Boat made an impression in Monaco in 2020. gone from prototype to industrialisation and
th
Challenge, which organised its first YCM This innovative 40-foot (12.65-metre) boat plans to produce 800 units in 2023.

COMMENT ÇA MARCHE ? HOW DOES IT WORK?
Chaque équipe choisit sa catégorie. Pour la Classe Energy, les orga- Each team chooses its category. For the Energy Class, the
nisateurs fournissent les coques des catamarans aux concurrents organisers provide catamaran hulls to competitors who must
qui doivent sélectionner leur solution énergétique afin de concevoir select their energy solution in order to design an emission-free
un système de propulsion sans émission (à condition d’utiliser propulsion system, provided they use a predetermined amount
une quantité d'énergie prédéterminée à 10kWh, et travailler sur la of energy at 10kWh and work on the design of a cockpit with
conception d'un cockpit aux lignes performantes tout en le conce- high-performance lines, whilst designing it in a sustainable
vant dans une démarche durable, afin d'optimiser le cycle de vie manner, in order to optimise the life cycle of the materials.
des matériaux). La Classe Solar, catégorie historique de l’épreuve, The Solar Class, the historic category of the event, is reserved
est réservée aux unités alimentées à l’énergie solaire tandis que for units powered by solar energy, whilst the Open Sea Class
la Classe Open Sea met en compétition des unités répondant aux puts in competition units meeting the commitment to net zero
engagements en faveur du « Zéro émission nette ». emissions.

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