Monaco Energy Boat Challenge: Swiss Solar Boat dominates the world of e-boating

From 8 to 11 July 2026, the harbour basin at Monaco’s Port Hercules was transformed into an open-air laboratory for the maritime energy transition. The 13th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge brought together 54 teams from 21 nations, with over 600 participants. Organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) with the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, UBS, BMW, SBM Offshore, Monaco City Hall, NatPower H and ESA NanoTech, the event is establishing itself as a platform where universities, research organisations and industry can work together on maritime solutions.

Universities from India, Portugal, Croatia, Poland and China travelled to the Principality. Once again, the ‘Seegurke’ from the Technological Industrial Museum (TGM) in Vienna cruised through Monegasque waters; the Technical University of Berlin did not enter the race with ‘WannSea’ this year. Alaqua Y-H2O, based in Shenzhen, China, entered the race with a three-seater foiler. Featuring autonomous route recognition and real-time position stabilisation, it reached speeds of up to 33 knots.

​The participating shipyards included Safe Harbor, Oceanco, the Ferretti and Azimut-Benetti Groups, and Lürssen. The prototypes underwent testing under real-world navigation conditions, whilst industry partners supported the projects throughout the year via the Corporate Mentoring Programme and engaged with up-and-coming talent at the careers fair.

Four divisions, 54 teams, 21 nations

Seventeen teams from the Energy Class competed in catamarans, which had to be built in accordance with a box rule. They competed against each other in endurance and slalom races. In the overall standings, the University of Bologna finished top, ahead of the Croatian team Adria Racing.

​The four teams from the AI Class had to prove themselves in autonomous docking, rowing in eights, slalom and the sprint. The Croatian Adria Autonomous Boat Team was unbeatable in all AI disciplines, whilst the Austrian Seegurke came second.

The SeaLab Class is regarded as the premier class, where original designs combine hydrogen, methanol, electricity and solar energy – often in conjunction with foils. The Surge Methanol Foiling Team from the University of Twente demonstrated this leap in development using their foiler. It was equipped with a 5 kW fuel cell for reformed methanol, an optimised wing control system and a lightweight construction.

​The Swiss dominated the overall standings

Traditionally, the Dutch have been strong in the open classes. This year, however, the Swiss Solar Boat from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne came out on top in the speed race as well as the endurance and manoeuvring tasks. Throughout the week, the Swiss regularly secured podium places in the on-water competitions and the E-Championship, which took place behind screens on land. In addition, the Swiss team won two Tech Talk prizes: the Design Prize and the Eco-Design Prize.

YCM Director Bernard d’Alessandri emphasised the Challenge’s role as a catalyst: “Projects presented here continue to develop, and collaborations and strategic partnerships are forged. Once again, the Challenge has demonstrated that innovations with the potential to transform the maritime sector often gain momentum in Monaco.”

Technologies have shown signs of maturing

The results on the water reflected the significant progress made by the technologies on display. The Energy Class, AI Class, SeaLab Class and Open Sea Xperience enabled all technologies to be assessed under identical conditions. Despite a self-imposed reduction in permitted power of almost 30 per cent, average speeds increased by around eight per cent. In the Championship Race, just 30 centimetres separated the two leading teams at the finish line.

Robin Amacher, Operations Manager at the EPFL’s Discovery Learning Lab, explains the learning effect: “Instead of learning everything in theory, they are given the chance to build on their knowledge by putting it into practice.” The batteries developed by the students demonstrated improved performance thanks to new phase-change material thermal management systems, which maintain an optimal temperature during periods of high demand.

Frauscher broke his own record

In the Open Class, the Frauscher x Porsche 790 Spectre set a new speed record with an average of 51.05 knots. ​In second place, a good five knots slower, was the Carbon-RIB XNRG 8.3 from the Netherlands. The fastest in the Energy Class was the Adria Racing Kat, which clocked an average of 26.9 knots. The Frauscher x Porsche team surpassed their own best time of 49.84 knots, set just last year with the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom and measured over two runs on a one-kilometre course each.

“The fact that we have already managed to break the record we set just last year is an extraordinary achievement by the whole team. The 790 Spectre impressively demonstrates the potential that lies in the consistent, integrated development of the boat, hull and electric propulsion system,” explains Stefan Frauscher, Managing Director of Frauscher Bootswerft.

Supplementary conferences

The Advanced Yachting Technology Conference highlighted the major transformations shaping the future of yachting. Discussions made it clear that the energy transition is no longer based solely on new propulsion systems, but on a holistic approach that integrates energy efficiency, AI, data utilisation, cyber security and new design tools. Speakers emphasised the growing role of AI in optimising navigation and design, whilst human expertise remains essential and particular attention must be paid to cyber security from the vessel design phase onwards.

Challenge brings students and businesses together

Even before the race began, the Job Forum demonstrated how the Challenge brings students and companies together. Over the course of two days, nearly 300 interviews took place, paving the way for recruitment, work placements and collaborations. Milena Idolo, Design Unit Coordinator on the Politecnico di Milano team, sees this as an opportunity to kick-start her career: “I’m nearing the end of my studies. It’s a great opportunity to speak directly with companies, discuss our future and discover future possibilities.”

The World Series will begin in 2027

From 2027, the event will enter a new phase of development with the launch of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge World Series from 29 June to 3 July. This international qualifying series is dedicated to the Energy Class. The first qualifying event will take place on Lake Como in Italy, with the support of Volta27 and the Alessandro Volta Foundation, before moving on to Darwin in Australia for teams from the Asia-Pacific region, followed by a gradual roll-out across other continents. These qualifying events enable new teams to take part in the Challenge, whilst maintaining the sporting and technological standards that define the final in Monaco.

Results of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

2026 MEBC Champion:

• Swiss Solar Boat (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)

Energy Class:

• University of Bologna Argonauts Team (Italy)

AI Class:

• Adria Autonomous Boat Team (Croatia)

SeaLab Class:

• Red Wave (Italy)

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Sustainable Yachting Technology Award:

• Kumaraguru College of Technology (India)

Innovation Prize:

• Physis Polimi Energy (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)

Design Prize:

• Swiss Solar Boat (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)

Communication Prize:

• Tecnico Solar Boat (Portugal)

Eco-Design Prize, supported by MarineShift:

• Swiss Solar Boat (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)

Jury’s Coup de Cœur Prize:

• Wia Electric Yachts (Hungary)

Rookie Prize:

• Ugent Sailing (Belgium)

SeaLab record over 16 nautical miles:

• Xnrg8.3 (Netherlands)

E-sports Championship:

• Tu Delft Hydro Motion Team (Netherlands)