Spirit of adventure
Our Explorer Yachts Summit shared a wealth of stories and knowledge for thrill seekers, says Lucy Dunn
Packed with inspiring insights from adventurous yacht owners and need-to-know advice on issues such as recruiting the best crew and what to do in a crisis at sea, the annual Explorer Yachts Summit is always an illuminating date in the expedition yacht calendar – and this year was no exception.
Held at the Yacht Club de Monaco, the BOAT International Media event in collaboration with exploreryachts.com was sponsored by a cross-section of explorer-related businesses, including Damen Yachting, Cantiere delle Marche, EYOS and Triton Submarines.
The day kicked off with BOAT’s business writer Gabrielle Lazaridis giving an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the market based on latest data from our business intelligence service, BOATPro. This was followed by a keynote by adventurer and Sunreef Yachts ambassador Mike Horn, who recounted a hair-raising tale of scaling an iceberg in the North Pole in 2020 – only for it to flip over, plunging Horn and fellow climber Fred Roux into the frozen sea and nearly crushing them. The video went viral and was seen by millions.
Captain Mike Gregory and Genevieve Smithers, director and COO of the Fly' Fleet, spoke about the transformative power of yachting philanthropy, for crew as well as communities. Renowned marine biologist Dr Paris Stefanoudis discussed how explorer yachts are key to helping support scientific research, and how Yachts For Science, an initiative that connects marine scientists and researchers to yacht owners and crew, has been vital for his work. French bioacoustician Michel André, meanwhile, revealed his innovative new Ear To The Ocean buoy, especially designed for explorer yacht guests to get closer to marine life in remote areas.
Owners Maria José Sbarbi Osuna, Steve Rigby and Bob Giles explained why they opted for compact pocket explorers (a growing corner of the market), while Richard Wiese, president emeritus of the Explorers Club, recounted tales of the institution’s famous adventurers. And Dardanella operators Francesca ThyssenBornemisza and Markus Reymann explained why they like to imbue all their voyages with meaning by linking high culture and conservation in a memorable way.
The Explorer Yachts Summit will return in November 2024. exploreryachts.com