Explorers far and wide joined together in Monaco March 21-24, 2026 for the second collaboration between @yachtclubmonaco and @the_explorers_club. The exciting event featured incredible storytellers, meaningful conversations, and once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.
In late December 2025 His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II announced a collaboration between Yacht Club de Monaco and The Explorers Club of New York, marking a new milestone in the Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting collective initiative. He was thanked for supporting The Explorers Club and ocean conservation everywhere. As part of this partnership, a delegation of around one hundred members from the prestigious American club, founded in 1904, visited the Principality from 21 to 24 March 2026, hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco.
Over four days, the Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting Rendezvous brought together owners, captains, scientists, institutions and innovation stakeholders around a shared ambition: positioning yachting as a platform serving knowledge, exploration and environmental responsibility.
The weekend started with a Yachting Student Fair. Over 800 students visited Yacht Club de Monaco to discover careers in yachting and exploration, connect with leaders, and get inspired. Trevor Wallace joined to share his experience as an underwater archaeologist and expedition leader with the Menorca Shipwreck Project, and Joe Grabowski of Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants connected students with leading explorers in ocean exploration and conservation.
The Explorers Club hosted the first Future of Ocean Finance Forum, led by leaders in the field including Rachel Clausing of Fondation Prince Albert II, Irina Fedorenko at Abatable, Chris Verlinden at Entanglement, Inga Thordar at Kanaloa, Philippe Cousteau Jr. at Voyacy Regen, Ralph Rayner at London School of Economics, and Marianne Carpentier at ORRAA. Ted Janulis started and hosted this initiative.
A Day of Exploration celebrated the ocean on all its frontiers. From discovering more of humanity’s past to devising new ways to protect the blue planet, the speakers shared not just their lifetime of work, but their hopes for the future.
- Daniel Cáceres Bartra – Protecting Peru’s Big 5
- Kakani Katija – The MBARI Bioinspiration Lab
- Franck Baldet, Venturi Space – From Monaco to the Moon
- Trevor Wallace – The Menorca Shipwreck Project)
- Arzucan “Zuzu” Askin – Sharks in the Anthropocene
- Martin Nweeia – A Lifetime of Love for the Charismatic Narwhal
- Navarana K’avigak’ Sørensen – Thule drum dance performance
- Philippe & Ashlan Cousteau – A Family’s Legacy of Ocean Conservation
- Andreas B. Heide – Sailing to Protect Fragile Wonders (not streamed)
- Victor Vescovo & Espen Øino – Designing the Greatest Deep Ocean Exploration Vessel
- Steve McCurry & Filippo Ricci, Stefano Ricci – Exploring the World to Explore Ourselves
- Sylvia Earle & Hussain Aga Khan – The Ocean in Popular Imagination
The final day of the event celebrated the science, technological advancements, and conservation innovations happening with advanced and responsible yachting. The event concluded with the YCM Explorer Awards, honoring visionary owners for using their yachts as platforms for exploration and discovery. Invited guest Asia Pacific Superyachts co-founder & director Gordon Fernandes shared some photos of this significant event, noting the four days were of tremendous value and will be a source of inspiration in the days ahead.
To read more about the event, watch the talks, or look through the event photography, visit explorers.org/monaco-2026-recap (Explorers Club)