Yachting: with ‘Malizia Explorer’ the Yacht Club de Monaco launches science onto the high seas

Yachting: with 'Malizia Explorer' the Yacht Club de Monaco launches science onto the high sea GNW

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TURIN, Italy, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This is not just a boat, it’s a message. On Friday 6 June 2025, in the waters of Monaco’s harbor, ‘Malizia Explorer’, the new scientific research sailboat from Team Malizia, was officially christened. The team was founded by Pierre Casiraghi, Vice-President of the Yacht Club de Monaco, and Boris Herrmann. The bottle was broken across the hull by renowned American oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle, now 89 and a global icon in ocean conservation. The ceremony, which included a blessing by Father Christian Venard, was held in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, President of the Yacht Club, alongside some 80 guests, including Ambassador Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, and Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of the Club. Also present were students from the Principality and young sailors, representing the deep-rooted connection between Monaco, science, and marine conservation.

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The 26-metre aluminium vessel, launched in April in Lorient, is built to navigate both tropical and polar waters. It accommodates four crew members and up to eight scientists, and is equipped with advanced instruments such as the Ocean Pack for continuous collection of CO₂, temperature and salinity data, and a Ctd rosette for deep-sea sampling. Its mission: to provide the international scientific community with new data from under-studied marine regions.

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“This vessel is a superb logistics platform available to scientists. The initiative is fully in line with the spirit of Team Malizia that is founded on two essential pillars: competition and environmental protection,” said Pierre Casiraghi.

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The project’s environmental commitment was also recognized with a 4-star Sea Index certification, the international standard developed by YCM in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register to assess CO₂ emissions of yachts over 24 metres. Around twenty ports across the Mediterranean and in the Seychelles have already incorporated the index into their management policies.

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HSH Prince Albert II highlighted the vessel’s scientific value: “The poles are extremely sensitive regions and very vulnerable. To fully understand them we need more advanced science but also more research. This is the challenge for ‘Malizia Explorer’. This sailboat will enable us to reach isolated polar regions and conduct essential studies there.”

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Following its christening, which took place just days before World Oceans Day, ‘Malizia Explorer’ took part in the official parade on 8 June during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, and participated in the conference itself. It is now preparing for a five-year scientific campaign in partnership with research institutes such as Reederei F. Laeisz, Awi, Geomar, Hereon, OceanOPS, and the Swiss Polar Institute.

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“The christening of this boat in Monaco marks an important milestone in uniting sailors, scientists and creatives to give the Ocean a voice,” said Boris Herrmann. “It enables us to expand our impact, work closely with the scientific community and collect valuable data to better understand the challenges we face.”

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To conclude, the words of Sylvia Earle: “This sailboat symbolises new hope. It may be our last and best chance to reverse the trajectory of decline and put our blue planet back on the path to regeneration.”

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