A few days before its opening, the World Yachting Summit (WYS), first of the name, sets off Monaco, the capital of established maritime luxury, now hailed as the “Capital of Advanced Pleasure Craft”.
« Charting the course to new horizons«
Du 15 in April 17 2025, the Rock welcomes the major players in the nautical industry, for an unprecedented meeting, where the future of pleasure boating will be at the heart of discussions within a framework inspired by major international summits such as the COP or the Davos Forum, relevant to major politics.
Le World Yachting Summit opens up to the synergy of stakeholders to anticipate changes in the sector and drive a dynamic of responsible innovation through major debates, analyses and expert speeches, towards a turning point in the world of yachting.
A structuring meeting for the nautical industry
This summit will be open to all industry stakeholders, united by a shared ambition: to reinvent yachting in an era of global change. The event will be structured around two thematic pathways:
• Economic and tourism development: optimize entrepreneurial strategies, boost nautical destinations and create sustainable territorial synergies.
• The transition to Net Zero: responding to societal expectations and the emergence of environmental needs by integrating the UN's 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) into the strategy of the players involved in the sector.
A panel of exceptional speakers
WYS 2025 will bring together a constellation of major names in international yachting from different sectors, including brokers, shipyards, engine and shipbuilding manufacturers, classification societies, legal and financial experts, and those responsible for the development of new nautical destinations.
Among the key figures present at the Monaco meeting:
• Francis Lapp, Founder and CEO of Sunreef Yachts, will discuss not only the catamaran's emergence in experiential yachting but also through the prism of scenarios for an alternative clean future.
• Arjen van Elk from the Feadship shipyard will discuss the visions of an exceptional shipyard on the transformations of economic models.
• Nicola Pomi of Volvo Penta will examine the challenges of digitalization, from the perspective of regulatory constraints on technological innovation.
• Tobias Kohl (Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH) will discuss the latest advances in sustainable propulsion and future fuels.
• Dan Leonard (Nuvolari Lenard) will examine the evolution of yacht design in the face of emerging customer expectations.
• Espen Øino, a major figure in design, will speak on “A Clean Future”, “The End of Globalization”.
• Nicolas Boulet WISAMO Michelin will discuss the prospects of automated sail propulsion for the decarbonization of ships.
• Tomasz Lipski representing ISSA, with a plea for the strong role of culture in the emergence of marine ecology.
• Jean-François Guitard (Sky Valet) combines the contribution of business aviation in full transformation with it.
• As a bonus, Matty Zadnikar (SeaNet), David Seal (Yachts for Sale), Michael St. Pierre (Princess Yachts), Patrick Coote (MarineMax), Ra'anan Ben-Zur (Habacoa Marina), and others who will lead the debate on new economic models and the human as a product, marketing dimensions and customer engagement.
do not forget Alessandro Tricoli, Stefano Comisi, Thierry Voisin, Sameh Muhtadi, Adam Peet ou Engel-Jan de Boer, leading figures in maritime law, naval financing or on-board security. A structuring but national ambition.
The WYS doesn't remain confined to yachting itself. It also looks to related sectors such as aviation, luxury hotels, and wealth management, so that the intersecting dynamics fuel reflection on customer expectations, innovation, sustainability, and governance.
The event will feature:
• An exclusive Showroom to promote tailor-made networking
• An Innov' Lounge dedicated to start-ups and disruptive projects, based on a logic of cooperation and green growth
• Rich discussions around the management of energy, waste, water on board but also around responsible digitalization " Charting the course to new horizons " This is the slogan of the World Yachting Summit.
This event is dedicated to forward-looking, lucid, committed and creative boating.
At the end of the event, a final summary report will reveal a clear map of priority projects and emerging opportunities for the sector.
Finally, this first edition inaugurates an international ambition because from 2026 WYS will be held in Dubai, marking a desire to open up to new territories and to broaden dialogue on an international scale.
More than a summit, it is a new milestone for the pleasure boating industry.
Patrick Koune
With tickets almost sold out, now is the perfect time to secure your spot.
Book here: https://worldyachtingsummit.com/participate/
For more information : https://worldyachtingsummit.com/
