Monaco 2025 – The Race for the Ocean’s Crown
Under the Mediterranean sun, Monte-Carlo once again became the epicentre of nautical splendour.
From September 24–27, 2025, the Monaco Yacht Show gathered 562 exhibitors, displaying 155 megayachts worth €4.3 billion, alongside 57 tenders and 30 luxury cars designed to fit seamlessly into onboard garages.
Over 30,000 guests experienced a world where engineering, design, and prestige meet innovation and sustainability.
A Billion-Euro Headline: Sold Before the Show Began
The undisputed star was meant to be BREAKTHROUGH (IMO 9899650) – a 117-metre Feadship masterpiece and the world’s first hydrogen-powered superyacht.
Designed by RWD and reportedly commissioned by Bill Gates, it symbolised the convergence of luxury and clean energy.
But just days before the event, BREAKTHROUGH was quietly sold.
A Canadian entrepreneur, a former professional hockey player and founder of GFL Environmental, acquired the yacht for approximately €650 million, removing it from the sale lineup.
Thus, the most expensive yacht of the show was gone before visitors ever saw her gleam.
Benetti’s MAR Takes the Spotlight
In her place, the 107-metre “MAR” (IMO 9761762, formerly “Lana”) by Benetti became the largest yacht still available for purchase in Monaco 2025.
Priced at €195 million, MAR offers the ultimate in sea-bound sophistication: an 8-metre swimming pool, a 120 m² beach club, and a 110 m² owner’s suite overlooking the endless horizon.
Still unsold, she remains the crown jewel for those who seek the next big statement.
Awards, Innovation, and the Green Horizon
The ISS Design & Leadership Awards 2025 once again honoured excellence in yacht design, though no German yards reached the finals this year.
In the “Best Sailing Yacht (24–40 m)” category, Southern Wind’s SW108 Gelliceaux triumphed with its carbon hull and diesel-electric propulsion.
Sustainability also took centre stage with the inaugural Monaco Yacht Show Blue Wake Award.
The 35.9-metre catamaran “Reduce” (IMO 1015973) by Silver Yachts earned a special commendation for eco-conscious engineering.
During the ceremony, Prince Albert II of Monaco accepted a €54,000 donation aboard Reduce for his foundation’s Ice Memory Project, preserving glacier cores to study climate change.
Luxury with a Conscience
The 2025 Monaco Yacht Show proved that the age of excess is evolving.
Size and power are giving way to purpose and innovation.
Yachts like BREAKTHROUGH, MAR, and REDUCE define the next decade of yachting — where technology, beauty, and sustainability unite beneath one flag: progress.
“The true crowns of the sea are not the biggest yachts – but the brightest minds behind them.”
– CEOS Editorial, Monaco 2025
