Fresh air. Tranquillity. Adventure. The feel of the breeze as you glide across the ocean with the sound of the waves lapping at your hull. It’s not hard to understand the attraction of yachting to those who love the deep blue seas. And yet by purchasing and sailing their vessels, yacht owners are putting the very oceans and marine life they love under threat.
“I think we all have to accept it’s not sustainable anymore for people to be running around in beautiful white yachts at high speed, burning large quantities of fuel for no reason other than pure pleasure,” says Simon Turner, Global Sales Director at Sunreef Yachts. An accomplished sailor and eco-yachting enthusiast, Simon combines a passion for sailing and sustainability with a career selling luxury yachts to high-net-worth clients.
He has first-hand experience of the impact climate change is having on marine biodiversity. After a conference in Monaco 15 years ago, he took some of the attendees out on a yacht. “It was a beautiful day,” he recalls. “As we dived off the yacht into the clear water, we were surrounded by spectacular, multicoloured fish. Go out there today and you won’t see too many fish. At least not as colourful and not as plentiful.”
In fact, traditional superyachts in particular can contribute to marine issues such as noise pollution, toxins and plastic waste.
Eco-yachts making waves with clients
Hundreds of yachts are berthed alongside one another in Monaco’s central Port Hercule, each one seemingly grander and more luxurious than the next. How do topics like sustainability and efficiency play in a world often characterised by excess – in which consumers want bigger, better, faster?
“The need for speed is decreasing,” says Simon. “With fuel costs as high as they are at the moment, most of the fleet behind us will be cruising at eight knots, even if the boat is capable of 20-25 knots. Speed is a massive energy consumer so if we can reduce those speeds in leisure yachting, we’ve got an opportunity for much greener yachting.”
Smaller yachts powered by electric propulsion, solar power or wind power can already reach speeds similar to traditional yachts. Sunreef’s range of eco-yachts includes a new 16.6-metre model powered by two electric 350kW engines which Simon says is setting new standards in speed and sustainability. “We’ve already sold ten of them, purely on the basis of clients being interested in an eco-yacht that retains the ability to cruise at a pretty high speed.”
Plain sailing with those clients who prioritise experience
About half of Sunreef’s inquiries are now for eco-yachts and Simon believes green yachting will eventually become the standard. In some respects, green yachting is already surpassing traditional yachting in terms of the on-board experience.
“I recently visited a client in Florida who has an 80-foot motor yacht fitted with a night mode pack,” he says. “That means the boat runs entirely from battery energy during the night. There’s no generator running, no noise, no vibrations, no smell. You hear the water, you hear the marine life, and you can sleep peacefully in the knowledge that you’re not disturbing it. That’s a win for the people on board and for the fish in the water.”
While the initial layout for an eco-yacht is higher than for traditional yachts, the gap is narrowing as the technologies for generating and storing power improve. Clients who invest in a sustainable yacht will get the full payback over the lifetime of the vessel. “Once you’ve purchased the boat, the costs of operating and maintaining the engine are lower than for traditional engines,” says Simon. “We manufacture an 80-foot yacht that uses an average of 20 litres of fuel a day over its first 40,000 miles of usage. That’s incredible fuel efficiency.”
Nevertheless, Simon chooses not to focus on economics during discussions with prospective clients. “I don’t say, ‘spend more money now because you’ll get it back in three or four years’. For customers who’re keen on this technology, cost isn’t the main factor.” He says it’s important to remember that the carbon emissions don’t come only from using the yachts, but also from their energy-intensive manufacturing process. “These customers are attracted by the idea of owning a yacht that’s got a minimal carbon footprint.”
Tide going out on combustion engines
Besides consumer demand, the shift towards green yachting is also being driven by regulation. To tackle pollution, cities like Venice and Amsterdam are restricting the use of boats with internal combustion engines, and marine parks around the world are banning the entry of fossil-fuel-powered yachts. “At some point, governments are going to introduce taxation issues or restraints on fuel usage,” says Simon. “So we’ve got to be ahead of the curve and have solutions before that happens.”
He believes that the biggest opportunity for the industry lies in finding solutions for the fleet of yachts already out on the high seas and the usage of alternative fuels such as plant-based fuels or methanol. Sunreef Yachts’ R&D department is currently developing a system to use a hydrogen generator powered by solar power to produce hydrogen on board.
In terms of timeframes, how close are we from seeing net-zero vessels? “I think it’s very much on the table,” says Simon. “We already have two 43-metre sailing catamarans on the design table that can sail with zero impact using hydro regeneration, solar and wind power. Again, as long as don’t demand that they go at 30 knots, it’s realistic to say net zero is very close.”