S/CAT Ganany Captures YCM Explorer Innovation Award at Monaco Yacht Club

Franck David had one line at Monaco's Yacht Club on 24 March 2026 that reordered the room: S/CAT Ganany carries zero fuel on board. No fossil energy. Zero carbon emissions. The MODX 70 project he leads won the Innovation & Technology prize at the YCM Explorer Awards by La Belle Classe Superyachts, and the jury that made that call represents the sharpest panel of maritime and environmental expertise in European yachting.

Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club in New York, chaired the international jury convened under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II. Wiese described what the Monaco community stands for: "Monaco is the undisputed capital of invention, superyachts and innovative thinking but that's not all. It's also a community of people driven by a nobility of purpose who own boats that are not only sleek and beautiful but also of innovative designs."

When that jury awards the innovation category to a catamaran built entirely around the absence of fossil fuel, it validates an architectural decision most yards still treat as speculative. David confirmed the scope of MODX's ambition: "We developed a pleasure catamaran with zero fuel on board, no fossil energy, and therefore zero carbon emissions. It's something completely new, but we believe it represents the truly sustainable yachting of the future. We are of course very excited about the award and thankful to the Yacht Club de Monaco."

The implications reach below decks. Strip out the fuel tanks, transfer pumps, primary and secondary filters, heat exchangers, exhaust runs and the fire suppression load they carry, and a bluewater cat sheds significant weight alongside a substantial category of mechanical failure points. Autonomy and redundancy in MODX's model shift entirely to an alternative energy architecture. The Yacht Club de Monaco praised the vessel directly for its innovative design and use of sustainable materials as the foundation of the win.

The 2026 ceremony anchored the first Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting Rendezvous, running 21-24 March at the Yacht Club. GANANY shared the podium with R/V Plastic Odyssey, which took the Science & Exploration prize for its expeditions targeting plastic pollution across Africa, South America and Asia, and M/Y Be Mine, which received the Coup de coeur. YCM General Secretary Bernard d'Alessandri stated the programme's intent plainly: "With this ceremony, we want to demonstrate that yachting can be an agent of change."

Science and exploration prizes recognise what owners do once a boat is launched. Technology prizes recognise decisions made at the design stage. MODX built a catamaran around the removal of diesel as a design premise, and Monaco's most credentialed jury called it the leading idea in the sector. The builders watching from outside Monaco now have a benchmark.