--- title: "Swiss Solar Boat team from EPFL wins the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in Monaco; overall title, Design Prize and Eco-Design Prize" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-10T09:07:00Z" source: "https://actu.epfl.ch/news/swiss-solar-boat-wins-the-monaco-energy-boat-chall/" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" - name: "science and technology" identifier: "medtop:13000000" - name: "environment" identifier: "medtop:06000000" - name: "transport" identifier: "medtop:20000337" - name: "education" identifier: "medtop:05000000" - name: "online media outlet" identifier: "medtop:20000048" locations: - "Lausanne" - "Switzerland" - "Monaco" --- Swiss Solar Boat team from EPFL wins the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in Monaco; overall title, Design Prize and Eco-Design Prize Swiss Solar Boat wins the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge - EPFL Swiss Solar Boat wins the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge Import & publish the news Are you sure you want to import this news into ? This news will be sent to its subscribers. After three years of hard work, the Swiss Solar Boat team from EPFL wins the general classification of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (MEBC) international competition The Swiss Solar Boat team from EPFL has achieved its greatest success to date, winning the overall title at the 2026 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge , one of the world's leading competitions for sustainable maritime innovation. Bringing together 54 teams from 21 countries, the event challenges university students to develop and race the next generation of zero-emission boats while showcasing cutting-edge technologies that could shape the future of the maritime industry. The overall victory is the culmination of several years of development for the student-led project, which has steadily established itself as one of Europe's leading university initiatives in sustainable marine engineering. In addition to being crowned the 2026 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge Champion, the EPFL team also received the Design Prize and the Eco-Design Prize , recognizing both the technical excellence of the boat and its strong sustainability credentials. Organized annually by the Yacht Club de Monaco, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge serves as a unique testing ground where students can contribute to the transition toward cleaner maritime propulsion. Unlike traditional boat races, the competition evaluates not only performance on the water but also innovation, engineering quality, energy efficiency and environmental impact. The team's latest prototype, the Lobst'air , combines solar energy with green hydrogen in a hybrid foiling platform designed to demonstrate the potential of zero-emission maritime transport. Capable of carrying three people, reaching speeds of up to 35 knots and covering around 160 kilometres, the vessel illustrates how renewable energy technologies can be combined to deliver both performance and efficiency. Beyond speed, the project also emphasizes sustainability throughout the design process. The team developed a hybrid hull combining carbon fibre with okoumé plywood, reducing the environmental footprint of manufacturing while maintaining the structural performance required for competitive racing. This holistic approach to engineering was recognized through the Eco-Design Prize, highlighting that innovation in sustainable mobility extends well beyond propulsion systems. This latest success builds on an already impressive track record. Over the past several years, Swiss Solar Boat has earned multiple podium finishes in Monaco, including the Eco-Design Award in 2021 and victory in the championship race in 2022. In 2024, the team also completed the first hydrogen-powered foiling crossing of Lake Léman between Lausanne and Évian, demonstrating the feasibility of combining hydrogen and solar energy for long-range, zero-emission navigation. Winning the overall championship in 2026 confirms the team's position among the world's leading student innovators in maritime engineering. More importantly, it showcases the ability of university-led projects to contribute meaningfully to the energy transition by developing practical solutions that address real engineering challenges. The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has increasingly become an open-air laboratory for the maritime sector, where ideas developed by students can influence future commercial vessels and inspire collaboration with industry. Technologies tested during the competition—including advanced electric propulsion, hydrogen fuel cells, solar integration and autonomous navigation—are helping define the future of clean boating. For EPFL, the championship is another illustration of the strength of hands-on engineering education. Student teams such as Swiss Solar Boat provide participants with experience in project management, systems engineering, manufacturing, software development and testing, while working on technologies with tangible societal impact. For readers interested in learning more about the design of the Renewable Energy Foiler, its hybrid solar-hydrogen propulsion system and the engineering innovations behind the project, we invite you to read the following article With this landmark victory in Monaco, Swiss Solar Boat has once again demonstrated the remarquable skills and dedication of their students and the staff around them Link to article of the Yacht Club of Monaco The Swiss Solar Boat team from EPFL has achieved its greatest success to date, winning the overall title at the 2026 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge , one of the world's leading competitions for sustainable maritime innovation. Bringing together 54 teams from 21 countries, the event challenges university students to develop and race the next generation of zero-emission boats while showcasing cutting-edge technologies that could shape the future of the maritime industry. The overall victory is the culmination of several years of development for the student-led project, which has steadily established itself as one of Europe's leading university initiatives in sustainable marine engineering. In addition to being crowned the 2026 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge Champion, the EPFL team also received the Design Prize and the Eco-Design Prize , recognizing both the technical excellence of the boat and its strong sustainability credentials. Organized annually by the Yacht Club de Monaco, the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge serves as a unique testing ground where students can contribute to the transition toward cleaner maritime propulsion. Unlike traditional boat races, the competition evaluates not only performance on the water but also innovation, engineering quality, energy efficiency and environmental impact. The team's latest prototype, the Lobst'air , combines solar energy with green hydrogen in a hybrid foiling platform designed to demonstrate the potential of zero-emission maritime transport. Capable of carrying three people, reaching speeds of up to 35 knots and covering around 160 kilometres, the vessel illustrates how renewable energy technologies can be combined to deliver both performance and efficiency. Beyond speed, the project also emphasizes sustainability throughout the design process. The team developed a hybrid hull combining carbon fibre with okoumé plywood, reducing the environmental footprint of manufacturing while maintaining the structural performance required for competitive racing. This holistic approach to engineering was recognized through the Eco-Design Prize, highlighting that innovation in sustainable mobility extends well beyond propulsion systems. This latest success builds on an already impressive track record. Over the past several years, Swiss Solar Boat has earned multiple podium finishes in Monaco, including the Eco-Design Award in 2021 and victory in the championship race in 2022. In 2024, the team also completed the first hydrogen-powered foiling crossing of Lake Léman between Lausanne and Évian, demonstrating the feasibility of combining hydrogen and solar energy for long-range, zero-emission navigation. Winning the overall championship in 2026 confirms the team's position among the world's leading student innovators in maritime engineering. More importantly, it showcases the ability of university-led projects to contribute meaningfully to the energy transition by developing practical solutions that address real engineering challenges. The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge has increasingly become an open-air laboratory for the maritime sector, where ideas developed by students can influence future commercial vessels and inspire collaboration with industry. Technologies tested during the competition—including advanced electric propulsion, hydrogen fuel cells, solar integration and autonomous navigation—are helping define the future of clean boating. For EPFL, the championship is another illustration of the strength of hands-on engineering education. Student teams such as Swiss Solar Boat provide participants with experience in project management, systems engineering, manufacturing, software development and testing, while working on technologies with tangible societal impact. For readers interested in learning more about the design of the Renewable Energy Foiler, its hybrid solar-hydrogen propulsion system and the engineering innovations behind the project, we invite you to read the following article With this landmark victory in Monaco, Swiss Solar Boat has once again demonstrated the remarquable skills and dedication of their students and the staff around them