This week the first three recipients of a coveted Bowsprit award were celebrated at the inaugural Honours event on the eve of the Monaco Yacht Show. The Honours was conceived as an opportunity for the superyacht industry to recognise the extraordinary people making a difference behind the scenes, with the winners drawn from over 360 nominations.
The Honours 2023
The Honourees
Wendy Schmidt is an American philanthropist, superyacht owner and competitive sailor who is passionate about understanding and restoring our planet’s Ocean and its connection to all life on Earth. Through the Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Ocean Institute and other non-profit organisations, Wendy Schmidt has helped advance ocean science and research notably by providing a state-of-the-art research vessel Falkor (too) to scientists worldwide at no cost in exchange for making their research and discoveries publicly available.
Wendy Schmidt
Jenny Matthews is a professional yacht crew who overcame the challenges of being a minority female in the profession to became one of very few women to earn Officer of the Watch status. Her inspirational story led to the formation of She of the Sea, a community for women working in the deck and engineering departments serving as a networking and knowledge-sharing platform to inspire the next generation.
Jenny Matthews
After witnessing colleagues and friends suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and Maria, Croatian born Zoran Selakovic joined YachtAid Global alongside its founder Mark Drewelow. Through the charity Zoran coordinated help from over 100 superyachts to assist in relief efforts. Now, as the charity’s director, he has been involved in a range of projects from conservation to helping provide clean drinking water; all with the help of over 300 yachts, and thousands of yacht crew and owners.
Zoran Selakovic
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The gala evening was hosted by ocean conservation advocate Mariasole Bianco at the Hauser & Wirth’s gallery in Monaco on Place du Casino. Selected VIP guests and superyacht owners enjoyed an evening of a sea-inspired dinner accompanied by ballet and opera performances. The honourees then took to the stage to give more details about their projects and their passion for the superyacht industry and its philanthropic efforts and community-based initiatives.
Gala Evening
“The evening was a wonderful expression of the good that exists in the superyachting good life, highlighting that there is so much more to this industry, its owners and crew than meets the eye,” said Dilan Saraç, Executive Director of Superyacht Life Foundation. “Our three inaugural Honourees are all well deserving of the award, and they have set a high bar for future nominations, which we have no doubt the industry will meet because of the breadth of talent and heart that lies within all facets of the superyachting industry and lifestyle.”
Gaëlle Tallarida, Managing Director at Monaco Yacht Show added, “The highlight of this spectacular night was definitely hearing the inspiring stories of Wendy, Jenny and Zoran, and realising just how deeply caring the superyacht world can be.”
Nominations for the 2024 edition of the Honours will open on 1 December 2023 – once again recognising the work of three select individuals on the eve of the 2024 Monaco Yacht Show.
