At the first Honours ceremony, which was sponsored by Agusta, Begüm Yachting, BWA Yachting, Feadship, Preciosa, Richard Mille, and RINA and organised by The Superyacht Life Foundation and Monaco Yacht Show, the first three winners of the coveted Bowsprit award were honored. At a special dinner event, guests were enthralled by the incredible stories of the honorees, including superyacht owner, philanthropist, and advocate for ocean conservation Wendy Schmidt, superyacht First Officer and industry DEI proponent Jenny Matthews, and business strategist turned director at YachtAid Global Zoran Selakovic.

With the intention of drawing attention away from the ships and firmly focusing it on the positive things that occur in the daily lives of superyachters, the Honours were created as a method for the superyacht industry to honour the remarkable individuals working behind the scenes. The superyachting sector's heart and soul are embodied by this year's honorees, who were chosen by a team of experts from among over 360 nominations submitted by the industry.

The Honours Gala Evening 2023. *Image Credit: The Superyacht Life Foundation*

Meet the Honourees

Wendy Schmidt

The philanthropist, superyacht owner, and competitive sailor Wendy Schmidt hails from the United States. Her interest is in comprehending and repairing the ocean and its significance to all life on Earth. Wendy Schmidt has made significant contributions to the advancement of ocean science and research through the Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Ocean Institute, and other non-profit organisations. Most notably, she has given scientists all over the world free access to the cutting-edge research vessel Falkor in exchange for their research and discoveries being made publicly available.

Along with raising awareness of ocean health and sustainable solutions for the sailing and marine industries, Schmidt also co-founded 11th Hour Racing. A skilled helmswoman, Schmidt recently made history by becoming the first American and woman to win the world's largest sailing yacht race, the Barcolana 54. She is also influencing the development of new materials and lifecycle assessment tools, as well as educating the public about the vital importance of our oceans.

Jenny Matthews

At the age of 18, Jenny Matthews, a professional yacht crew member, made the decision to forgo college in order to pursue her dream of becoming a superyacht captain. Even though there weren't many women working on deck, she persevered and worked her way up to get an Officer of the Watch certificate. When she did, she was informed that not many women had ever attained that degree. This led her to reach out on social media and form She of the Sea, a new community for women working in the deck and engineering departments that would serve not only as a networking and knowledge-sharing platform but also as a launchpad to inspire the next generation of female deck and engineer candidates.

Following this initiative, Legasea was introduced, which moved the focus of the conversation away from gender and towards mentoring the upcoming generation of yacht crew members of all genders. Legasea will provide support, knowledge, and a community to these individuals throughout their careers, including when it comes time for them to settle down on land.

Zoran Selakovic

Born and bred in what is now Croatia, Zoran Selakovic had a deep passion for the ocean at a young age, which inspired him to finish his skippering training and go on several extended cruises. He was inspired to find out how he could assist after witnessing friends in the Caribbean lose all they had to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. It was then that he contacted Mark Drewelow, the founder of YachtAid Global. In less than two weeks, almost 100 superyachts offered to support relief efforts through YachtAid Global, which Zoran stepped in to help organise.

Since then, as YachtAid Global’s Director, he has been involved in projects as diverse as disaster relief, building the first public library in the Galapagos and helping provide clean drinking water in Mexico, and coordinating Operation Swimway, which aims to add the migratory routes of pelagics to ocean conservation areas, all with the help of over 300 yachts, including thousands of yacht crew and owners.

The Honours experiential evening

An exclusive audience of superyacht owners and select VIP guests attended the gala evening, which took place in Hauser & Wirth's stunning gallery on Place du Casino in Monaco. They enjoyed a stunning experiential dinner that included ballet and opera performances and a scintillating sea-inspired, locally sourced menu highlighting Monaco's culinary flair.

A brief video featuring each of the honorees was shown to the audience after dinner, and then the laureates were invited to the main stage to collect their much-coveted Bowsprit award. They were invited to talk more about their backgrounds, including their love of the superyacht business and their attempts to improve humanity through philanthropic, charitable, environmental, and community-based endeavours, by the evening's host, environmentalist and ocean conservationist Mariasole Bianco.

“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 its crew than meets the eye,” says Dilan Saraç, Executive Director of the 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.”

Adds Gaëlle Tallarida, Managing Director at Monaco Yacht Show: “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, and how we can all be a part of instigating change in how we work as an industry, how what we do can bring a positive impact all over the world, and how we can play a central role in understanding and restoring the health of the oceans, which are vital to life on Earth.”

Nominations for the 2024 edition of the Honours will open on December 1, 2023. The Superyacht Life Foundation and Monaco Yacht Show are proud to announce this. This year's event will honour the work of three chosen individuals at an exclusive experiential gala on the eve of the 2024 Monaco Yacht Show. This announcement follows the success of the inaugural Honours event.

Discover More: The Superyacht Life Foundation & Monaco Yacht Show