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The Honours: A Celebration of Superyacht Industry Inspirations

By Frances Flannagan

On the eve of the Monaco Yacht Show 2023, the first edition of The Honours was held: an event with the goal of recognising and celebrating the inspirational figures of the superyacht industry. The event saw three deserving winners, all of whom have dedicated a wealth of knowledge and passion to the world of superyachts, and who deserve to be celebrated beyond the event.

The Honours, which is organised by the Monaco Yacht Show and The Superyacht Life Foundation, is an event which aims to shift the spotlight away from the superyachts and onto the extraordinary people in the industry. Whilst featuring some of the world’s most spectacular displays of luxury, the superyacht industry is also home to some of the world’s most inspiring people in regard to environmental dedications, career journeys and unwavering passions.

The first edition of the event saw three Honourees selected to receive a Bowspirit award, a beautiful design crafted in glass and carbon by Preciosa, with an overall total of 364 nominees, in which 14 were shortlisted. The panel of judges, which is chaired by Tony Harris, Superyacht Industry Ambassador of Informa Markets, then convened for deliberation in Monaco to decide the three winners.

An exceptional evening event was held on the eve of the 2023 Monaco Yacht Show to award and celebrate the three Honourees. A gala dinner took place at Hauser & Wirth’s stunning gallery in Monaco on Place du Casino, an event that treated a distinguished guest list to an exquisite three-course dinner and sensational entertainment, including ballet and opera performances. The gallery was a stunning backdrop to the celebrations, featuring a new exhibition by renowned contemporary artist Mark Bradford.

The three Honourees represent the diverse range of exceptional work carried out within the industry. Jenny Matthews, Zoran Selakovic and Wendy Shmidt were the well-deserving winners, three true inspirations within the superyacht world.

Jenny Matthews

Born and raised in New Zealand, Jenny Matthews set her desires on becoming a superyacht captain, despite recognising the rarity of female deckhands. Working her way up the ranks and gaining an officer of the watch certificate, Matthews decided to acknowledge the diversity issues within the industry and founded ‘She of the Sea’: a social media platform in which women in the deck and engineering departments could share knowledge, build a community and inspire the next generation. She then went on to found ‘Legersea’, which focuses on mentoring the next generation of yacht crew.

Speaking on diversity within the industry, Matthews commented: ‘I feel so honoured and blessed and driven to be part of that conversation, whether it’s about orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.’ Her passion for not only being part of a conversation about diversity but actively contributing to it highlights the important role that Matthews plays in the industry, inspiring everyone to create a worthy space for themselves within the superyacht world.

Zoran Selakovic

Zoran Selakovic was born and raised in Croatia, starting out as a passionate yacht skipper and business strategy consultant. Touched by the effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean, Selakovic approached Mark Drewelow, Founder of YachtAid Global (YAG). Following the impact of the hurricanes, YAG received offers from over 100 superyachts to assist in relief efforts in just two weeks. Following this, Selakovic was made YAG’s Director, overseeing a plethora of projects from disaster relief to clean drinking water missions.

Selakovic believes that organisations such as YachtAid Global exist because of the community: ‘In so many ways, YachtAid Global is a collaboration, an altruism sustainability platform through which we connect and work together to carry out these initiatives in a way that is truly sustainable – and we’ve had over 300 superyachts and thousands of owners and crew engaged over the course of the years.’ His acknowledgment of the industry as a whole resonates with the message at the crux of The Honours: to recognise all who contribute to the superyacht industry.

Wendy Schmidt

Wendy Schmidt is a philanthropist and sailing superyacht owner, with a natural talent for helming and an affinity with the sea. She is passionate about not only restoring our ocean environments, but understanding and conserving them. Schmidt’s involvement in the Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Ocean Institute and other non-profit organisations highlight the ways in which she has helped further ocean science and research. She founded 11th Hour Racing, which highlights issues and promotes solutions for sustainability in the yachting and yacht racing sectors and is also the first woman and first American to win the Barcolana: the world’s largest yacht race.

Schmidt commented, ‘Human activity has had this extraordinary impact on ocean health… Let’s stop hurting it. Let’s let it be what it was designed to be, because it is our life support. It is a major protein source for almost half of the human race. It’s our pharmacy full of compounds – we have barely scratched the surface of them, but we do know many of them help cure diseases. And for sailors, it’s our playground. It’s where we have our recreation, and we have a responsibility for its health.’ Schmidt has an admirable drive for sustainability, a topic which has never been more important within the superyacht industry.

These three extraordinary winners encompass everything that The Honours stands for: recognising those who have had remarkable impacts on the industry and who inspire others to do the same. From world-class performance capabilities to unwavering sustainable and environmental commitments, Jenny Matthews, Zoran Selakovic and Wendy Schmidt are Honourees that are worth celebrating beyond the event, as we continue to acknowledge the importance of The Honours and celebrate its empowering objectives and spectacular achievements.

"I feel so honoured and blessed and driven to be part of that conversation, whether it’s about orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.’" Jenny Matthews, Winner, The Honours 2023

"I feel so honoured and blessed and driven to be part of that conversation, whether it’s about orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.’"

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THE HONOURS

Rewarding lives in superyachting.

Inspiring people, inspiring change

There is so much good going on within the superyacht industry – from philanthropic ventures and intrepid exploration to unrivalled craftsmanship and sustainable innovations helping make the world a better place – but these stories are regularly overlooked.

That's why The Honours recognises the people behind the inspirational stories that make the superyachting world exceptional.

Honourees 2023

Jenny matthews.

Inspired by a conversation with a neighbour, Jenny Matthews set out to break the mould and become a superyacht captain, founding She of the Sea and Legasea on the way.

ZORAN SELAKOVIC

From passionate yacht skipper and business strategy consultant to Director at YachtAid Global, Zoran Selakovic has seen the suffering of coastal communities, and the help that the superyacht community is determined to deliver.

WENDY SCHMIDT

A latecomer to sailing, recipient of the inaugural Honours awards and yacht owner Wendy Schmidt nonetheless showed a natural talent for helming and an affinity with the sea, and as her passion grew, so did her determination to put her philanthropic weight behind ocean science and sustainability.

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Nominations are now closed!

Who will be the 2024 Honourees?

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Experiential. Educational. Exceptional.

An exclusive, high-end, experiential evening celebrating the stories of three honourees takes place in Monaco on the eve of the iconic Monaco Yacht Show.

Meet with an esteemed panel of judges and

criteria employed in the judging process

The exquisite and finely crafted Bowsprit award represents the guiding spirits of the superyachting world. Like the inspirational people it honours, the award symbolises those at the leading edge, pointing the way forward and charting a new course, while the waves express the gathering momentum that follows our honourees.

The Bowsprit

Read our stories

Behind every superyacht lies a story. The Superyacht Life Foundation is on a mission to share these stories, offering a fresh take on the positive impacts, people, places and projects that surround the superyachting good life.

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The Honours nominations now open

January 18, 2024

Nominations are welcome for this year’s edition of The Honours, which is again co-organised by The Superyacht Life Foundation and the Monaco Yacht Show.

The Honours, Wendy Schmidt, YachtAid Global, Zoran Selakovic, Jenny Matthews, Bowsprit, The Superyacht Life Foundation, Monaco Yacht Show, Dilan Sarac, Gaëlle Tallarida

Mariasole Bianco hosted The Honours 2023

The Honours 2024 has officially opened for nominations, which can be made on the Nominations page at www. thehonours.org . The event was held for the first time in 2023, with yacht owner and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, YachtAid Global Director Zoran Selakovic, and superyacht First Officer and DEI proponent Jenny Matthews each honoured with a Bowsprit award.

Organised by The Superyacht Life Foundation and the Monaco Yacht Show, The Honours seeks to celebrate people inspiring change both within and through superyachting and the superyacht industry. Members of the public can submit their nominations for potential 2024 honourees , highlighting people they feel deserve recognition for the work they’ve done or the change they’ve instigated.

Dilan Sarac, Executive Director of The Superyacht Life Foundation, said: “The inspiring stories of our 2023 laureates and the extraordinary impacts they’ve had through their work and their initiatives are a perfect reflection of what this industry is capable of and the heart that beats within it.

Mariasole Bianco with Wendy Schmidt

“Now we call on the whole industry – and anyone beyond it – to nominate people they feel deserve recognition for what they’re doing and the impact they’ve had. Anyone can be nominated, if what they’ve done demonstrates the capacity for the superyacht industry to do good or to instigate change.”

Nominees should be involved with superyachts or the superyacht industry and show a project, work or personal endeavour that demonstrates altruistic or progressive behaviour beyond personal gain or career development. Positive attributes include a focus on advancing diversity and inclusion, sustainability and innovation, science and exploration, conservation, and philanthropy and support for local communities.

The complete list of nominees will be considered by an expert panel who will reduce the longlist to a shortlist, from which the final three laureates will be selected after a day of judging by a panel of industry professionals.

Jenny Matthews, Wendy Schmidt and Zoran Selakovic with their Bowsprit awards

The panel will consider aspects such as nominees’ impact and achievements, their leadership and influence, their service and commitment, the innovation and creativity of their endeavours, and their integrity and character.

Gaëlle Tallarida, Managing Director of the Monaco Yacht Show, said: “The Honours announced itself with a bang on the eve of the 2023 Monaco Yacht Show, and the awards have quickly found their place within the industry by celebrating the people at its heart.

“Moreover, The Honours reflect the efforts of our industry to the rest of the world, showing both how progressive our industry can be and how much desire to do good there is in the superyachting good life. We look forward to seeing another deep and diverse list of nominations, and can’t wait to host the 2024 laureates at the exclusive gala celebration on the eve of the 2024 Monaco Yacht Show.”

www.thehonours.org

www.thesuperyachtlife.com

www.monacoyachtshow.com

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Three honourees for the honours 2024 judged and set!

Press release - May 17, 2024 Written by the Superyacht Life Foundation

Amsterdam, 17 May 2024 – As anticipation builds for the upcoming 2024 Honours ceremony on September 24th, preceding the Monaco Yacht Show, the evaluation process has drawn to a close and three Honourees have been selected.

On May 13th, the judging panel convened at the Royale Industrieele Groote Club in Amsterdam. Led by Tony Harris, Superyacht Industry Ambassador at Informa Markets, the committee comprises a distinguished cohort representing diverse sectors within the industry. Notable figures include yacht designer Espen Øino, Jonathan Beckett (CEO of Burgess), Farouk Nefzi (CMO at Feadship), Merijn de Waard (Founder of Superyacht Times), Jeroen Sirag (Marketing Director at Royal Huisman), and Francesca Fenucci (CCO at BWA Yachting), all lending their expertise to the deliberation process for the second year in a row.

Candidates were evaluated across a spectrum of criteria encompassing their professional achievements, community engagement, philanthropic endeavours, leadership prowess, innovative contributions, and personal integrity.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

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An evening of stories and celebration

Experience the extraordinary

The Honours celebration, hosted in a unique secret location, will be an exclusive, high-end, experiential evening – with a twist. Invitees will be taken on a journey as each recipient is recognised for their achievements, with storytelling playing a key role in the evening. In fact, the event will be built around the stories of those receiving honours. With three people celebrated each year, the evening will be divided accordingly – three honourees, three courses and three incredible stories to be heard.

A mini documentary produced on each recipient will tell their story and explain why they are being recognised. These short films will be shown while matching dinner courses are served. After each story has been told, the recipient will be presented with the honour and there will be a short Q&A session with the judges' spokesperson.

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26 september 2023.

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