Flooding, heat waves, wildfires, acidification of the ocean, loss of biodiversity, overfishing…. Threats from climate change are in the news every day, and the yachting industry is finally taking notice.
Yachting is, obviously, intrinsically linked to the world’s oceans’ health.
A shift towards more sustainable and eco-friendly innovations should not be just a trend, but a fundamental imperative.
While boat builders and designers are inventing ways to reduce vessels’ carbon footprint, an increasing number of yacht owners, crews and charter guests seem keen to minimise the negative impact on marine life that boating may induce.
With this issue in mind, the CYBA (Charter Yacht Brokers Association) created the “Designer Water Contest” 15 years ago with a catchy motto to go along with it:
“Going Green to Save the Blue.”
The purpose of the Competition is to showcase the creativity of yacht chefs & stews at crafting naturally flavoured water drinks, using the water produced by the yacht’s desalinator, in an effort to eliminate plastic water bottles onboard.
Five yachts took on the challenge this year at the Newport Yacht Charter Show, led by Charter Broker Julia Towne from Worldwide Boat. I was honoured to be one of the judges, along with June Montagne from IYC and Sarah Baines from Ship to Shore Charters.
We first stepped onto MY Lexington to try Chef Ranata’s perfectly balanced beverage including rosehips, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and lemon. The mason jars were beautifully decorated with edible flowers and fresh berries. A major bonus point was that Chef Ranata only used organic ingredients.
On SY Tyche, mate Ella greeted us with a very refreshing, crisp tasting cucumber, celery, lemon and serrano pepper flavoured water.
“The strawberry that broke the kiwi’s back” was the catchy name of the concoction prepared by Chef Katie on MY Temptation. She infused a delicious mix of fresh strawberry and kiwi with a squeeze of lemon. The glasses were appropriately decorated with a slice of strawberry and kiwi. Special award for the funniest drink name!
Next, we were treated to a “Coastal Zen Splash” by Chef David on MY Magnum Ride, including organic coconut water, cucumber, lime, ginger, lemongrass, honey and mint.
At our last stop, Chief Stewardess Alexandra on MY Invictus impressed us with the exquisite taste of her “Coastal Bloom” flavoured water. She steeped the water with kiwi slices, pomegranate, dragon fruit chunks, lime zest, fresh mint and pink peppercorns, and garnished the glasses with dried hibiscus petals.
It was really hard to pick a winner, based on taste, creativity and presentation. All the beverages created by the chefs or stewardesses were extremely pleasant and refreshing.
First Place went to MY Invictus
Second Place: MY Temptation
Third Place: SY Tyche
It is such a positive sign of the times to see that increasingly, sustainability seems to be at the forefront of the yachting industry and reshaping the core concept of luxury. Let’s hope for even more eco-conscious initiatives going forward, such as a diminution of the use of animal products by yacht chefs. I have no doubt these highly talented chefs could dazzle all of us with their plant-forward dishes and creations!
For over 35 years, Newport Charter Yacht Show is a showcase of luxury charter yachts alongside a display of ancillary goods and services for the charter industry. This four-day event is dedicated exclusively to yacht charter professionals—agents, owners, brokers and captains—in the dynamic, picturesque setting of Newport, Rhode Island.
Newport Charter Yacht Show hosts a range of well attended and exciting competitions, designed to test the crews skills, including:
Contact the energetic and friendly show director Veronica Brown if you wish to participate in the next edition in June 2026.
Newport Charter Yacht Show
c/o Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard
1 Washington Street
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
Tel: 401-846-6000
Show Director:
Veronica Brown
Email: vbrown@shmarinas.com
Tel: 401-846-6000
