Marco Simeoni : Navigating at the Forefront to Save the Ocean
“I’ve always been passionate about sailing and the oceans. I could not stand by watching them deteriorate and do nothing”.
Engineer, entrepreneur, and sailing enthusiast, Marco Simeoni chose to dedicate his energy and expertise to a cause: preserving the oceans. In 2010, he founded the Race for Water Foundation, convinced that adventure and innovation can help protect our blue planet.
In 2015, he embarked on the first Race for Water Odyssey aboard a MOD70, a high-performance racing trimaran developed by Océan Développement, of which he is a partner. After 300 days around the globe, the verdict was clear: plastic waste is everywhere. Cleaning it up at sea is impossible. The only solution is to stop it on land.
With his team, Marco collaborated with engineers to find concrete solutions. Their idea: to give economic value to plastic waste to encourage its collection, notably through high-temperature pyrolysis, which transforms plastic into synthetic gas.
To promote the pyrolysis solution and identify the most favorable socio-economic contexts for its implementation, the second expedition set sail aboard a pioneering vessel: the former Planet Solar, the first boat to complete a solar-powered round-the-world trip, donated to the Foundation during COP21. Completely redesigned by Océan Développement, it combines solar, hydrogen, and kite sailing, and will cover over 27,000 nautical miles, demonstrating that it is possible to sail far… and cleanly.
Today, alongside his partners at Océan Développement, Marco is launching the MODX 70, a zero-emission catamaran and the new ambassador of Race for Water for its Ocean and Climate Odyssey (2025-2027). The goal: to promote decarbonization of maritime transport and remind us that a healthy and living ocean is our best ally against climate change.
