A video posted to the subreddit r/yachtporn showcased a sea of yachts along the coast of Monaco for F1's most prestigious and decadent Grand Prix of the season.
The 51-second video (seen here if the embed does not load below) spans the ocean, revealing more than 70 yachts, catamarans, and sailboats of every shape and size. Some of the yachts are so big, they make the other boats look like dinghies.
The Monaco Grand Prix is a glamorous event of excess known for attracting the world's wealthiest elite to the harbor, where they can watch the international motorsport race from the water. Every year, celebrities, billionaires, and royalty flock to the French Riviera in their private jets to board their superyachts for a weekend of racing where drivers reach speeds of up to 180 miles per hour — a domino effect of environmental devastation that is being heavily scrutinized and frowned upon.
Much of the criticism stems from the fact that these superyachts and private jets are creating a disproportionate amount of pollution. According to Bloomberg, the richest people in the world are also living the highest carbon lifestyles. Oxfam International reported that the world's 50 richest billionaires account for more carbon pollution every two hours than the average person does in their lifetime.
According to an opinion piece for the Guardian, owning a superyacht or megayacht is the single most polluting activity a person can do. Research published in Science Daily found that large cruise ships can have a carbon footprint greater than that of 12,000 cars and generate over a ton of waste per day, some of which gets dumped overboard.
Some experts are going so far as to call it a form of "ecocide," which Bloomberg defined as blatant and conscious acts that knowingly come with a substantial likelihood of severe, widespread, or long-term damage to the environment.
Fortunately, there are more sustainable options coming to light, both in the yachting world and motorsports. Silent-Yachts, an Austrian company specializing in luxury, solar-powered vessels, has designed a solar-powered superyacht that comes with optional electric aircraft and submarines. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team purchased nature-based carbon credits to offset decades of carbon pollution; a move that hopefully inspires other teams to follow suit. Formula E — Formula 1's electric counterpart — has developed a car that can accelerate faster than an F1 vehicle.
The video of yacht-infested waters was met with a few people who were jealous, several who were curious, and a majority who were outraged.
"All I see is the disparity between the haves and the have nots. Crazy," one Redditor wrote.
"Is every billionaire on earth there with their yacht," asked another.
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"And all these people say we need to stop using gas. To save the earth," another commented. "Then fly on private jets to get a slice of cheesecake and use these boats."
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