Institut Le Rosey, the Swiss boarding school in Rolle in the canton of Vaud, has bought a solar-electric catamaran worth 13.5 million Swiss francs to teach its pupils marine science. The 29-metre vessel, named Ipharra, was delivered in early October after the purchase was announced at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.
Philippe Gudin, the school’s former director and now a management adviser, defended the investment. “This boat lets young people discover something new, and perhaps a passion,” he said. The catamaran runs on solar panels and electric motors and will be moored on Lake Geneva, where it will serve as a floating classroom. Le Rosey has operated a 31-metre catamaran since 2010, and Gudin said he wanted the new boat to benefit from the efficiency and environmental advances of Polish builder Sunreef.
There is room on board for ten teenagers, the size of a full class at the school, plus a crew of five. The interior features linen sofas, oak floors and a large table that seats the whole group, while a retractable screen turns the lounge into a classroom by day and a cinema at night. The cabins are finished in wenge, a West African tropical wood from a threatened species. Fold-out terraces at the stern form a beach club with direct access to the water for water-skiing, diving, snorkelling and deep-sea fishing.
The boat will support programmes such as the Excellence Camp, a two-week course for pupils aged 13 to 16 that alternates mountain activities with time at sea, including trips to the Arctic. It covers marine biology, ocean protection, renewable energy and responsible use of resources, and costs parents an extra 16,300 francs on top of annual fees of about 164,000 francs. A separate expedition for the most deserving students travels to the British Virgin Islands to help restore coral reefs.
Founded in 1880, Le Rosey teaches about 460 pupils aged 8 to 18 from dozens of countries and is often called the school of kings. Pupils spend spring and autumn on the Rolle campus and move to Gstaad for the winter term. Former students include Rainier III of Monaco, Farouk I of Egypt and Juan Carlos I of Spain, and the children of actress Elizabeth Taylor also studied there. The identities of current pupils are kept confidential for security reasons.
