by Water Revolution Foundation | 1 Jul 2025 | Press Releases
Amsterdam, 1 July 2025 – The Water Revolution Foundation is proud to announce the appointment of Aino-Leena Grapin as its new Chair of the Board, effective 1 July 2025. Aino succeeds Henk de Vries III, who has been a driving force behind the Foundation since its inception.
Aino joined the Foundation’s Board in March 2025, following her four year chairing role of the Sustainable Yacht Design Taskforce, and now steps into this prominent leadership role as part of a thoughtfully planned succession strategy designed to ensure continuity and momentum in our mission. With over 25 years of experience growing and leading organisations across the art, luxury, and technology sectors, Aino brings a wealth of strategic insight and a proven commitment to sustainability.
As Chief Executive of Winch Design since 2016, Aino has led the company through a significant evolution, including its transition to employee ownership in 2021. Her background in strategy consulting, combined with her deep passion for sustainable innovation, makes her an ideal leader to steer Water Revolution Foundation into its next chapter.
“I am honoured to take on the role of Chair at the Water Revolution Foundation, continuing to build on the exceptional work of Henk de Vries III whose leadership has laid a strong foundation for meaningful change in our industry. At Winch Design, sustainability is a core pillar of our vision, and we believe that design must be a force for positive change. I look forward to working with the Foundation and its partners to drive meaningful progress on the 2050 roadmap we have now set ourselves as a target to protect our oceans and planet for generations to come” states Aino Grapin.
Honouring a Visionary Leader
We extend our deepest gratitude to Henk de Vries III for his outstanding leadership and vision. As a founding chairman, Henk played an instrumental role in shaping the Foundation’s mission and strategic direction. In recognition of his enduring legacy, he has been awarded the honorary title of Emeritus Chair.
“More than six years ago now, Dr. Vienna Eleuteri sparked brightly with inspiration for a cleaner future for superyachting. I am very happy and proud to have been part of this extraordinary journey. With confidence I hand the reins to Aino Grapin, who will lead our Foundation with renewed ambition and vision” states Henk de Vries.
Gradual Succession, Strong Governance
Recognising the importance of stability and continuity, Water Revolution Foundation has implemented a gradual succession scheme for its founding members. This strategy ensures steady leadership renewal while preserving institutional knowledge and board effectiveness.
We will continue to announce new board appointments as they are confirmed, reinforcing our commitment to governance excellence and long-term impact.
Leadership Continuity
As part of our ongoing governance practices, Vice Chair Vienna Eleuteri, one of the Foundation’s founders, has been granted an exemption from the standard term policy. Her essential role in representing the Foundation in the global scientific and sustainability communities is reviewed and renewed every three years.
With a strong and evolving leadership team, Water Revolution Foundation remains steadfast in its mission to accelerate sustainability in the yachting sector through collaboration, science-based solutions, and regenerative practices.
by Water Revolution Foundation | 27 Jun 2025 | News
Nice, 25 June 2025 – In a week of utmost importance for global ocean governance, Water Revolution Foundation inscribed the yachting industry into the official agenda, and pioneered a regenerative blue finance mechanism with its Ocean Assist Programme.
Participating in high-level panels and roundtables: a voice for the industry
From 9 to 13 June 2025, Water Revolution Foundation’s delegation reported from the grounds of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference held in Nice, France: Mr Henk de Vries III, Chairman at WRF, Dr Vienna Eleuteri, Initiator and Vice President of WRF – and architect of the Ocean Assist Programme, Mr Jorge Barbosa, Blue Economy Advisor – former UN DESA & World Bank expert, and Ms Laurie Foulon, Programme Lead & Communications Lead of the Ocean Assist Programme took part in engagements in the exclusive Blue Zone, following Special Accreditation obtained through the foundation’s science-based approach.
Dr Vienna Eleuteri, recently awarded with a noble title, Woman of Excellence by the Government of Italy and elevating her science to high-level negotiations since COP23 in 2016, also participated in key speaking engagements at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF), preceding the Conference on 7 & 8 June, in Monaco, linking superyachting with the blue economy in a panel hosted by the “MENA Blue Finance Leadership Think Tank”.
The team was also present at important panels hosted by the IMO, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), United Nations Department of Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UN Global Compact: important platforms carrying opportunities to position our industry in the future of maritime regulations.
Key highlights of UNOC3 for the yachting industry
Supported by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the yachting segment and maritime industry were recognised as key actors of the private sector and a driving force in contributing to a healthy Ocean. The maritime sectors were recognised as holding transformative potential to become, as a collective, key contributors to ocean health, and to lead by example in building a new, contribution-based economy rooted in regeneration, responsibility, and respect for the Ocean.
Eleuteri and Barbosa’s speaking engagements in the exclusive Blue Zone included an official address in front of key delegates at the Ocean Action Panel: A powerful roadmap to move from commitments to concrete results.
Water Revolution Foundation’s hosting partner, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), was the centre stage for the launch of Ocean Assist on 13th June. A keynote by Dr Vienna Eleuteri followed by a scientific-based panel composed of Adriana Del Borghi (University of Genoa and Tetis Institute – key academic partners in developing the Ocean Assist standard), Richard Unsworth (Swansea University/Project Seagrass), Ludovic Arnaud (UNCTAD) and Dr Eleuteri was moderated by esteemed Ameer Eweida [IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas], deeper anchoring the roots of the foundation beyond product and into true validated science.
The delegation also attended key addresses at Ocean Action Panels dedicated to Advancing sustainable ocean-based economies, sustainable maritime transport and coastal community resilience leaving no one behind”, “Blue Tourism: Advancing Sustainable and Resilient Ocean Economies for People and Planet”, and took part in panels such as MENA’s Blue Policy Transformative Leadership Roundtable, Sustainable and Resilient Ports.
Water Revolution Foundation’s mission: advancing ocean regeneration through industry transformation, is now facilitated with a dedicated industry-curated investment in regenerative blue economy.
What is the regenerative blue economy?
“The conference emphasized that protecting the oceans requires a scientifically grounded approach, with tools such as the creation of an “IPCC for the Ocean.” Effective governance must be rooted in science to ensure decisive, urgent actions. And this is what Ocean Assist was founded on” – Dr Vienna Eleuteri.
Blue Economy: Sustainable tourism practices that leverage marine and coastal resources while ensuring their preservation and regeneration. It encompasses activities like eco-tourism, coastal wildlife watching, diving, and water sports, which contribute to economic growth while maintaining the health of marine ecosystems.
Launching Ocean Assist at top level
“Integrating regenerative investment into our businesses’ value propositions is the way to preserve a future for all” – Dr Vienna Eleuteri, Project Lead, Ocean Assist.
Ocean Assist is Water Revolution Foundation’s new programme that channels financial and strategic support from the maritime industry into scientifically validated marine restoration projects. This blue finance mechanism, containing a Standard, curated portfolio, and “units” as its currency, enables stakeholders to offset their ecological footprint while promoting biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and sustainable ocean practices. Ocean Assist is in support of the Regenerative Blue Economy, redefining the relationship between economic growth and marine conservation by prioritising restoration and resilience over sustainability.
By curating projects and adopting scientific tools that are urgently needed to protect the oceans, the superyacht community can maximise financial and non-financial resources to support nature-based solutions and aid the global effort to mitigate ecological impacts: leading the way towards net-zero, empowered to reach nature-positivity.
This collective and traceable approach includes coordination, shared structural commitment, and guidance by leading scientists in the field, seamlessly integrating into the industry’s Regenerative Roadmap 2050.
“We use the ocean as a resource, but we do not give back as we need to. Being aware of our sector-specific ecological footprint is needed but it is not enough. Sustainability is wrongly popular for focusing on the environmental impact, but there are many more parameters such as social and governance: Ocean Assist now links the overall sustainability impact of the private sector with the blue economy, by facilitating investment into transparent ocean conservation.”
“Simplifying science was the mission of the Ocean Assist Programme: making it readily available with trust, a gauge of transparency, and anticipating future reporting requirements of our industry. This was only possible through a deep investigation of and intimate collaboration with the yachting industry, coupled with validated science and thoroughly-defined metrics. The return on investment is not measured financially, but truly by a regenerated nature capital”.
A call to engagement for the industry
As the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) came to a close in Nice, one message stood out clearly for our industry: a healthy, productive, and resilient Ocean is no longer just a shared vision – it’s a global imperative! And it is now that the yachting industry can position itself as leaders of the regenerative blue economy. To clarify: offsetting is not the first thing you should do on the quest towards sustainability, but certainly should be the last thing you do.
The Foundation, its partners and board members call for all industry leaders: begin your sustainability journey by prioritizing actions that reduce your environmental impact. Next, focus on targeted investments like Ocean Assist Units to directly strengthen your nature-positive footprint.
“Nature is not our stakeholder – it is the one and only shareholder.”
Visit https://waterrevolutionfoundation.org/ocean-conservation/ocean-assist/ to learn more.
by Water Revolution Foundation | 17 Jun 2025 | Press Releases
Following the monumental third edition of its strategic business leaders gathering last month, the foundation publishes the Roadmap 2050 setting quantified environmental targets with five-year increments to reach net-zero by 2050. The way it is set up engages all yachting sector stakeholders and follows the approach of a yacht’s life cycle of Design, Build, Operation and Refit.
Water Revolution Foundation is announcing the Roadmap 2050: Towards Regenerative Yachting. This roadmap represents a collective, yachting sector-wide effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 latest. Developed through collaboration, following the Life Cycle Approach and based on a unique data exercise, the Roadmap covers every stage of a yacht’s life cycle—Design, Build, Operation, and Refit—with clear, measurable targets set in five-year increments. The Roadmap provides a path towards net-zero for both product and process.
United through a specific environmental strategy for the yachting sector
With overwhelming support for the Roadmap 2050 from the great mix of business leaders present at the third edition of the foundation’s strategic platform for top 60 industry CEOs, last month in Lerici – Italy, hosted by Sanlorenzo, the foundation calls upon all industry stakeholders to embark on this collective journey together. Robert van Tol, executive director of the foundation explains: “The Roadmap 2050 is a compass to navigate together through what are, undeniably, unchartered waters. Yachting can and should be pro-active and openly commit to net-zero, by latest 2050. Coordination and collaboration is key to accomplish this.”
Building on the momentum of two previous gatherings in Hamburg (2023) and Amsterdam (2024), this year’s edition marked a significant shift—from awareness to implementation. The focus turned to embedding regenerative principles into operations, investment decisions, and lifecycle strategies across the full yachting value chain.
Renowned environmental advocate Céline Cousteau opened the third edition with a powerful keynote, that underscored the intrinsic connection between humanity and the ocean. Drawing from her intergenerational legacy and frontline experience in marine conservation, Cousteau’s message resonated deeply with an industry uniquely dependent on ocean health.
“Regenerative practices in the yachting industry are essential for the health of our oceans and the well-being of future generations. This industry possesses the power, influence, and resources to lead by example. If yachting can transform, no other sector will have an excuse not to follow,” stated Cousteau, receiving a standing ovation.
While the Roadmap goes beyond current regulatory thresholds, it remains voluntary—empowering the industry to chart an optimal course. It is a sector-specific environmental strategy, uniting us all, giving clear directions for companies and individuals active in any of the four life cycle stages. Through quantified targets priorities are set and guidance provided where to work towards and what to focus on. It is aimed to spark innovation, forward thinking, competition, collaboration and standardisation. Suspended EU reporting requirements and IMO thresholds for vessels still over >5,000 GT for the moment should not result in “wait and see”, but in extra motivation to utilise the opportunity to embark on a yacht-specific path towards net-zero now we still can.
The white paper of the third business leaders event is available here for transparency and broader industry engagement.
The projected journey
To define the 2025 baseline, Water Revolution Foundation gathered data from Designers, Builders, Operators, and Refit yards. This data was used to estimate the current shares of impact and set proportional targets—measured in percentage reductions rather than absolute numbers—for each life cycle stage. This marks the first step in a process that will become increasingly detailed with broader industry participation.
Reader guide: The Roadmap visual shows the current estimated negative impact division among the four life cycle stages in 2025 below the x-axis, and their declining trajectories towards 2050. Above the x-axis is the mirror, representing the required positive impact investment in carbon sequestration, biodiversity restoration and contaminated soil & water, to neutralise the negative impact. This can and should be done at any point in time to reach net-zero asap. Robert van Tol clarifies: “Compensation is not the first thing to do, but certainly should be the last thing. Reduction efforts of negative impacts should always come first.” When going beyond compensating the negative impact, one reaches a nature-positive effect.
To facilitate effective compensation efforts, the Ocean Assist programme will offer a structured investment mechanism for ocean restoration. This yachting-specific blue finance approach is set to maximise financial and non-financial resources to support nature-based solutions and aid the global effort to restore ecological impacts. The Ocean Assist programme enables the yachting community to make measurable, regenerative contributions to global ocean agendas—redefining the relationship between economic growth and ocean well-being. More about this later this summer, when this yachting sector-specific ocean conservation programme will be launched.
Dr. Vienna Eleuteri – initiator & vice chair of Water Revolution Foundation adds: “The Roadmap is a shared promise—to each other, to the ocean, and to future generations. A promise of transparency, collaboration, and real progress.”
What is next?
To effectively track progress, yachting needs a centralised, standardised data monitoring system. This system should be designed for collective benefit—allowing participants to track their own progress, benchmark it against their peer group and as such contribute to monitor the overall sector trajectory toward net-zero.
Selecting the right KPIs, determining the scope for the data submission to enable comparison, utilising existing sources, and setup a frequent data collection mechanism for monitoring is what needs to happen within 2025 with a critical mass of industry players. For each life cycle stage (design, build, operation and refit), Water Revolution Foundation will utilise its current or setting up new roundtables to progress. All related trade associations are encouraged to embed the Roadmap targets in their agendas and are most welcome to join these roundtables. Signing up is not a contract, rather a moral statement and a true unified approach.
Further, it’s important to remember that these life cycle stages are not isolated. One very much influences the other. Yet, we need to divide the pie of impact in order to allocate and take responsibility for it. This awareness and ownership of impact is expected to result in much better informed decisions and environmental innovation in each and every corner of the yachting sector.
Vienna Eleuteri concludes: “The Roadmap signals to the world that our industry is not waiting for change—we are leading it.”
Water Revolution Foundation will be organising a webinar to explain the Roadmap 2050 and onboard the wider yachting community on this collective journey. Please register here, further information will be shared shortly.
by Water Revolution Foundation | 6 Jun 2025 | News
We are elated to be heading to the UN Ocean Conference next week!
As part of our mission in advancing ocean regeneration through industry transformation, Water Revolution Foundation (WRF) – with Special Accreditation to access high-level sessions and policy roundtables in the exclusive Blue Zone – will be actively contributing to the lead-up and formal participation in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held in Nice, France from 9 to 13 June 2025.
Reporting from the grounds of this key conference, our delegation will be composed of Henk de Vries, Chairman at WRF, Dr Vienna Eleuteri, Initiator and Vice President of WRF – and architect of the Ocean Assist Programme, Jorge Barbosa, Blue Economy Advisor – former UN DESA & World Bank expert, and Laurie Foulon, Strategic Partnerships & Communications Lead of the Ocean Assist Programme.
Dr Vienna Eleuteri is also participating in speaking engagements at the Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF), preceding the Conference on 7 & 8 June, in Monaco.
Reporting from the inside
Our engagement is anchored in announcing the Ocean Assist programme, formally submitted as a Voluntary Commitment under SDG 14 (Sustainable Development Goals 14: Life below Water), and structured to scale measurable regenerative impact from the yachting sector into global ocean agendas. The Ocean Assist programme bridges mandatory compliance (EU ETS, IMO MEPC 83) and voluntary leadership.
The full schedule can be found here, our presence will include:
📅 7–8 June 2025: Monaco Blue Economy & Finance Forum – speaking engagements, under private invitation from Prince Albert of Monaco
📅 9-13 June 2025: attending Green and Blue Zone events, speaking on different panels and roundtables, honouring invitations to exclusive receptions.
📅 13 June 2025: hosting the official Ocean Assist side event with UNCTAD: United Nations Trade and Development – please click here for the event programme and to register. We will be joined by a panel of speakers, including from the University of Genoa, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), TETIS Institute Srl and Project Seagrass.
What is Ocean Assist?
“Integrating regenerative investment into our businesses’ value propositions is the way to preserve a future for all” – Dr Vienna Eleuteri, Project Lead, Ocean Assist.
Ocean Assist is Water Revolution Foundation’s new programme that channels financial and strategic support from the maritime industry into scientifically validated marine restoration projects. This blue finance mechanism, containing a Standard, curated portfolio, and “units” as its currency, enables stakeholders to offset their ecological footprint while promoting biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and sustainable ocean practices. Ocean Assist is in support of the Regenerative Blue Economy, redefining the relationship between economic growth and marine conservation by prioritising restoration and resilience over sustainability.
By curating projects and adopting scientific tools that are urgently needed to protect the oceans, the superyacht community can maximise financial and non-financial resources to support nature-based solutions and aid the global effort to mitigate ecological impacts: leading the way towards net-zero, empowered to reach nature-positivity.
This collective and traceable approach includes coordination, shared structural commitment, and guidance by leading scientists in the field, seamlessly integrating into the industry’s Regenerative Roadmap 2050.
In practice
Going beyond sustainability, each Ocean Assist Unit combines 1t of CO2 in the form of tradeable carbon credits (VERs), with 1t of CO2 as Regenerative Contribution Units (RCUs): resulting in 1 Ocean Assist Unit repairing the equivalent of 2t of CO2 emitted, protecting biodiversity directly linked to the yachting industry’s supply chain.
All initiatives contributing to the Ocean Assist portfolio undergo independent scientific evaluation and are aligned with the Ocean Assist Standard through a rigorous screening and monitoring process, truly aligning the Programme with Global Ocean Governance.
The Ocean Assist Standard itself is:
- Scientifically validated and certified by RINA
- Managed by a dedicated team within Water Revolution Foundation
- Registered and transacted on the Eco2Care climate registry.
Upon transaction, an organisation buying Ocean Assist Units will be attributed official recognition via verified certificates: a Certificate of Permanent Withdrawal (VER), and the Ocean Assist Standard Certificate (2 tCO₂eq contribution).
A mechanism to serve the 3-R Model towards Regenerative Yachting
Following the 3R concept of Reduce, Remove and Restore, instilled in the Foundation by Dr Vienna Eleuteri, the Ocean Assist Programme was setup to support compensation efforts that move the industry toward nature-positive outcomes.
Moving away from the controversial carbon credit model, stakeholders are encouraged to acquire Ocean Assist Units once any optimisation pathways within one’s supply chain or onboard operations to Reduce or Remove has been exhausted: not replacing these measures.
We invite any stakeholders of the yachting and maritime industries, captain and operators of yachts and superyachts, to take the next collective step to lead voluntary commitment of ocean conservation.
Visit https://waterrevolutionfoundation.org/ocean-conservation/ocean-assist/ to learn more.
by Water Revolution Foundation | 12 Mar 2025 | News
We are delighted to welcome Aino Grapin to our board!
Aino brings an impressive 25 years of experience leading and growing businesses within the creative industries, spanning the arts, luxury, and technology sectors.
“I am honoured to join the Water Revolution Foundation board alongside an outstanding group of superyacht leaders, united in our commitment to advancing sustainability in our industry through collaboration and innovation. After leading the Sustainable Yacht Design Taskforce for the past four years, I look forward to deepening my involvement with WRF and further driving positive change within our industry.”
As Chief Executive of Winch Design, a position she’s held since 2016, Aino has demonstrated exceptional leadership, including guiding the company through its transition to employee ownership in 2021.
It is a pleasure to welcome Aino Grapin on board.
