The Superyacht Report
The impact of Lürssen Yachts and a look at their latest delivery, COSMOS
Rod Hatch spells out some inconvenient truths in today’s yachting world
What a broker can bring to the table and who’s been doing the deals this year
REV Ocean –one of the most ambitious feats of naval engineering ever
Image:
© Tom van Oossanen
FROM MONACO TO AMSTERDAM
The Editor-in Chief on the two most important hubs in the superyacht landscape.
As I sit at my desk with a few days to go before leaving for the Monaco Yacht Show, having just returned from Amsterdam and met with the team at METSTRADE and The Superyacht Forum, it made me think about these two superyacht hubs and how important they have become. One is the home of the largest and most valuable in-water yacht show and the other is the home of the largest and most important trade show and conference. Both are juxtaposed with some of the most important stakeholders in the industry: the premier builders, brokers, design studios and management companies. One has the world’s most important and influential Yacht Club and the other has some of the most important associations and research institutes on their doorstep.
Barcelona, Mallorca, Istanbul, Athens, Bremen, Hamburg etc., the idea of spending a third of the working year in the various yacht shows around the world will end up being very exhausting and repetitive.
BY MARTIN H. REDMAYNE
So, as I compare and contrast Monaco and Amsterdam, and having bumped into one or two transient superyacht characters at Schiphol airport last evening, it is fair to say that Monaco has become the Capital of Superyachts from an owner and customer perspective and Amsterdam has become the Capital of Superyachts from a product, technology and business perspective, and they both play a symbiotic role with the industry. Which is why as a company we have made the decision to attend only the Monaco Yacht Show and the Superyacht Pavilion of METSTRADE, as they both deliver everything we need from a yacht show/exhibition perspective.
However, throughout the year, as perhaps for all of us, there are weekly, monthly or quarterly visits to Monaco and Amsterdam for meetings and other connections with specific companies. This has become our preferred strategy and works well. If we visit Livorno,
What is also worth noting is that as shows grow and become more valuable, the sheer number of side events that appear alongside – hospitality experiences, press conferences and social gatherings or pop-up conferences are starting to dominate the overall calendar and it becomes almost impossible for the most important customers and VIPs to decide what to attend. This overload maybe needs some level of control, otherwise we are diluting our audiences. Another important message to share on the eve of the Monaco Yacht Show is that we will not have groups of young day workers trawling the show with trolleys, laden with bulky magazines and newspapers to hand-deliver to the stands and yachts, just for them to sit on coffee tables for a few days. If someone wants to read this issue or any of our issues, they can do this after the show on their iPad when they have the time, or perhaps on their flight home, as many choose to leave bulky media behind as they travel with hand luggage.
So, to close this column, we will always focus on Monaco and Amsterdam as our two most important superyacht hubs and shows. We can’t attend everything we are invited to, so I apologise in advance. We are instead focused on finding the real stories and not just the press release and we will always try to be a little bit different in our approach, as this is how I feel we can make an impact.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Monaco. MHR
All change for the yachting industry
Daniel Küpfer, founder and managing director of Yanova, observes how the yachting landscape has evolved to create a much more complex but highly competent and professional environment for today’s mariners.
Charter – it’s more than just about looks …
Neil Hornsby, co-founder of Yomira charter brokers, presents the golden rules to optimise charter income from a superyacht while still protecting the owner’s valuable asset.
When charm outshines competence
An anonymous contributor raises the issue of how the role of manager and consultant is often overlooked in comparison to the profile of the more visible broker.
Crew spend their whole careers trying to come ashore … why I went the other way
Emily Beck, Director at The Build Purser, explains the vital role of purser and her decision to move from an onshore position to one at sea.
Putting the WELL into well-being 62
Kelda Lay introduces WELL certification – a programme for building superyachts, whether existing or new build, that could increase charter appeal and resale while creating a holistic environment on board.
Yacht crew safety culture and well-being
Lloyd’s Register on why the industry needs to go beyond compliance and focus on human-centred safety.
MYBA – a clarification
Raphael Sauleau, MYBA President, responds on behalf of the MYBA Board to a recent article on SuperyachtNews about the newly launched MYBA Charter Agreement.
Revision, revival, revolution: the REV Ocean story 6 REV Ocean is a story of vision, persistence and reinvention. We trace its journey, dissect the vision and hear from the heroes behind the scenes who helped steer it from challenge to success …
Martin H. Redmayne looks at the impact of Lürssen Yachts over the past century and a half, with a personal take on COSMOS, the builder’s 150th-anniversary statement.
The professional yachting world –some inconvenient truths
Rod Hatch spells out the steps the PYA has taken to improve conditions for crew and why the engagement of professional bodies is essential when it comes to achieving meaningful change.
150+ years to 150+ metres
22
Image: © Tom van Oossanen
Yachting deliberately
Aino Grapin sets out how she believes the industry is on the cusp of change in embracing sustainability, where shipyards and visionary owners can work together to leave a positive impact on yachting.
The final frontier: a neo-Homeric odyssey 55 He’s been to space and summited Everest, but Victor Vescovo’s magnum opus might be unfolding in the uncharted darkness of the deep.
brokerage league table
A look at what a good broker can bring to the table and who’s been doing the deals this year.
Deck to the future! Part II
The second part of The Superyacht Report’s review of the teak industry reveals how eco-conscious thinking about alternative decking materials can result in creating sustainable innovation.
Transfer of ownership – the future of Oceanco
A brief history of the shipyard and what the future may hold under its new owner…
The Superyacht Report
QUARTER 3/2025
For more than 30 years The Superyacht Report has prided itself on being the superyacht market’s most reliable source of data, information, analysis and expert commentary. Our team of analysts, journalists and external contributors remains unrivalled and we firmly believe that we are the only legitimate source of objective and honest reportage. As the industry continues to grow and evolve, we are forthright in our determination to continue being the market’s most profound business-critical source of information.
Front cover: 114-metre COSMOS, Lürssen’s 150th-anniversary statement. Image: © Tom van Oossanen
Editor-In-Chief
Martin H. Redmayne martin@thesuperyachtgroup.com
News Editor
Conor Feasey conor@thesuperyachtgroup.com
INTELLIGENCE
Senior Research Analyst Amanda Rogers amanda@thesuperyachtgroup.com
Data Analyst
Miles Warden miles@thesuperyachtgroup.com
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Content Manager & Production Editor Felicity Salmon felicity@thesuperyachtgroup.com
Guest Authors
Emily Beck Director, The Build Purser
Aino Grapin
CEO, Winch Design, and Chairwoman, Water Revolution Foundation
Captain Rod Hatch
PYA board member and Director for Training (Deck)
Neil Hornsby Co-founder, Yomira
Daniel Küpfer
Founder and managing director, Yanova
Kelda Lay Founder, Well Yachts
Lloyd’s Register
Raphael Sauleau
MYBA President
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REVISION, REVIVAL, REVOLUTION: THE REV OCEAN STORY
One of the most ambitious feats of naval engineering achieved by finding bold solutions to complex obstacles, REV Ocean is a story of vision, persistence and reinvention. We trace its journey, dissect the vision and hear from the heroes behind the scenes who helped steer it from challenge to success …
BY CONOR FEASEY
Revolution by name, ocean by nature. Just as the sea remains predictably unpredictable, so too is every ambitious project that moves from the drawing board to steely realisation. And when it comes to its sheer scale and ambition, few projects in the history of ocean science or yachting come close. Originally conceived as the world’s largest research and exploration vessel, it’s arguably the most purposeful.
The story of REV Ocean could be told as a formal, neat line of specs. At 195 metres long, 19,000gt, it is powered by hybrid diesel electric propulsion, featuring a jacuzzi, cinema, nine laboratories and a submarine capable of diving to 2,300 metres. But it would wildly undersell the shipbuilding saga that has unfolded in a tale of ambition, revision, nearcollapse and a stoic revival piloted by unsung heroes who fought for its survival and the perpetuation of the mission’s vision beyond the shipyard.
REV Ocean splits itself into two. Below deck, it runs as a research vessel, with the labs, hangars and operations to match. Above deck, it looks every bit the superyacht. The split extends to her schedule. Two-thirds of the year, it sails in research mode, with the ship and all its equipment handed over for free to scientists around the world. The other third is allocated to the ultra-wealthy, using the revenue to fund research missions in a self-sustaining funding model.
But it’s about more than funding: guests bring both resources and the influence to spark change. The hope is to show them the ocean’s wonders and fragility first hand, to inspire them to fund, to use their influence, to become part of the solution. Most people only ever encounter the ocean at its surface. A day at the beach, a few metres down on a dive, a brief glimpse and no more. But the deep blue remains the planet’s largest ecosystem and REV Ocean exists to explore that world.
The project’s conception belongs to its owner, Kjell Inge Røkke, the Norwegian industrialist and Chair of Aker ASA, who joined the Giving Pledge alongside Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Having built industries in the seas, he vowed to give back to them and to the people striving to understand and protect them. As REV Ocean undergoes final outfitting at Damen in the Netherlands, the finish line is at last in sight with delivery expected in 2027, and a highly skilled team plugging away behind the scenes to see the dream through to reality.
The build
Having grown up trawling up and down the River Thames fixing boats, British native George Gill started his engineering apprenticeship at 16 and worked his way through the ranks to some of the most iconic vessels in the fleet on board the likes of Maltese Falcon and Adix in the years that followed. A self-proclaimed boat nut, the seasoned mariner worked for six years across Mr Røkke’s sailing fleet, rising to the rank of chief engineer, striking up a friendship with the Norwegian businessman bound by a shared passion for sailing. His initial involvement with the project started on 16 May 2016, with a blank piece of paper and a 20-minute phone call.
“Mr Røkke basically phoned and said, ‘Do you fancy doing a a hybrid science research vessel/ motoryacht?’ Up until that stage, I’d been working on a replacement for the sailboat, so it was a complete tangent to start talking about motorboats suddenly. But he did. He said, ‘Put something together for me. I’ve got a meeting with some shipyards in five days’,” Gill recalls.
“He told me, ‘You know me well enough. Put together a design brief for a hybrid research yacht, with everything you know about me and what I’d like in a boat.’ At that stage, he had a little sketch, I’m not quite sure where it came from, of a 140-metre silhouette. So I worked on that. I literally left the boat, went home and spent 72 hours pulling together the design brief. I didn’t really sleep. I was absolutely wired, super excited. But at that point, I was helping him out. I didn’t expect to be the project director and owner’s representative. He’d just asked me a favour. And it sounded exciting.”
That summer played out as a blur of split responsibilities, keeping Røkke’s sailing yacht running smoothly while simultaneously steering a dual competition between the VARD and Kleven shipyards. Immersing himself in the process, he took in information from both yards, refined the drawings and learned on the fly as the project began to take shape. By August that year, Røkke suggested bringing in a dedicated project manager. Gill polled his peers for advice and recommendations, but he kept circling back to the same idea.
“So, I thought, well, it’s an opportunity you only get once. I approached him on the side deck of the sailboat and said, ‘Would you consider letting me be the project manager?’ And he replied, ‘Oh, I thought
you already were.’ That was it. That’s the interview. Job done. But if only it were that simple,” he laughs. “If anything, that was just the beginning of what would probably become the biggest project of my career.”
As the project began to snowball, the renowned designer Espen Øino entered the project just after the Monaco Yacht Show, bringing with him some early sketches. At that stage, the team was still running a dual process with VARD and Kleven house. When the decision was made to place full focus on VARD as the chosen builder, the Norwegian veteran was asked to come across and join the project. Around the same time, Jonny Horsfield, founder of H2 Yacht Design, was brought in, his work on the 107-metre explorer Ulysses proving invaluable as inspiration. With the build strategy centred on constructing a ship based on sustainable design principles before transferring it elsewhere for outfitting, Horsfield’s expertise offered a way to design the interior so it could be made to the highest standards, while also minimising the environmental footprint.
Opting for passenger ship notation set a higher threshold than the yacht code, which ultimately changed the complexion of the project. It allowed far more people to be carried on board than conventional regulations would permit, an essential requirement for bringing in scientists in significant numbers. At the time, there was accommodation for 22 guests, but the notation meant scientists could also be housed in crew cabins, pushing capacity to more than 100 berths. Once the core crew was in place, as many as 24 scientists could join a mission. It’s far from the easiest framework to work within, but the flexibility it offered outweighed the complications.
“In some respects, it’s been positive. It’s a very safe vessel. The rules are written for cruise ships with 5,000 passengers, so sometimes you might look at REV Ocean and think, well, we’ve only got 22 or 30 guests, so it doesn’t make much sense. But in the general scheme of things, you’re getting an incredibly safe boat. And of course, there were exemptions we had to achieve, but we managed them with good dialogue with DNV,” Gill explains.
“For example, we have lifeboats above the main hangar hatches. On most yachts, that wouldn’t be an issue, because hatches are kept closed until you’re in a bay or alongside, when you launch a tender and off someone goes. But for us, those hatches have
to be operational at sea for long periods to launch equipment. Sometimes it’s a coring device that pulls up long cylinders of seabed, other times it’s a CTD, the instrument package used to measure salinity, temperature and depth through the water column. They need to be opened, semi-closed and closed again, which created a unique challenge. We had to make the case for opening the hangar hatches at sea, which required adding extra lifesaving apparatus. DNV was open to it and understood what we were trying to achieve.”
These trials and tribulations come with building something genuinely new. Gill set out to combine a 140-metre research vessel onto a 140-metre yacht with as little compromise as possible, but a limit did come in ice class. REV Ocean is not a full-blown icebreaker, but in a way, it was never meant to be. The brief demanded a ship that could work as comfortably at the equator as in the Polar seas. So while the vessel can’t chew through two metres of ice, it can handle enough to support serious research in the Arctic and Antarctic.
REV Ocean was built to work, to stay busy, to be useful wherever it goes. Because it was never meant to be a yacht with a lab tacked on, nor a research ship with a helipad.
REV Ocean is a platform for science, handed over to researchers who are always challenged with access to ship time.
This adaptability courses through the veins of the entire programme, and the ship carries enough range to cover almost any discipline. One day trawling for live specimens, the next holding position on dynamic positioning (DP) to sample the seabed, then moving off to run sonar surveys, still gathering data as it makes passage. It was built to work, to stay busy, to be useful wherever it goes. Because it was never meant to be a yacht with a lab tacked on, nor a research ship with a helipad. REV Ocean is a platform for science, handed over to researchers who are always challenged with access to ship time.
The Science
REV Ocean’s director of science, Eva Ramirez Llodra, grew up in Spain and forged a career as a deepsea ecologist, finishing her PhD in Southampton before moving to Norway to work at the Institute for Water Research. By the time REV Ocean hit the headlines in 2017, she, like many scientists, could hardly believe it. A billionaire was building the world’s largest research vessel and putting it at the disposal of the scientific community for free, on her doorstep. It sounded too good to be true.
“I applied and I was lucky enough to get the job. I joined REV Ocean in 2019 as science coordinator, while Alex Rogers from the UK was the science director at the time,” says Ramirez. “The magnitude of the project hit me pretty early, though. I was sitting at a large table when the CFO began talking, showing a picture of a helicopter and saying, ‘OK, I’m about to sign the contract for this Airbus’. I’m a researcher, and suddenly I thought, OK, this is big. That was the first time I felt taken out of my comfort zone as a scientist. Even though I had worked with submersibles and ROVs, this was something else.”
When Eva joined, the vessel was still scheduled for delivery in 2021. Alongside the then science director, Prof. Rogers, she began shaping the programme that would define REV Ocean’s mission. Rogers had already completed an exhaustive review and narrowed the focus to three priorities: plastic pollution, unsustainable fishing and climate change. There are countless other challenges in the ocean, but the team chose to focus their efforts rather than spread themselves too thin.
REV Ocean in build at VARD’s yard in Tulcea, Romania.
“There will be red lines we don’t cross, and we’re not allowing things that we don’t think are ethical. We cannot be saving the world while at the same time allowing things on board that we disagree with.”
The REV Ocean science team does not conduct the research themselves. Their job is to build the programme, set the priorities, prepare proposals and hand the platform over to scientists who need it. REV Ocean supplies the ship, the kit and the access. The team supplies the framework to make it work. During research periods, there will be no guests. The vessel is vast but not vast enough to support a whole charter operation and a complete research mission at once. Every bunk, every technician and every crew member is needed to run the science.
The big adjustment for Ramirez came with the superyacht side. That world was new and still is, forcing her and the team to climb a steep learning curve as they bridged two cultures on board. Yet it also opens a door to the very problem REV Ocean is built to confront. Very wealthy people can step on board and be inspired. They hold the power to fund research after seeing, for example, an octopus breeding ground. They have the connections to influence policy. Some even run companies that can build the technology to tackle problems like plastics. It is a form of leverage Ramirez admits she has never considered before.
Palau is a case in point. The Micronesian island nation now boasts the largest marine protected area in the world relative to its size. In the years leading up to its establishment, then-president Tommy Remengesau Jr joined scientists on a submersible dive to get a glimpse of Palau’s deep reefs first hand, giving him the evidence and language to argue for protection on the international stage. By 2020, 80 per cent of Palau’s waters were closed to commercial fishing – a decision the president repeatedly linked to what he had seen with his own eyes beneath the surface.
Too often, the people writing laws about the ocean do so from behind a desk, never having seen the places they are protecting or destroying. REV Ocean has the means to change that. With nine science labs and all the instruments to sample from
the surface to the deep seafloor, it is more than a research vessel. It has a classroom, a 30-seat lecture theatre, a boardroom, a media lab and a 3D printing lab. Add to that its VIP cabins and you can bring in heads of state and ministers, to let them see it for themselves. To see the plastic on the seabed, the scars of bottom trawling or the beauty that can still be saved if action is taken now.
“At the same time, we will be very clear. There will be red lines we don’t cross, and we’re not allowing things that we don’t think are ethical. We cannot be saving the world while at the same time allowing things on board that we disagree with,” Ramirez clarifies. “Maybe some guests insist on having water in plastic bottles and there is obviously no need. Now maybe that’s what they want, and maybe that’s what they have to get, but at the same time, we can say: here is your bottle of water and here is an analysis of the microplastics within it. Always constructive, never negative, I try to educate in a way that lets them make their own decisions. But there are certain things we won’t do. We’re not going to go hug dolphins just because a guest wants it. There will be red lines and that applies to science as well.”
Ramirez concedes there may be moments when the lines blur. In research mode, the owner can always step aboard, and others might too, provided they accept the ground rules on the basis that science, and science alone, sets the course. If the schedule means holding station in rough seas, then that is what happens. Charter periods are different. Here, the plan is to give guests the chance to take part in a variety of science, depending on their interest. Not the kind of missions that demand every vehicle and technician, but projects that still add value. There is plenty that can be done with guests on board and the idea is to make them part of it rather than spectators.
“For example, we can collect data while mapping the seafloor. Or if guests are interested in sharks,
REV Ocean at VARD’s Romanian site in Tulcea, before it spent 30 days in tow to their Brattvaag site in Norway.
we could bring a couple of scientists to tag sharks, recover tags or observe whales. They can be part of that. Or we can take them down in the submersible to see a seamount full of corals and collect a few samples. We will never collect samples just as souvenirs. But if we’re already collecting them for scientists, then we can include guests in the process. They get an amazing experience while contributing to research.”
The delay
You can’t tell the REV Ocean story without talking about what might have been. The original vision was set for a 2021 final delivery, but the project hit a wall when, in June that year, REV Ocean confirmed a three to five-year delay. The issue pointed to technical and weight issues during outfitting, as the ship was not in accordance with the performance expectations. In plain terms, the boat sat too deep and could not meet its mission profile as built; the root of the issue had to go back to the sequence of the build, where the hull was fabricated and launched in Tulcea, Romania, in 2019 and towed to Norway for outfitting. Gill acknowledges that they knew the build was never going to be simple, going from 145 metres to 164 to 168 with design changes. And adding another half metre of beam, suddenly the balance tipped. Everything came to a halt.
By all accounts, this was a difficult period with a real sinking feeling that REV Ocean might never see the water. But Ramirez and the science team didn’t sit idle. With the ROV Aurora and the sub Aurelia already complete, the latter finished in 2021-22, they pushed ahead by deploying them from other vessels. That meant REV Ocean’s science was happening even without REV Ocean being completed. Ramirez herself returned to finish a project close to her heart in the Arctic, exploring hydrothermal vents from her days at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research. The team also took Aurelia to the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, sampling in the mesophotic zone between 60 and 500 metres. Chagos is one of the world’s largest marine protected areas, but the designation was based only on the shallow regions accessible by scuba. REV Ocean’s submersible was the first to reveal the deeper layers, expanding knowledge of the ecosystem and strengthening the case for protection. Several more cruises followed with Aurora, proof that even without its flagship the REV Ocean mission was alive and delivering discoveries. And as the scientific mission endured, so too did the building process. For Gill, those years were
defined by frustration and graft in equal measure. The vessel grew in fits and starts, before finally settling at 195 metres. What looked like endless redesigns and stoppages at the time would, in hindsight, make the ship stronger. “There were things I wanted in round one that just weren’t possible. When the decision came to lengthen her, it gave us space to bring those elements in,” he reflects. “The irony is that the delays that threatened to derail the project also opened the door to refine it, to make it the vessel it was always meant to be.”
It was a radical but necessary fix, a somewhat inelegant surgery on a yacht of this size to cut the hull and lengthen it by twelve metres. It takes time, but it gives the design more margin and unlocks space for science. A hangar for the submersible, a dedicated CTD hangar, a container storage, a media studio, a robotics and 3D printing lab. What began as a stability problem became a chance to double down on capability. It was a worthy process to suffer through the lens of science, says Ramirez. “The delay was frustrating, of course, but we ended up with a better platform. All twelve of those metres went into the science areas. More labs, more space for technicians, better workflow. In the end, we get a better ship than the one we thought we would have.”
In March 2025, Vard declared the initial construction complete and sent the ship to Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen for the final push. Roughly 15 to 18 months of outfitting remain before sea trials and delivery in 2027. Covid disruption, subcontractor struggles and the scale of the redesign made the path longer and harder. The team used the pause to create a better platform. The longer hull restores performance and range, the aluminium rebuild trims the high weight, the new hangars and labs facilitate smooth science operations and maintain a clean deck environment. It is the kind of rethink that hurts in the moment and pays back over decades of service.
“The owner and I are very solution-oriented,” adds Gill. “There had to be a way we could do this. We just had to figure out the best way of doing it. And I had a great, quite a small team, actually, around me from different disciplines, helping me to figure out the solutions. They were really great. I remember the day I took delivery. It was quite a surreal moment. I felt very emotionally detached from it, having come so far. It was probably only when she arrived at Damen that I suddenly thought, okay, tick. Delivered the ship to the outfitting yard. Done – two years late but done.”
In March 2025, Vard declared the initial construction complete and the ship went on to Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen for the final push.
The future
It’s been a long journey, particularly for the likes of Gill, who spent sleepless nights and dawning days problem-solving. By the time the project is realised, it will be over a decade of steering the project for Mr Røkke. His two daughters, aged four and five when he started, have had their whole childhood marked by their dad’s stress over this project, only coming on board earlier this year for the first time. “My wife and kids have been incredibly supportive, because it hasn’t always been easy,” he says.
“I’d be lying if I said the responsibility didn’t weigh heavily at times. It has been tough. But the support takes a lighter burden. The owner and I share a passion for boats; we can spend three hours talking about a tender as easily as we discuss REV Ocean. That shared passion alleviates the responsibility, because I usually understand what he’s aiming for and I can help define or support it. It’s easier when you’re working for someone who is as passionate about it. Their boat is similar to the one you are about to build. I think my own stubbornness also keeps me going, as I try to prove to myself that I can finish it. Some people might have scaled back or said it was too ambitious, but instead, we doubled down. The vessel is bigger and better as a result. That sums it up: we doubled down.”
Forever a steely owner’s rep, yet a nautical romantic, Gill insists that everyone is committed to the project and its goals. People have hung in there thick and thin, driven by a genuine desire to be involved due to what this project represents. Most people don’t experience the ocean. It feels alien, otherworldly, with its deepest, darkest depths five thousand metres down often dismissed as an abyss devoid of life. But in fact, it’s one of the highest biodiversity areas in the ocean. Fifty per cent of our oxygen is produced in the sea. It regulates the climate, provides food and ultimately provides livelihoods.
Now, as REV Ocean sits in the Netherlands, the vision of bringing accessible knowledge and resources to the world is tantalisingly tangible. “When the vessel was being moved to Damen, the instruments on board hadn’t been taken care of during the long build process, so we went on board
to check everything was working and to familiarise ourselves with the labs,” recalls Ramirez. “We even slept on the vessel for two nights, because the crew was there and the galley was working. Eating on board, sleeping in a cabin – it suddenly made everything much more real. The first night, I thought: I’m in a bed on REV Ocean. This is real.”
For such an ambitious project, success will wear many faces. It might mean gathering data that feeds straight into policy and helps draw the lines of a new marine protected area. It might contribute to a country’s 30 by 30 target* or even the first high-seas protected areas. It could prevent benthic trawling from damaging the seafloor or provide the kind of evidence that drives real decisions. Perhaps through technology, REV Ocean could develop a way to lock away carbon without damaging other ecosystems. Or it could mean building capacity where none exists, not just flying in to collect data, but leaving behind skills and infrastructure so communities can keep monitoring their own waters long after REV Ocean has sailed on.
“I’ve been asked before what success looks like, and I always say: at the end of the day, a happy owner. That’s why I do it, and that’s why most owners’ reps do it. This whole journey has been a professional evolution. I’ve been lucky to learn from good people, be surrounded by them and hold my own with them. I feel like I’ve weathered the storm. Not invincible, but stronger.” says Gill.
“But beyond that, I think of the youngsters, students who struggle to get time on research vessels or who face all the hurdles of government-
* A global and EU-level goal to protect at least 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030.
led programmes. REV Ocean can provide them with the time and space, along with the necessary equipment, to conduct their research. If one of them, a 21-year-old genius, came up with something on board that advanced ocean solutions or sustainable energy or anything groundbreaking, that would be my proudest moment.”
REV Ocean is the meeting point of oceanography and yachting culture. It’s the amalgamation of two worlds shared by a passion for the sea and bound by a will to learn, save and preserve the most important ecosystem. It carries the weight of a decade of setbacks and breakthroughs, sleepless nights and stubborn persistence, but also the promise of something scarce. On this democratised platform, science and wealth, technology and storytelling, can align in service of the deep blue.
“The dream is when guests come on board, fall in love with the experience, become interested in the science and then contribute to other projects, whether locally, regionally, or back home. If their involvement leads to more data and more solutions in their own region, that’s success as well,” says Ramirez.
“And our vision for the future, training and inspiring the next generation, is vital. It’s not just about researchers in the natural sciences. Communication is just as important – raising awareness, bringing the ocean into people’s homes. Ultimately, we vote for our governments and they are the ones making the decisions. So it is on us, all of us, to genuinely make a positive change for our world.” CF
REV Ocean is the meeting point of oceanography and yachting culture. It’s the amalgamation of two worlds shared by a passion for the sea and bound by a will to learn, save and preserve the most important ecosystem. It carries the weight of a decade of setbacks and breakthroughs, sleepless nights and stubborn persistence, but also the promise of something scarce.
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by Daniel Küpfer
All change for the yachting industry
Daniel Küpfer, founder and managing director of management service provider Yanova, observes how the evolution of the yachting landscape has created a much more complex but highly competent and professional environment for today’s mariners.
Over the past 25 years, the yachting sector has changed significantly. Yachts frequenting the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world have gained remarkably in size, range, seagoing capacity and comfort. With this evolution, awareness around yachting has shifted and regulation has increased across nearly all areas of the industry.
In yacht management and owner representation, whether it concerns a new build, a substantial refit or ongoing operational support, the core disciplines remain the same. Yet the depth, complexity and regulatory environment surrounding every aspect of yachting have grown considerably.
When asked how the industry has evolved since I joined, I often reflect on my early days as a mate aboard a 40-metre motoryacht in the early
1990s. At the time, this was considered a very large yacht. Thanks to MYBA, we operated under a solid charter agreement, while the yacht was registered privately, no safe manning regulations applied, the captain was accredited by the insurer, and no one asked about VAT on charter fees – a scenario completely unthinkable today.
What has emerged over the decades is a far more competent and professional landscape. Shipyards, brokers, charter managers, corporate service providers, yacht managers, suppliers and, last but not least, on-board personnel have all had to raise their standards.
Yet alongside this professionalisation, the industry has also become a labyrinth for owners to navigate. Multiple stakeholders engage with the owner, each from their own perspective. The owner’s perception
of the industry is often shaped by the position of their advisors.
With increased complexity, a fragmentation of services has taken place, with individual providers and services selected on a case-by-case basis, more often to fill immediate gaps and often under very strict budget considerations, rather than to pursue a coherent and long-term strategy that serves the owner’s best interests.
At the same time, there is often overlap in services. As an example, yacht management should never be in competition with the captain. Both are distinct roles. In commercial shipping, the boundaries are thankfully clear. This should serve as a reference, whereby in yachting, captains require a high level of autonomy to manage the vessel and crew to the standards expected today.
What is clear is that today’s complexity requires a more integrated and thoughtful approach to yacht management and owners’ representation. Fragmentation of services and concerns over potential conflicts of interest lead owners, especially those of very large yachts, to rely more on trusted individuals.
Guest demands have increased dramatically over the decades, while owners often take a much more tolerant stance. With many guests, especially under charter, everything is expected to be available instantly, like fresh AI-generated content on social media. Crew expectations have also changed. This is often criticised but running a vessel as if it were still 2000 is not a realistic option. Understanding the perspectives of younger generations and adapting to new realities is essential for the leadership team on board and ashore to deliver the service of the entire team successfully.
Environmental and governance factors have entered the yachting landscape. Ownership is increasingly scrutinised. The wealth that has made these yachts possible is now more visible than ever, and with that visibility comes pressure. While protection of private data is taken more seriously, the accumulation of private wealth seems to become, all too often, a justification in our society to exclude individuals from the same privacy rights afforded to others.
The above is only a snapshot. There is, of course, much more to be said about the evolution of the yachting industry.
What is clear is that today’s complexity requires a more integrated and thoughtful approach to yacht management and owners’ representation. Fragmentation of services and concerns over potential conflicts of interest lead owners, especially those of very large yachts, to rely more on trusted individuals working closely with their offices than on full-circle management structures provided by established organisations. However, neither captains nor individual owner representatives can be experts in every field.
The role of trusted individuals remains essential in the yachting sector. Owners should choose their representatives in an informed manner and provide the necessary support to protect their loyalty. Competency and reliability should be chosen over sales talk. At the same time, the trusted individuals must be
well supported by the service sector of the industry in order to ensure success in their role, which is both highly specialised and deeply personal.
On-board decision-makers deserve greater recognition and autonomy. At the same time, those ashore must remain alert to what lies ahead. Constantly developing environmental standards, competent media response and efficient crisis management will become increasingly relevant in the future.
Owners and their offices must be in a position to place trust where it is truly deserved. The maritime industry is too complex for expert guidance to be left aside. At the same time, those ashore must remain alert to what lies ahead, including environmental expectations, media awareness and crisis response.
The ultimate goal for the yachting sector must be to ensure that yachting remains a source of joy for owners, charterers and guests, supported by a well-functioning service sector that is prepared for both the challenges and opportunities of the future. DK
150+ YEARS TO 150+ METRES
Martin H. Redmayne looks at the impact of Lürssen Yachts over the past century and a half, with a personal take on COSMOS, the builder’s 150th-anniversary statement.
Image:
© Tom van Oossanen
114-metre COSMOS (see pages 29-32)
It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate 150 years and to show the history and cultural changes over time, with generations of workers, all of whom have left their fingerprints on the steel and wood of the Lürssen fleet.
We have typically measured and analysed this industry in decades, specifically looking at the past few decades as a growth phases, when wealth and luxury exploded in our superyacht world. However, in the past few years we have witnessed several celebrations of legacies and historical landmarks across our primary brands in the industry, and most recently I have been privy to some incredible imagery and chronicles of the whole Lürssen family, including one where Peter Lürssen looks elegant, youthful and charming alongside his father.
Yes, it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate 150 years and to show the history and cultural changes over time, with generations of workers, all of whom have left their fingerprints on the steel and wood of the Lürssen fleet. It’s hard to imagine the thousands of hands that have crafted myriad vessels, the millions of man hours that have toiled to create wooden row boats all the way through two World Wars to now building some of the most impressive superyachts cruising the oceans.
Rather than tell the story of 150 years and repeat much of the legacy that has been shared across the media, we decided to look more closely at the impact Lürssen has had on the superyacht market. There was a moment in time, in the early ’90s, when The Superyacht Report was invited to Lürssen to witness and capture the build of the ground-breaking 96-metre M/Y Limitless. It was hard to comprehend that the market would ever go beyond this mark in terms of complexity, scale and elegance, but fast
Lürssen employees around 1910.
forward to the 2000s and the past 25 years and it’s impressive to witness the evolution and expansion of this company, combined with the sheer volume of complex projects delivered to some of the most powerful and wealthy individuals on the planet.
We sat down with Miles Warden, Head of Data at The Superyacht Agency, and started to dissect the numbers, and the impact that Lürssen has had on the industry suddenly became very clear. More than 300,000gt delivered in the past 25 years, from a complex fleet of 62 significant superyachts, cannot be ignored and is such a dramatic transformation from those pre-war days when small wooden craft were being showcased in Monaco.
The following charts are a clear and intelligent demonstration of how Lürssen has shaped the market, since a project like Limitless entered the wider fleet. Just sit back and consider the numbers: over 6,000 metres and 300,000gt in 25 years; that’s the equivalent of 200 x 30-metre Ferretti semicustom yachts end to end or nearly 1,600 of the same 30-metre Ferretti’s in terms of GT volume. For those who have never had the pleasure of exploring a 100-metre-plus Lürssen, especially the 150-metreplus members of their fleet, it’s hard to comprehend the scale and dimensions of these projects.
Standing alongside a giga-project at the dock is overwhelming but stepping on board and walking the thousands of metres of interior passageways and stairwells is mind blowing. All one can do is contemplate the millions of man-hours of welders,
For those who have never had the pleasure of exploring a 100-metreplus Lürssen, especially the 150-metre-plus members of their fleet, it’s hard to comprehend the scale and dimensions of these projects.
pipe benders, engineers, electricians, carpenters, painters and myriad other craftsmen and women spending their lifetimes creating some of the most impressive projects on the planet, projects that will be cruising the planet’s oceans for many more decades to come.
The gargantuan yachts that have now become synonymous with the Lürssen brand and family are the modern-day legacy, if only those workers in the 1910 shipyard image could see what their future generations have created. What’s next will be very interesting to watch and we hope to catch up with the senior management in the coming weeks to explore exactly that question.
Before World War I the top people met at Monaco every year.
Lürssen yachts built 2002-2024
Annual yacht count and average LOA(m) of Lürssen yachts, 2002-2024
Cumulative gross tonnage and LOA(m) of Lürssen yachts built since 2002
The birth of COSMOS: A superyacht that looks to the stars
Image:
© Tom van Oossanen
Earlier this year, somewhere along the Weser River, a unique leviathan slid into the water with quiet confidence. At 114 metres, it’s not just another superyacht – it’s COSMOS, Lürssen’s audacious 150th-anniversary statement, a floating manifesto on how luxury at sea might look for the next generation.
Even in a world where “bigger, bolder, better” is the unofficial yachting creed, COSMOS feels different – a kind of celestial apparition. Designed by Marc Newson, the acclaimed industrial designer whose work graces everything from Apple products to Qantas’ first-class lounges, it is all sweeping lines, sculptural glass and a futuristic presence that stops short of science fiction.
“This is a rather special project,” Peter Lürssen, the shipyard’s CEO, tells me, his voice betraying both pride and a hint of awe. “While no two yachts we build are ever the same, there are some that leave an indelible mark on our history. COSMOS is undoubtedly one of them.”
A visionary owner, a blank canvas
The yacht was commissioned by a client with both the budget and the imagination to ask for something never attempted before. “Everything from the smallest detail to the silhouette – outside, inside and everything in between – is our design,” Newson says, almost reverently. “The owner gave us permission to explore every creative possibility. That kind of freedom is rare and exhilarating.”
The result is a vessel that feels like a singular object rather than a collection of parts. The design flows organically from bow to stern, inside and out, with no detail left to chance.
The glass palace
Perhaps COSMOS’ most spellbinding feature is the glass-domed owner’s study – a crystalline bubble perched high above the deck, with a private sky terrace suspended over the ocean. The engineering challenge was formidable: bending
COSMOS is more than a yacht. It is a provocation, a love letter to adventure, a reminder that luxury doesn’t just mean excess – it can mean ambition.
thick glass into perfect curves, eliminating all imperfections and achieving an almost spiritual clarity.
Throughout the yacht, glass is not just a material but a motif. A continuous ribbon of glazing wraps the cabin deck, blurring the line between inside and sea. Beneath the helipad, a glass-encased observation lounge offers cinematic views of the horizon. Aft, a glass-balustraded balcony invites guests to linger and watch the wake stretch away into infinity.
The spirit of exploration
But COSMOS is not a mere trophy yacht destined to sit at anchor in Monaco. It is Ice Class 1D certified, built to slip through light Polar ice, and carries the range to circumnavigate the globe – a floating passport to all five oceans and all seven continents.
The open aft deck is designed for both play and practicality. At its centre is a swimming pool and
Jacuzzi, flanked by lounge seating. Aft is a dry dock with a sledge system for launching COSMOS’ largest tender – because true explorers bring their own means of discovery.
A laboratory for the future
Even the powertrain hints at what is to come. As part of the owner’s commitment to innovation, COSMOS will host a methanol fuel cell research installation – turning methanol into hydrogen, then into electricity – an ambitious test case for a cleaner, quieter future of yachting.
In the end, COSMOS is more than a yacht. It is a provocation, a love letter to adventure, a reminder that luxury doesn’t just mean excess – it can mean ambition. Standing on the pier as COSMOS slid into the water, it was hard not to feel that we were watching not just a launch but the beginning of a new era. MHR
Image: © Tom van Oossanen
Charter – it’s more than just about looks …
Neil Hornsby, co-founder of Yomira charter brokers, presents the golden rules to optimise charter income from a superyacht while still protecting the owner’s valuable asset.
Not everyone wants strangers on board their pride and joy, particularly as it represents a significant investment, but there can be substantial benefits to making a yacht available for charter, particularly if an owner is only using the yacht for short periods during the year.
Key considerations, such as operating costs, tax and Flag state benefits and crew requirements are varied yet easily navigable with the right advice, but the largest decision is which company to choose to represent your asset?
From the current fleet of approximately 6,000 superyachts worldwide, roughly one third are available for charter. Charter demand has increased exponentially over the past five years, reflecting the huge popularity and demand for superyacht holidays.
Successful charter yachts can build reputation in the market: they generate positive publicity and can attract potential buyers if and when you decide
to sell. A strong charter record can often help the resale value by demonstrating the yacht’s desirability and income potential.
When you are ready to take the plunge the next step is to appoint the right ‘central agent’ (CA) with a charter manager to look after your vessel; there is a myriad of choices out there, some better than others. Like any business, time taken at the start to get the right agency on board is time best spent to achieve the right results for your objectives and reduce any lag time before the bookings start.
Speak to a handful of agencies, get a good handle on what their approach is within the very competitive market that is yacht charter. Ask for a detailed charter proposal with realistic income forecasts – the highest charter fee doesn’t always attract the most charters, priced too low and it could create a negative perception. Drill them to ensure they will meet your objectives. The most
successful charter yachts don’t rely on their looks alone and it’s a competitive market, particularly for the more popular cruising grounds of the Mediterranean.
Some agency models are better suited to an owner just wanting the occasional charter, others are better geared to brand building and promotion to maximise income potential. Will the company ensure your yacht is given the same, if not more, exposure as another, similar size vessel from the same yard? How will they achieve this? Would you be better suited being part of a larger fleet or a smaller bespoke agency?
The appointed charter manager should be multi-faceted with experience in the charter field, the right business sense and sales mentality by default, not only to protect the reputation of your prized asset but secure the best deals with the minimum of fuss. You don’t want a ‘yes man’ who is unable to broker a deal, you need them to have your best interests at heart.
Guest Column by Neil Hornsby
Having a solid reputation with the fraternity of charter brokers that generate many of the bookings is also a key consideration and having the rubber stamp of a reputable industry body behind them such as MYBA or the IYBA is essential to demonstrate credibility.
The CA will be able to advise you on the key components of running a yacht commercially for charter:
Offset operating costs
Superyachts are expensive to run: annual maintenance, crew salaries, insurance, fuel and berthing costs are often around 10 to 15 per cent of the yacht’s value. Chartering can generate meaningful income to help offset these ongoing expenses and a successful yacht can achieve around 15 to 20 weeks of charter a year, particularly if it does dual Med/ Caribbean seasons.
Tax and regulatory benefits
In certain cruising areas, particularly in the EU, placing a yacht into commercial charter may offer tax advantages such as VAT deferral or exemption on the purchase, fuel or refit work. You would need to effectively charter your own yacht when you want to cruise, but the benefits can often outweigh any difficulties. Seek proper advice from a professional yacht management company before you go any further.
Crew retention and motivation
You have worked hard to hand-pick the best crew and want to keep them, but long idle periods can lead to boredom and higher crew turnover. Having a professional crew year-round is also costly. Chartering helps ensure the crew stays active and motivated so your prize team is there to there to greet you when you return. They can also get pretty
Chartering can generate meaningful income to help offset ongoing expenses and a successful yacht can achieve around 15 to 20 weeks of charter a year, particularly if it does dual Med/Caribbean seasons.
good tips from happy clients, which is another incentive to stay. Your crew needs to be flexible enough to adapt to the varied demands of charter clients, a crew that’s ‘fixed in the owner’s ways’ and drilled to an owner’s precise service requirements don’t always make the best charter crew.
Key input you need during the initial stages of chartering include advice on the best set-up, particularly when it comes to entertainment and watersports as well as the production of professional marketing materials: high-end photography, videos, brochures and virtual tours. A cookiecutter approach with marketing collateral doesn’t always build brand recognition, so depending on your objectives it’s worth challenging this from the outset.
The charter manager should also list your yacht across the top charter platforms and promote it regularly to the global network of charter brokers. Having the yacht attend some of the industry’s leading boat shows such as Monaco, San Remo and Antigua is also vital not only to showcase the yacht’s best assets but also for brokers to see the crew working as a team to gain trust, build reputation and attract publicity.
The charter manager should screen the charter inquiries and secure high-quality clients that will hopefully turn into regular repeat customers. They will negotiate charter rates and terms according to your remit, optimise the booking calendar to avoid long idle periods, manage the charter funds throughout the process and provide frequent reports on earnings, projections and recommendations on the best cruising areas to optimise income.
With the right CA on board and a clear strategy, your yacht can not only help offset its running costs, but also build a reputation that enhances its value, ensures a happy crew and keeps it in demand season after season. NH
The professional yachting world – some inconvenient truths
Captain Rod Hatch, PYA board member and Director for Training (Deck), spells out the steps the organisation has taken to improve conditions for crew and why the engagement of professional bodies is essential when it comes to achieving meaningful change.
The recent tragedy on board motoryacht Far From It drew strong reactions from within the yachting community. Paige Bell’s parents issued a statement regarding their appreciation of all the expressions of fond memories of, and heartfelt tributes to, Paige, which they found genuinely supportive in their grieving. That support reflects well on the type of people we have in this industry. It may be some consolation for her parents to feel sure that Paige worked in an environment of caring and sensitive friends, shipmates and colleagues. On the other hand, one has to hope that those parents never become aware of the crass behaviour by some totally insensitive individuals who attempted to capitalise on their daughter’s death by promoting their own commercial interests.
Companies in the business of background checks bombarded social media, crew agencies and management companies in the days immediately after the news broke, raising a hysterical cry for mandatory criminal checks on all yacht crew. The proposal is a nonsensical distraction from taking a responsible look at lessons to be learned, which will actually be in the area of better understanding and application of current regulations, not crying for new ones.
The truths
• Expectations that crew agents should carry out criminal background checks are totally daft, as such agencies may have up to 30,000 prospects on file.
• There is, so far, no evidence that the accused person in the incident had a criminal background.
• There is no empirical evidence that any single criminal conviction of an individual automatically predicts future violent behaviour.
• There are no standard norms which define criminality – for instance in Mombai the law makes it a criminal offence to drink alcohol in any public place without applying for a licence to do so, which is why a large proportion of the city’s populace and countless tourists are de facto criminals in India.
• As seafarers, yacht crew are by definition peripatetic and over time may be nationals of, reside in or pass through many national jurisdictions, making it an impossible task to make a thorough search unless an employer, state or private individual has strict security requirements and enough funds to throw at worldwide criminal background checks.
• Some national jurisdictions have onerous conditions concerning the release of criminal records, and others allow the erasing of such records after a set time period, thereby curtailing the comprehensiveness of international checking.
• Owners have always had the option to carry out whatever background checks they wish and would resist any attempt at regulatory coercion to dig deeper than they choose.
• Such mandate would only be effective if applied across all Flag states with no exceptions; and finally
• The maritime regulatory bodies (IMO, ILO) will anyway not take any action in response to an isolated incident involving a single person (see notation at the end of this article).
The following examples illustrate why this is true
• The loss of RMS Titanic (over 1,500 fatalities) in 1912 instigated worldwide revulsion at the prevailing casual provision of lifesaving equipment at sea, leading to the first version of SOLAS two years later.
• A series of maritime disasters, culminating in the capsize of The Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987 (193 fatalities) then the Scandinavian Star fire in 1990 (159 dead), led to the drafting of the ISM code and its implementation in two phases, in 1998 and 2002, a time lag of 11 to 13 years.
• In response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the US mainland in 2001 (2,977 killed), the ISPS code was implemented in 2004, three years later.
• In 2000 the ILO realised that a hodgepodge of almost 70 maritime labour instruments needed to be consolidated
The yachting industry is by no means free of faults when it comes to crew safety and welfare. Any improvements will come from a measured co-operation between existing organisations that are already working in this field and the maritime regulatory bodies.
and updated. Even at the beginning of the 21st century many seafarers, especially those from developing countries, still worked under appalling conditions for low pay. From agreement among ILO members of the need to address this situation, to the drafting phase beginning in 200 to adoption in 2006 to ratification in 2012 to implementation in 2013, covered a timeline of 13 years. Subsequent amendments to MLC typically take four to five years.
These examples illustrate the truth about the magnitude of tragic episodes which will attract the attention of the IMO or ILO, and the timelines needed to draft and implement responsive mandates.
Regarding the workings of existing legislation, seafarers have legal protection against NDA litigation if they report infringements of their rights or criminal acts against them.
The yachting industry is by no means free of faults when it comes to crew safety and welfare. Any improvements will come from a measured co-operation between existing organisations that are already working in this field and the maritime regulatory bodies. Effective interaction with these authorities needs to be carried out by crew representative bodies which already have established credentials there.
A lot of online noise by individuals who sometimes have very limited onboard experience and who now aspire to be the sole valid voice of yacht crew is a
A lot of online noise by individuals who sometimes have very limited onboard experience and who now aspire to be the sole valid voice of yacht crew is a hindrance to working towards achievable goals.
hindrance to working towards achievable goals. Everybody has a right to express an opinion and anybody can come up with a novel proposal to improve any aspect of yachting. However, social media are currently awash with demands for a ‘new’ approach to yacht crew working conditions, such as owner accommodation to be offset against expanded crew living spaces; expanding safe manning levels; standardised pay levels; safe working conditions; universal legal coverage for yacht crew against unfair dismissal; enforcement of hours of work and rest; and even a nebulous entity to monitor remotely all on-board crew interactions and send back recommendations to the on-board chain of command.
These are all either impracticable or are already covered under SOLAS, STCW, ISM and ILO mandates or are entirely at owners’ discretion (such as wages). A lone voice pleading at the doors of the IMO or ILO will never be heard. The truth is that at that level everything is done in a tripartite format and is always concerned with the interests of all seafarers.
Yachting is a tiny fraction of the international shipping industry – 00.8 per cent by value and negligible in terms of tonnage. Advancing beyond online discussion and ‘likes’ to establish a new organisation aimed at realising a wishlist of changes would soon hit the wall of reality. If money is involved via subscriptions or donations, there must be transparency in whatever jurisdiction such organisation is formed. There would be requirements for accountability, meaning registration according to the local legal format. The articles of association would need to specify all aspects of its raison d’être and remit, plus internal audits to ensure compliance therewith.
The next two hurdles would be (1) Recognition and (2) Credibility. The Professional Yachting Association(PYA) does not blabber in the cyber world. We have the recognition and credibility to act in the real world and we get results. Here are some examples of what it takes to establish these two touchstones.
(i) If you are reading this and you hold an MCA COC (Yachts), then it is thanks to the PYA. In 1990 a small number of yacht captains contacted the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT,
now called the MCA) with an urgent message. Pending changes in STCW regulations would mean that many current captains and officers in yachting would lose their positions, which could then only be filled by persons with full commercial certificates. The RYA and DOT listened, and they were invited to visit a selection of yachts in Antibes and to interview their crews. Impressed by the level of professionalism on board, which included some who held an RYA Yachtmaster certificate, the DOT agreed that yacht-specific professional qualifications were needed.
The PYA was then established in 1991 and was consulted by the DOT as the first training modules were rolled out, leading to the issuance of the first ever yacht-limited COCs (Deck) in 2002. That is how we established recognition and why we were subsequently invited to work with the MCA on the development of a COC Engineer (Yachts). In the immediate aftermath of the COC (Yachts) rollout, the MCA established the Yacht Qualifications Panel (YQP). The PYA then worked with the MCA on the YQP to establish the Yacht Rating Certificate.
The MCA COC (Yachts) scheme has since been mimicked by other Flag states or accepted by them for issuance of CECs. The PYA continues to work closely with the MCA, both directly and through representation on various work groups with which the MCA consults on training and certification matters.
(ii) The PYA cemented its credibility right across the industry at the time of the introduction of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), which was written by the International Labour Organization (ILO). If you are working on a yacht right now, and you wish that your cabin could be somewhat larger, there is a mathematical rationale which limits its size. It is thanks to the PYA that all sectors of the industry came together to design the best living arrangements possible on various types of yacht.
If you are working on a yacht right now, and you wish that your cabin could be somewhat larger, there is a mathematical rationale which limits its size. It is thanks to the PYA that all sectors of the industry came together to design the best living arrangements possible on various types of yacht.
Immediately after publication of the Convention, with its looming entry into international law, the PYA, on its own initiative and at its own expense, flew a team to Geneva and London to meet with the ILO and Nautilus respectively, and also contacted the MCA in Southampton. We alerted those three bodies to the overlooked fact that the MLC crew accommodation requirements were physically impossible to build into yachts. Implementation of MLC would mean that the construction of any commercial yacht would be stalled, all around the globe, for an indeterminate number of years while an amendment could grind its way through the ILO legislative mechanism. The potential economic consequences were incalculable.
A critical finding at the meeting with the ILO was that the ILO had no idea of what yacht crew living and working conditions were actually like. At the ILO’s request, the PYA agreed to carry out a Qualitative Study to answer the ILO questions. The PYA then commissioned the Seafarers International Research Council (SIRC) at Cardiff University to conduct the survey, which was drafted by the PYA and promulgated to all crew across the yachting sector, not just PYA members. The resulting 42-page SIRC report is a historic document, the significance of which will be explained later.
During the same year, and again at its own expense, the PYA hosted representatives from the MCA, the ILO and Nautilus in Antibes, to inspect various sizes of power and sailing yachts to see for themselves the on-board realities of accommodations and to seek crew opinions. In response, the MCA established the Large Yacht Sub Group, to explore solutions to the MLC impasse.
All parties accepted that it would have been geometrically impossible to build an MLC-compliant yacht under 3,000gt after MLC implementation date.
About 30 delegates sat around the table at the opening meeting in the MCA building in Spring Place, Southampton. Delegates included: the PYA and Nautilus to represent crew; MYBA to represent owners; SYBAss to represent large-yacht builders; ICOMIA and Sunseeker to represent smaller yacht builders; surveyors from all the Red Ensign Group (REG) Flag states, plus Malta and the Marshall Islands; Classification Society surveyors; and representatives from the maritime authorities of Italy, Germany and Holland, whose yacht-construction sectors faced a potential crippling shutdown.
An MLC Amendment being mission impossible in the near term, we had to find a solution from within the MLC itself, which fortunately allowed for “substantial equivalence”. A deadline by which to submit a reasoned substantial equivalence proposal to the ILO made the situation urgent. A month or so later, due to a clash of schedules over room allocations in Spring Place, the MCA was faced with cancelling the next meeting. The PYA, concerned over the urgency of the situation, provided the money to rent a conference room elsewhere in the city. At that salvaged meeting a naval architect from SYBAss was tasked with designing a quantitative survey studying the degree to which the typical crew quarters on yachts of various sizes could or could not meet MLC specifications.
Discussions and idea exchanges over the next several months led to the development of a ‘sliding scale’, whereby at different cut-off tonnages, each crew cabin would approach the MLC specifications as tonnage increased. When the final proposal was sent to the ILO, it had the backing of other Flag states which had been kept informed of our work and which intended to apply the same parameters in their own jurisdictions.
The quantitative survey was the second of the two historic documents which persuaded the ILO Committee
Crew recruitment and retention are perennial topics at yachting conventions and seminars. Paradoxically, bullying and sexual harassment are often equally regular topics on the same day’s agenda. The balancing act is addressing the reality of the latter without impeding the former.
Let’s ask if it’s true that sexual harassment is “rife” within our industry. There have always been accounts of its occurrence. There is no measurable way of tracking its non-occurrence on secure yachts, so there is no percentage data about its level of frequency. Is it really a dark secret which pertains especially to yachting?
template is being watched by the MCA, for whom it can provide a copy-and-paste solution for drafting their own syllabus.
of Experts to accept the final proposal submitted by the MCA as providing ‘good faith’ substantial equivalency in the yachting sector. That equivalency was embodied in the REG Large Yacht Code and subsequent amendments, to which the PYA continues to contribute.
(iii) At the PYA we are often questioned as to whether we have ever asked the MCA to develop a mandatory certification regime for interior yacht crew, to raise their status alongside deck and engineering crew. We did ask, a long time ago. The MCA’s response was (and remains) that unless and until the IMO decides to expand STCW certification to include service crew across the maritime industry, there is no future in expending MCA political capital on the issue at the IMO.
Notwithstanding the MCA’s position, a PYA council member, with years of experience in deck and interior roles, decided anyway to launch a PYA nonmandatory training programme for interior crew. Any training centre that wished to participate had to abide by a defined syllabus and auditing of course delivery, including practical sessions. This GUEST (Guidelines for Uniform
Excellence in Service Training) scheme was soon recognised as an objective standard for assessing the level of training of interior crew. Although not mandatory, GUEST has always been fully supported by the MCA.
The GUEST programme was ultimately presented by the PYA to the board of International Association of Maritime Institutes (IAMI). IAMI members are MCA-recognised to teach the mandatory training modules which lead to deck and engineering COCs. The credibility attained by GUEST as the industry benchmark in non-mandatory training persuaded the IAMI board to bring GUEST under its aegis. Since then, the GUEST acronym has been altered to read Guidelines for Uniform Excellence in Superyacht Training, to accommodate the expansion into other departments (for example purser) and even on-shore positions.
An upcoming important IAMI/ GUEST addition will be our industry’s first courses in AV/IT training (with the PYA as a member of the founding work group). Notably, in anticipation of a future IMO STCW mandate regarding AV/IT training, the IAMI/GUEST AV/IT
We don’t rest on our laurels. The PYA digital Service Record Book (D-SRB) was launched four years ago, the first of its kind in the industry, and a fully digital Sea Service Testimonial was launched earlier this year, both with the approval of the MCA. Currently the PYA also has the MCA mandate for development of an upgraded fit-for-purpose digital training book (TRB) for deck crew, to be followed by the engineering TRB version. In 2024 the PYA was invited to join the Superyacht Alliance as a board member and can now represent its members at this important industry meeting of minds from all sectors of the industry. Returning to the opening paragraph in this article, in the past few days Elle Angeline Fisher has posted her own plea for mandatory criminal background checks on yacht crew. She has released an account of her experiences of severe sexual harassment during her yachting career. Her courageous account is certain to arouse a chorus of anger about the events and outrage over the weak responses.
Nothing excuses the perpetrators and her story cannot be trivialised. But how to respond? Not by going down the criminal background checks deadend. Let’s ask if it’s true that sexual harassment is “rife” within our industry. There have always been accounts of its occurrence. There is no measurable way of tracking its non-occurrence on secure yachts, so there is no percentage data about its level of frequency. Is it really a dark secret which pertains especially to yachting? Well, the Me Too movement did not spring from our industry. It spread across the entertainment, fashion, music, advertising and other worlds. It has been exposed in the UK’s Royal Air Force, in the United States Marine Corps and even in Antarctic research stations. It is globally endemic. The first step towards curtailment is exposure, which is harsh on victims who need support and justice.
The industry is not sustained by down-trodden wretchedly compensated crew. There is no yachting proletariat that needs to have its woes raised abroad by a workers’ council that sounds like something out of the Soviet Revolution.
Are there mechanisms already in place in yachting to address the problem? There is maritime legislation, there is criminal law and there is civil prosecution for compensation. The PYA and Nautilus listen and act within their own respective remits. There are voluntary support bodies such as ISWAN. There are mental health support groups which can be found within the Raising The Bar group. There are teachable methods to deter or defend against physical assaults. What is missing is education rather than more legislation.
Crew recruitment and retention are perennial topics at yachting conventions and seminars. Paradoxically, bullying and sexual harassment are often equally regular topics on the same day’s agenda. The balancing act is addressing the reality of the latter without impeding the former. A perfect risk-free work environment does not exist in any industry. Risks associated with any employment need to be identified and guarded against as much as is humanly possible. But dwelling exclusively on risks and accidents and tragedies promotes a picture of the yachting industry that is a small part of its reality.
The truth is that across the board, yachting provides an unrivalled and privileged opportunity to see into a world which is a mystery to all outsiders. A new deckhand may within months of their first job find him/herself as a trained and licensed captain of a very high-powered chase boat that none of their friends back home will ever drive unless they become multi-millionaires. Yacht crew venture to cruising grounds ranging from the Tropics to the Polar zones, from the Pillars of Hercules to the Golden Horn, from Martinique to Vanuatu, from the North Cape to Cape Horn, from Iceland to New Zealand, from the Suez Canal to the North West Passage. They visit places which can only be reached by yachts, as no public transport ever goes there. They escort guests on shore expeditions to the uttermost parts of the earth.
Empirically, relationships have been established between long-serving crew and owners, leading to chefs being sponsored for their own restaurants, senior interior crew being put in charge of large households or even entire estates, engineers installed in family offices to oversee all technical aspects of boats and properties, and captains (including wife and kids) being embraced as part of owners’ extended families long after retirement.
With imagination and creativity it is not difficult to create protective bonding between people living in the close confines of a yacht. The payoff is immeasurable.
The increasing prevalence of rotation enables a fair work/life balance. If longdistance cruising palls, then the marinas are chock-a-block with single-season yachts, with crew away from home for just three to four months each year. Entrylevel salaries (often tax free) are equal to or above the typical starting salaries of European university graduates. With almost zero living overheads, the bulk of salary is discretionary income, allowing a rapid accumulation of personal savings. Top level salaries are unimaginable to most workers in shore-based positions.
WE NEED TO CELBRATE WHAT WE HAVE and then work to preserve it. The industry is not sustained by downtrodden wretchedly compensated crew. There is no yachting proletariat that needs to have its woes raised abroad by a workers’ council that sounds like something out of the Soviet Revolution. In a visit to any superyacht marina around the world, one does not witness disconsolate crew dragging themselves about their duties They are smartly dressed, proud to display the yacht name or logo on their uniforms, and diligently at work. Walking around any yacht port in the evenings one sees bars and restaurants filled with a contented and jolly crowd. Long-term crew from all departments who have bought homes in places like the South of France or in Majorca, with their kids in private schools, did not achieve their lifestyle
by being exploited. The truth is that they appreciated the opportunity which yachting has given them and seized it.
Back to Paige and Elle. Elle is saying “The Emperor has no clothes”, so why did those of us who have benefited from yachting’s tremendous opportunities allow those two to miss out and fall victim to avoidable danger? The sea itself is dangerous, but we know how to cope with it. Any workplace is dangerous, but we know to identify and avoid its risks. When a person presents a danger, we tend to freeze. As Elle illustrates, we are scared to face reality and react properly. We fail to protect each other. We are unprepared when the good life turns bad.
No legal hammer is ever going to fix this. But a good place to start is in all the anecdotal evidence about a new generational loneliness, about individuals retreating into their own closed-off cyber silos. The more that crew are engaged together, the more they care about each other. If even part of the answer lies within legislation, then the introduction of the HELM module in basic STCW training was a golden and missed opportunity. And that is an uncomfortable truth. The other truth is that with imagination and creativity it is not difficult to create protective bonding between people living in the close confines of a yacht. The payoff is immeasurable.
Notation
There are far greater risks facing seafarers than this one tragic episode, about which we still have no clarity anyway. Across the shipping world in general, crew-on-crew homicides are so rare that there are no reliable centralised statistics. Even on-board heart attacks pose a greater danger to seafarers –resulting fatalities averaged around 35 a year from 2014 to 2023. For the same period the European Maritime Safety Agency recorded 660 reported on-board accident fatalities and 7,604 injuries. The human element was identified as causal in 80 per cent of investigated casualties and incidents. Numbers for the superyacht sector are at best a meaningless guess. RH
When charm outshines competence
A contributor who wishes to remain anonymous raises the issue of how the role of manager and consultant in ensuring the long-term smooth running of the vessel is often overlooked in comparison to the profile of the more visible broker.
In the rarefied world of superyacht ownership, relationships are currency. Few decisions are made without trusted intermediaries – brokers, advisors, fixers and insiders. But beneath the polished surface of loyalty and familiarity, a structural imbalance has taken root. And for many ultrahigh-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), it represents a silent, strategic risk.
Across the sector, a common dynamic emerges: owners often form strong emotional bonds with their yacht brokers, while those tasked with ensuring the vessel’s long-term success – professional consultants, managers – receive far less visibility and loyalty. The reasons for this imbalance are not accidental, they are engineered.
The emotional leverage of the broker relationship
Yacht brokers are, by profession, emotionally fluent. They mirror their clients’ tone, anticipate preference and deliver recommendations with persuasive ease. Their compensation, typically embedded as a commission in the transaction, carries no direct invoice, creating the perception of partnership rather than provision.
More critically, brokers are often involved at the earliest and most emotionally charged phase of ownership: acquisition. As a result, they become associated with aspiration, excitement and momentum.
Yet many brokers are incentivised to close, not to calibrate. Few are structurally accountable for long-term
vessel performance, and even fewer are involved in post-deal operations. For many, involvement concludes with the signing of the contract, strategic responsibility is neither expected nor enforced.
The quiet role of competence
By contrast, consultants and managers typically step in after the ink is dry. Their role is to impose structure, prevent costly errors and provide continuity through complexity, whether in crew management, shipyard negotiations, legal disputes or ongoing operational oversight.
This work is rarely glamorous, often invisible and occasionally uncomfortable. It doesn’t flatter, it doesn’t entertain, but it protects.
Paradoxically, the more value these professionals provide, especially in the form of prevented risks or avoided costs, the less visible their contribution becomes. Smooth operations, by definition, create no drama. And in an industry attuned to luxury, drama often equates to engagement.
A loyalty gap with real consequences
Over time, this asymmetry compounds. Brokers are thanked, while consultants and managers are billed for delivering truth. Emotional resonance displaces strategic alignment. And owners, often unknowingly, begin to place their loyalty in the wrong direction.
The result is more than inefficiency. It can lead to misaligned refits,
protracted legal disputes, reputational exposure and significant capital leakage. In many cases, the warning signs were present but not welcomed. After all, the most competent advisors are often those willing to say what others won’t.
Strategic recalibration: questions that matter
For any owner seeking to recalibrate this balance, three questions offer immediate clarity:
1. Who benefits if things go well in five years, not just this quarter?
2. Who has the expertise, and the authority, to challenge assumptions?
3. Who protects your downside when no one else is watching?
The answers to these questions often point away from charisma and toward competence. Toward those who don’t need to be liked, but who insist on being right when it matters most.
Conclusion: Loyalty where accountability lives
Yachting is not just a lifestyle, it is a layered, high-value ecosystem requiring rigorous strategic oversight. The most effective owners are those who surround themselves with both emotional intelligence and technical discipline, and who recognise that charm, while useful, is no substitute for judgement.
In an industry where trust is everything, the quietest advisor in the room may be the one most worth listening to.
Can we afford not to?
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Yachting deliberately
Aino Grapin, CEO of Winch Design and Chairwoman of Water Revolution Foundation, sets out how she believes the industry is on the cusp of change in embracing sustainability, where shipyards and visionary owners can work together to leave a positive impact on yachting.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Into the woods
In Walden, Thoreau sought to “live deliberately” – embracing simplicity, self-reliance and solitude while connecting with nature’s profound truths, far removed from society’s artificial constraints. At first glance, his ascetic woodland existence appears diametrically opposed to the perceived opulence of superyacht ownership.
Yet consider this: the yearning to connect with the ocean’s vast transcendental beauty, the need to escape relentless social obligations, the desire to find refuge in an autonomous vessel miles from shore – all while focusing on life’s essential truths like family bonds and authentic relationships. Could these motivations, somewhat paradoxically, represent what I call “yachting deliberately”?
Although Thoreau championed civil disobedience and critiqued capitalism, this parallel isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. After all, stretching imagination is what we do relentlessly in yacht design. And “yachting deliberately” represents an emerging philosophy I've witnessed increasingly among our clients at Winch Design.
This year, Winch Design will be delivering Nasiba – a groundbreaking 44-metre Cantiere delle Marche explorer featuring the industry’s first ‘healthfocused’ interior, with low VOCs* and low EMFs† throughout, designed for a health and wellnessconscious family pursuing their own version of deliberate yachting. Every design element connects to natural themes, and rigorous measurements of VOCs and EMFs guide every material decision. The interior features include a dining table crafted from 350-year-old felled wood, sculptural side tables made of rush grass, wardrobes lined in pressed alpine hay and flowers, a green living wall made of preserved moss, a cork marquetery map of the world, a ‘tree of life’ feature formed from fallen trees and designed to display treasures from the family’s adventures … This represents just one example of how owners are aligning their vessels with deeply held values.
A sea change
The complexity and constant evolution of yachting is what originally drew many of us to this industry. We thrive on solving unprecedented challenges through innovation and collaboration, creating something entirely new with each project.
I’m witnessing unprecedented transformation across every facet of our world. Leadership transitions are reshaping the landscape as shipyards
*Volatile organic compounds: gases emitted into the air by various products or processes
†Electro-magnetic fields
and brokerage firms implement succession plans, passing stewardship from industry pioneers –many leading since the 1980s – to a new generation eager to leave their mark. Industry conversations increasingly focus on legacy: what these founding leaders hope their successors will achieve and how emerging voices will honour the past while forging new paths.
Meanwhile, prominent shipyards and maritime publications are changing ownership, with fresh new shareholder perspectives poised to influence industry direction. Most significantly, our clientele continues evolving, geographically, generationally and in their fundamental aspirations for yachting.
On the horizon
No sector rivals yachting’s customer-centricity. While the art world elevates artists above collectors, haute couture tells seasonal stories regardless of individual preference and luxury automobiles offer limited personalisation, custom yachting celebrates absolute uniqueness. No two vessels are identical. At Winch Design, we embrace this philosophy to the highest degree, not ever being constrained by a house style, instead creating holistic designs –inside and out – with each client at the absolute centre of every decision.
When yacht owners occupy this central position, they naturally become custodians of yachting’s
Renderings of interiors on board Nasiba.
What once seemed an insurmountable sustainability challenge now has structure: robust, science-based targets across four critical areas, guiding us toward net-zero emissions and beyond – to positive ocean impact. The framework exists; now we need owners to also champion this vision and signal the race’s beginning.
future. Every commissioned vessel adds personal DNA to the global fleet, and meaningful industry transformation requires their active participation in addressing tomorrow’s challenges.
Remarkably, stakeholders across the yachting ecosystem have already charted a comprehensive roadmap toward regenerative yachting by 2050, under the umbrella of Water Revolution Foundation. This ambitious undertaking required extensive data collection and unprecedented supply chain collaboration spanning design, construction, refit and operations. In May 2025, sixty industry CEOs formally committed to this roadmap during a pivotal conference hosted by San Lorenzo and Water Revolution Foundation in Lerici, Italy.
What once seemed an insurmountable sustainability challenge now has structure: robust, science-based targets across four critical areas, guiding us toward net-zero emissions and beyond – to positive ocean impact. The framework exists; now we need owners to also champion this vision and signal the race’s beginning. Not in competition against each other – I’ve witnessed remarkable collaboration on sustainability initiatives – but against time itself, racing to preserve our beloved oceans and ensure future generations can experience pristine waters under sail.
Point of singularity
As with any innovation, there will be a point of singularity – an inflection point if you will – just before technology is exponentially adopted. Many shipyard owners I am speaking to believe we are not far off from this point of singularity and they are keen to get there. So let’s see if we can bring this inflection point forward by one or two years,
with visionary owners who want to leave a positive impact on yachting and on the pristine eco-systems we so enjoy exploring – deliberately.
Forward-thinking owners commissioning ecoconscious vessels send powerful signals throughout the industry, encouraging bold technological advancement and breaking frustrating circular dependencies. Revolutionary solutions already exist and are beginning to transform both yachting and broader maritime transportation. However, some innovations require extensive prototyping and infrastructure development to maintain the cruising freedom owners rightfully expect.
Enter our industry’s persistent challenge: infrastructure development awaits critical mass demand, while demand hesitates without established infrastructure. Will methanol or hydrogen refuelling networks only emerge once sufficient yacht demand exists, despite knowing these fuels will prove crucial for our sustainable future?
Like all transformative innovations, we approach a singularity point, an inflection moment before exponential adoption occurs. Many shipyard leaders I engage with believe we’re remarkably close to this threshold. Perhaps visionary owners can accelerate this inflection point by one or two crucial years.
The opportunity beckons: to yacht deliberately, with purpose and consciousness, honouring both our essential truths and our industry’s sustainable future. To embrace the profound responsibility that comes with the privilege of exploring Earth’s most magnificent marine sanctuaries. The woods Thoreau sought were already there, waiting. The sustainable future of yachting awaits our collective creation. AG
Setting the standard: What to demand from superyacht glass
The growing use of glass in superyacht design – whether for expansive windows, skylights or underwater lounges – has elevated both aesthetic possibilities and technical demands. For owners, shipyards and designers, the choice of glazing is not simply about transparency, it’s about long-term reliability, safety and flawless visual quality. When evaluating glass for a new build or refit, there are five key criteria where compromise is not an option.
1. Do not accept delamination
Delamination is the single greatest threat to the longevity of yacht glass. It occurs when moisture penetrates the laminate and causes the layers to separate, reducing both strength and clarity. Conventional PVB foils are vulnerable to this process. A moisture-resistant resin interlayer, by contrast, guarantees durability – even in the harsh marine environment.
2. Do not accept optical distortions
Glass should frame the ocean, not interfere with it. Distortions impair navigation, disrupt design lines and reduce comfort on board. Precision bend-ing and lamination ensure that even large, curved panels remain crystal clear and distortion-free.
3. Do not accept anisotropy
Heat-treated glass often reveals stress patterns – visible as iridescent spots or streaks when viewed through polarized lenses. This phenomenon, called anisotropy, is not acceptable on a superyacht where clarity is paramount. Chemically toughened glass eliminates this risk, delivering superior optical quality.
4. Do not accept imperfect fit and shape
Every yacht is unique, and every pane
of glass must match its opening with absolute precision. Poor fit leads to discontinuities at transitions, disrupting both aesthetics and structural integrity. Proper 3D measurement on board and expert shaping are essential to ensure seamless alignment.
5. Do not accept multiple black borders
Black borders serve both functional and aesthetic purposes: protecting adhesives from UV and concealing bonding lines. A single, perfectly positioned border –measured and integrated during lamination – is the hallmark of true superyacht quality. By contrast, the common workaround of adding secondary, surfaceapplied borders results in visible imperfections and shorter lifespan.
The conclusion is clear: superyacht glazing must meet the highest standards. Cutting corners may save costs initially, but leads inevitably to expensive refits and compromised safety. Owners and shipyards who demand perfection in every pane – free of delamination,
distortions, anisotropy, misfit or double borders – ensure that glass not only complements the yacht’s design, but also endures the sea for decades to come.
At TILSE, these standards are nonnegotiable. From in-house resin interlayers that prevent delamination to chemical toughening for flawless optics, from precision 3D measurement to seamlessly integrated black borders, TILSE ensures every product meets the exacting demands of superyacht construction. The result: glass that performs as beautifully as it looks – today and for many years at sea.
Long-term reliability in demanding environments is a key factor when it comes to the quality of glass in superyachts.
Crew spend their whole careers trying to come ashore … why I went the other way
Emily Beck, Director at The Build Purser, explains the vital role of purser and her decision to move from an onshore position to one at sea.
“The Purser? Isn’t that just for big yachts? Usually a girl, right? Basically the chief stew or the captain’s PA? Doesn’t she just book crew flights? She’s interior crew … isn’t she?”
I’ve heard these assumptions more times than I can count, both from shoreside professionals and those working on board. The truth is, the purser is one of the most misunderstood and underrated roles in yachting – both during a yacht’s operation and even more so in its build phase.
For most positions on board, the hierarchy is clear: captain, heads of department (HODs) and the teams beneath them. But the purser occupies a unique space – neither fully part of any one department nor easily defined. They operate outside formal boundaries, acting as the crucial link between crew, management and ownership.
And while many believe pursers are only reserved for the largest yachts with the cabin space, every yacht benefits from having one – especially during the build
stage. A purser establishes operational and financial systems, supports the HODs, manages crew on boarding and balances operational efficiency with crew wellbeing.
A skilled purser sets the tone for the entire yacht, ideally from day one of the build. The goal? Deliver a vessel that runs seamlessly, staffed by a motivated, cohesive crew ready to operate at peak performance. Starting early saves time, money and stress, positively impacting crew retention, operational smoothness and, ultimately, the owner’s enjoyment. As the saying goes: “Happy crew, happy owner.”
I began my yachting career shoreside, working in sales for a large yachting company – a sector still largely maledominated. As sales Central Agency manager, I handled everything from collating technical specifications and creating yacht marketing materials to preparing legal documents for closing meetings. Little did I know then how valuable these skills would become during yacht builds.
Frustrated by the industry’s hesitance to support a woman into a pure sales broking role (a simple Google search demonstrates this hasn't changed) –and at a pivotal point in my own journey – I decided to leap from shore to ship. Everyone thought I was mad: “But crew spend their whole careers trying to come ashore … why would you go the other way?” I’m so glad I ignored them. That transition – from shoreside to on board and later back ashore – gave me a perspective few others have.
After a couple of seasons on sailboats, I was offered my first purser role. Suddenly, I was juggling a thousand moving parts – crew and guest logistics, finances, complex paperwork for remote destinations, and the endless challenges that come with life at sea. I travelled across the Caribbean, French Polynesia, South America, Costa Rica, Mexico, Norway and the Mediterranean. Over three years, I managed owner trips, charters, warranty periods, dry dockings, crew issues and navigated mountains of administration brought on by Brexit and Covid.
Guest Column by Emily Beck
But it was in the new-build sector that my career truly transformed.
I joined my next yacht during the final year of construction – an intense, highpressure period. I was responsible for on-boarding over 90 crew members, more than 60 of whom were housed ashore for six months. Nothing about it was simple. I was setting up operational and financial systems from scratch, managing complex visa arrangements for a multinational crew, establishing processes for daily living in a small Northern European village, and supporting crew emotionally as they adjusted to life in a shipyard away from home.
Working on a build is unlike working on an operational yacht. It’s not just a different role – it’s a different world. You’re creating systems that don’t yet exist, preparing a vessel and crew for life at sea before it has even touched water. It taught me adaptability, patience and the importance of seeing beyond steel, glass and engineering. A yacht is nothing without its crew and they need to feel valued.
Then came another turning point. After the build launched and the yacht completed its first operational year –a whirlwind of sea miles covered and guest trips completed – I discovered I was pregnant. The management company’s response was blunt: I would probably need to leave immediately. I pushed back. Pregnancy is neither an illness nor a disability, and I knew I could continue working. After negotiation, I stayed until six months, when MLC regulations no longer covered me.
I finished with an incredible sendoff from an amazing crew, but the experience highlighted a stark reality: this is a challenge that men in the industry rarely face and one that women
Nothing about it was simple. I was setting up operational and financial systems from scratch, managing complex visa arrangements for a multinational crew, establishing processes for daily living in a small Northern European village, and supporting crew emotionally as they adjusted to life in a shipyard away from home.
in most other sectors are spared. Where do I go from here? What does this mean for everything I’ve built – the hard work, the dedication, the growth, the experience? Returning ashore felt abrupt and disorienting – without even factoring in a newborn, who, frankly, felt like an extremely unpredictable permanent charter guest!
Leaning on my shoreside experience in yacht sales and my on-board knowledge with new builds, warranties and yard periods, I realised my passion: supporting yachts during their build phases; setting up systems, nurturing crew and shaping the foundation of the yacht’s culture. This aspect of a yacht is not usually at the forefront or focus during a build and is often left until the last minute with more pressing technical or aesthetic issues taking precedence.
However, a yacht’s success isn’t just about technical systems or engineering – it’s about people, processes, and culture. A truly successful handover –a seamless, turnkey delivery – relies on operational systems that work from day one, a solid financial framework and a professional, well-supported crew aligned with the owner’s vision. And this is where the purser quietly shapes success. Correctly done, the role goes far beyond accounts and travel bookings; it lays the foundation for the yacht’s entire operational life.
The crew is the heartbeat of a yacht and the purser is the backbone of a yacht build. EB
MELITA MARINE GROUP HEAD OFFICE
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GREECE
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THE FINAL FRONTIER: A NEO-HOMERIC ODYSSEY
He’s been to space and summited Everest, but Victor Vescovo’s magnum opus might be unfolding in the uncharted darkness of the deep.
Photo © Reeve Joliffe
BY CONOR FEASEY
As I sit with Victor Vescovo in a nondescript hotel café in West London, it’s hard not to become platonically enamoured by his candour. He doesn’t speak like someone who has been to the deepest depths of the world, or even someone who has gone beyond the stratosphere, although the latter is particularly refreshing given the famously dry demeanour of some astronauts.
Despite building his wealth through private equity investing and having previously served in the US Navy for two decades, there’s no trace of a billionaire’s bravado; rather, a plainly passionate speaker and adventurer, as we discuss submarines, satellites and shipyards.
This is from a man who’s summited Everest, skied to both poles, plunged to the deepest point of each of the five oceans, touched the corner of the cosmos and even invested in the company that recently resurrected dire wolves. His CV reads more like Bruce Wayne’s bucket list, but the man himself is more engineer than ego, more mission than mystique. And his latest project might be his most mammoth undertaking yet. For now, at least.
As some magnates race each other into space, it is what lies beneath the surface of our world that commands the Texan’s attention once more, looking toward the yawning voids of the Earth’s oceans – the final frontier we have somehow skipped.
“We’ve mapped the surface of Mars and the Moon in detail. We’re sending billion-dollar probes to the outer planets,” he says. “But why? We still use some navigation charts today that are based on Captain Cook’s measurements from the 1700s. We’ve missed almost two-thirds of our own planet.”
Within Vescovo’s crosshairs is the hope that he will set a new standard for deep-sea exploration by building an AI-enhanced 23-metre mapping vessel, the aptly named Ocean Mapper. With hull model testing now complete in Norway, the team is now entering the shipyard bidding phase, with interest peaking from varied corners of the maritime sector.
Penned in Monaco by design stalwart Espen Øino and hydrodynamic and shipbuilding specialists Engineering IDS, Ocean Mapper is built to the core tenets of efficient, semi-automated exploration. The boat is set to be crewed by two (yes, two), with the potential of solo manning still a real possibility. And of course, Vescovo has already vowed to take to the helm first as proof of concept.
“Over the past six months, we’ve spent the time and the money to build two ship models and test the sonar gondola in a tank. The goal was to ensure the acoustic return wouldn’t be disrupted by bow bubbles, so we designed a specialised axe-shaped bow,” he explains enthusiastically.
“The entire ship is completely optimised for sonar performance and long-range ocean cruising with a 7,000-mile range. Espen and IDS really understood the mission and the engineers were excited. They told us, ‘No one’s ever asked for a ship like this before’. And when you give fantastic engineers like this something meaningful to solve, that’s when they do their best work.
The project’s holy grail is efficiency. Engineered to map the ocean floor at scale for a fraction of the cost of other vessels, the compact vessel’s capabilities allow for deep-sea terrain mapping for as little as $2 per square kilometre to a depth of 4,000 metres in optimal conditions. It’s necessitated a nononsense approach too – this vessel has to function as intended, without luxuries or gimmicks. It will run on trusty diesel engines. They’re reliable, fuelefficient and can even run on biodiesel if needed.
And just in case he fancies hitching another ride to Challenger Deep, Ocean Mapper can also utilise micro-landers capable of descending to full ocean depth at 10,935 metres. These landers can record bathymetric data, collect water and biological samples and perform in situ component testing in the extreme pressures of the deep ocean.
“Our estimates show it’ll cost about $500,000 to $600,000 a year in fuel to run it 300 days a year. That’s staggeringly low when compared to a ship twice the size. The smaller the vessel, the more efficient it becomes. Believe me, acquisition and operating costs are going to blow people away,” adds Vescovo.
Naturally, sonar quality is imperative to ensuring the data collected is worth its weight. It will carry a Kongsberg EM124, arguably the most powerful sonar one can install on a civilian vessel, and operate at a modest 10 knots, transmitting data via satellite and covering up to 10,000km² per day.
This is by no means Vescovo’s first time in the deep end either. Before this vessel was ever designed, Vescovo had already gained hands-on experience with the technology. “I bought [the Kongsberg EM124] serial number one and helped
One of Ocean Mapper ’s most defining features is its role as an inclusive, participatory research vessel. It’s designed to work with local governments, enabling mariners to help map their Exclusive Economic Zones and territorial waters.
debug it with my team. We went all over the world and mapped four million square kilometres over four years,” he recalls.
“But from that experience, looking at the cost, the technology, the crew, I was able to go, okay, how could we do this better? Like a businessperson. Because at the end of the day, I’m a technologist, not an ocean researcher. I build this stuff, then let people smarter than me use it.” That journey ultimately led him to sell the system two years ago to the deep-sea research firm Inkfish, allowing him to start again, smarter, cheaper and faster.
More recently, Vescovo and his team have mapped half a million square kilometres of coastal area, including 1200 square kilometres of the British coastline. Using freely available imagery from European satellites, analysts mapped coastal regions shallower than 30 metres. These humangenerated datasets are then used to train an AI model to replicate the process faster and at scale.
“What we discovered pretty quickly, however, is that different parts of the world are incredibly different in terms of their hydrography, so training the AI has been more complicated than we initially anticipated. Equatorial Guinea is very different from Alaska, and so on, so naturally it has taken more time,” Vescovo explains.
“These regions also require different mapping technologies. Shallower than 30 metres, you can use satellites. However, between 30 and 1,000 metres, it becomes challenging – multibeam sonar doesn’t spread very far in shallow water, making it less
Rendering of Ocean Mapper , an AI-enhanced 23-metre mapping vessel for deep-sea exploration.
efficient. But we’re now exploring other approaches for that depth range.”
One of Ocean Mapper’s most defining features is its role as an inclusive, participatory research vessel. It’s designed to work with local governments, enabling mariners to help map their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and territorial waters. This is part of a broader initiative led by Caladan Oceanic, which supports communities in understanding and managing their marine resources free from commercial interests, as the vessel will operate solely on a non-profit research basis.
On this note, I pose the question of what he will actually do with all this data. Do you sell it to governments? Private companies? “There’s no real commercial incentive to give away mapping data,” Vescovo responds. “Oil and gas companies map the seafloor all the time, but it’s proprietary; they don’t share it. Governments do the same for shipping routes. That’s why this kind of data usually only comes from philanthropists or public institutions.”
According to Vescovo, deep-sea mining, often cited as a concern with ocean mapping, isn’t relevant here either. “The resolution we’re working at isn’t useful for mining,” he says. “The ClarionClipperton Zone, for example – it’s already been mapped and characterised in far more detail by the people exploring it for minerals. They know where it all is. Their challenges now are extraction and the business model.”
This isn’t mapping for the sake of mapping, but about sovereignty and safety. In October 2021, the USS Connecticut, a US Navy nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, struck an uncharted seamount in the South China Sea. Not only did it cause an eye-watering estimated $100 million in damage, but it also injured several crew. “These accidents are entirely preventable and they happen because
we just don’t know what’s down there,” Vescovo adds. “Even in 2025, some islands in the Pacific still rely on hydrographic charts that date back to early imperial British expeditions. It’s wild that data has just never been updated.”
It’s a noble mission, although it doesn’t end with a single vessel. This is merely what Vescovo hopes is just the beginning, with Ocean Mapper serving as the foundation for a fleet designed to prove that mapping the entire ocean is as, if not more, realistic than landing on the outer planets.
“Yes, this is a prototype, but I absolutely hope others follow. If more people come on board early, we can lower the price even more by doing multiple builds. It’s always cheaper to build three ships, per unit, than one. But I’m pushing forward no matter what, because in the real world, people usually need to see something to believe it. Even shipyards are now starting to come back and say, ‘This is a great project and we want to be part of it’.”
Vescovo remains totally agnostic about who builds it. It is whoever can deliver the quality at the cost they need, and while he says he would love to do it in the States, the capabilities and cost aren’t quite there. Although, ever the intrepid entrepreneur, he discloses that he has invested in another company that’s trying to change that. “It’s not about making it flashy. First, second and third priorities are building the best operating environment for the sonar and getting the data. So now it’s just about getting it built,” he adds.
With that mindset in place, I ask Vescovo what the biggest challenge has been in bringing the project to a shipyard. “Cost,” he says flatly. “That’s the big obstacle. We know we can build it and the regulatory side is manageable as it’s under 23 metres. The technology is proven; the sonar has been running for six years and the hull is optimised.
“For a small slice of what you would pay for a chase boat, you would be contributing to the last great exploration on the planet, naming uncharted marine landmarks, etching your name into the earth’s landscape for eternity.”
Nothing needs to be invented – it’s just about building it at the right price. For me, the number is around $5 million all-in. That’s the threshold that makes ocean mapping at scale truly viable.”
“Getting people to do the mission, on the other hand? That’s the least of our problems,” Vescovo laughs with a shrug. “We’ve got retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captains, round-the-world sailors, solo yachters. There are two staterooms onboard so that it can accommodate a husband-and-wife team, two friends, or anyone else. It won’t change the cost structure and the appetite is there. People see it’s a good mission and want to be part of something that matters and contribute something meaningful to science and humanity.”
There is something quintessentially human about this innate, unshakable compulsion to explore, plunging beneath the boundaries of knowledge into the unknown. For some, this urge lies dormant, unearthing itself in sporadic flashes of curiosity. For others, it is a gravitational pull, the same force that has launched us to the moon and back in search of answers, advancement and glory –a burning desire to do what no one has done before.
On the surface, ocean mapping might not quite command the space-age spectacle of a silver-screen blockbuster, but it still holds the mythic allure of ancient Atlantis epics. So in 2025, why shouldn’t owners, shipyards and crew embark on a neoHomeric odyssey of their own?
Rightly or wrongly, yachting has long wrestled with questions of purpose and impact. Some critics
point to owners who are unwilling to invest in the broader marine community, clutching their purse strings tightly. But, as Vescovo remarks, there are plenty of ambitious entrepreneurs who could, like Vescovo, become modern-day Explorers Club peers and build one too, if not just for philanthropy, for legacy.
“Sure, there are a lot of vessels out there that are just party boats or convenience vessels. However, if you want to give back to the marine community and a broader society, you can. For a small slice of what you would pay for a chase boat, you would be contributing to the last great exploration on the planet, naming uncharted marine landmarks, etching your name into the earth’s landscape for eternity. That’s the beauty of this mission; it’s understandable. It’s human. It’s history.”
As our conversation winds down, I’m served a cascade of surreal juxtapositions. We discuss his adventures aboard a converted sub-hunter, his passion for restoring classic cars, “de-extincting” the woolly mammoth and plans for mining asteroids. It’s a poignant reminder that time is a shifting truth; what was fact yesterday might be obsolete tomorrow and perhaps the future we imagine is more entwined with our past than we first realise.
Amid the astronomical ambitions, it’s this project that might leave the deepest mark for our community. Legacies carved into coastlines, science gifted to generations, safety charted into being. Maps last longer than memories and history remembers the names written in water. Maybe, just maybe, the final frontier was beneath us all along. CF
World map of all areas generated.
24|27 SEPTEMB ER 2025
by Kelda Lay
Putting the WELL into well-being
Kelda Lay introduces WELL certification – an industry-first programme for building superyachts, whether existing or new build, that could increase charter appeal and resale while creating a holistic environment on board.
We all think we know what sustainability means by now – carbon footprints, supply chain, etc. But as our exploration takes us further down this pathway, we need to expand our definition to include how the yachts we create are impacting our own well-being, as guests and crew, as well as that of the planet/ environment.
As our priorities and values have shifted in this direction, a number of evidencebased systems have emerged to assess the impact of the built environment on the health of the planet, including LEED & BREAM. But when it comes to measuring, certifying and monitoring the impact on human mental and psychological health, the evidence-based WELL system has been a standout pioneer.
Founded by Paul Scialla in 2014, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), established to “apply the principles of altruistic capitalism and philanthropy to social responsibility and
sustainable philanthropy”, administers the WELL Building Standard, the third most used building standard globally, recently surpassing more than six billion square feet of certified space worldwide.
The points-based, tiered WELL programmes are built on 10 evidencebacked concepts: air, water, nourishment, light, thermal comfort, sound, mind, community, materials and movement. WELL helps to create a space that is not only luxurious but also good for you. The programmes have been adopted by major players on land, including Fortune 500 companies, to scale health across their organisations.
As a superyacht designer of 20plus years’ experience and with a background in environmental and cognitive neuropsychology, this peoplefirst approach to design and build had me intrigued. It really was about form following function.
Consider material choices: reducing exposure to VOCs and PFAS significantly decreases the risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases, while also minimising allergen triggers. Within a WELL space, you can be confident that material choices support the health of all occupants: owners, guests, charter clients and crew.
As health-consciousness grows, the demand for certified healthy spaces has surged. After two years of discussions with IWBI, yachts can now pursue the WELL programmes for the first time, helping to set the global standard for health and well-being on the water.
Benefits for owners of yachts that achieve WELL certification go beyond this, and would surely include increased charter appeal and resale value, as well as reduced crew turnover rates. There has even been suggestion that WELL certification might have a positive impact on insurance costs.
Where is the evidence? As this is brand new to the yachting industry, the data comes from the commercial, build-forrent and hospitality sectors. A 2021 study by MIT Center for Real Estate Research found that certified healthy built spaces see a rent premium of up to 7.7 per cent and a transaction premium of up to 10.5 per cent compared to nearby non-certified peers. Translate these percentages across to an uptick in charter value and resale value, and the numbers start to look interesting.
A 2022 study found that WELL certification improved overall occupant satisfaction by nearly 30 per cent (repeat charter bookings anyone?) as well as improved perceived well-being scores, up by 26 per cent, and increase in productivity by 10 median points (improved crew wellbeing).
A 2021 Harris Poll for IWBI found that more than 50 per cent of employees consider the health strategies addressed by the WELL standard “very important” or “essential”, further highlighting the strong value that employees place on health-
specific strategies. Lastly, research published in the Indoor Air Quality Handbook (Berkeley Lab) found a 20 to 50 per cent reduction in sick building syndrome for workers in healthycertified spaces.
Crew retention and talent attraction, as well as well-being, are hot topics. Consider two comparable yachts –one is WELL certified and one is not. It would seem logical which boat to go for. And when weighing up two WELL certified yachts, the WELL Score is a published number that allows for a direct comparison between two similar spaces.
The same can be true for charter bookings, where this certification would provide a point of difference. Celebrity endorsement of the WELL Standard includes Venus Williams, Robert de Niro and Michael Jordan, and is a growing phenomenon in the US, Australia and Hong Kong. It is a global standard not shrouded in yachting-specific terms, such as ‘Flag’ and ‘Class’, something that can be understood by those outside of
A 2021 Harris Poll for IWBI found that more than 50 per cent of employees consider the health strategies addressed by the WELL standard “very important” or “essential”, further highlighting the strong value that employees place on health-specific strategies.
yachting, providing a guarantee of a level of health, safety and compliance.
Participating projects pursue points via the 10 concepts, achieving either bronze, silver, gold or platinum certification, depending on the number of points earnt. By the nature of how superyachts are built and run, most superyachts can expect to find that 40+ points out of an available 211 should be achievable, which would be at the bronze certification level, but WELL dangles the carrot of competition with the lure of a platinum score.
This standard can be an owner request, an added-value offering by a shipyard, a project management integration into the build specification or a broker preference.
So, a third-party verified building standard that could improve charter value, resale value, crew attraction and retention, and possible insurance reduction, as well as improving mental and physical health of all on board?
Well, well, well. KL
Brokerage and the 50-metreplus sector
The Big Brokerage Market
A look at what a good broker can bring to the table and who’s been doing the deals this year.
BY MARTIN H.
REDMAYNE
Every day we all receive news of price reductions or new to market opportunities, interspersed with deals completed. In addition, press releases are issued stating the success or performance of the various brokerage houses, with numbers of deals, revenues generated and ranking statements. Then finally we read brokerage news reports that talk about growth in revenues or significant declines when a major deal is done or not done.
Imagine reporting that the market is dramatically down year on year, when the like-for-like period includes one significant transaction in the nine figures that completely skews the data.
As we all know, it’s very easy to generate data sets and show how the market is performing and make assumptions and suggest the industry is doing well, but the spread of data across the 24-metreplus range is also an unfair landscape to compare and contrast. A brokerage house stating it has done 15 deals in a month and claiming a number one spot in the same month is easy to challenge if all the deals are sub-30 metres and worth a cumulative 50 million euros, yet a competitor may have done two deals in the 50-metre-plus sector and with a transaction value in the 100s of millions of euros.
So, as we head into the biggest brokerage show of the year, in the capital of advanced yachting, it makes sense to look a little closer at the market and segment the 50-metre-plus sector, perhaps the most interesting category at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.
When you look at the fleet on display in Port Hercule above 50 metres and those at anchor in the bay, it’s always an impressive line-up, with well-known classics, relatively young tonnage from the major brands and a strong portfolio of brand-new builds. However, for a buyer or seller who has invested their time and money to present their yacht
or to explore the show, it is intriguing to think about how these UHNWIs choose the individual and brokerage house to help them find what they’re looking for.
Yes, as a buyer, you can walk the dock and ask for a tour and plan a few visits, but if you consider that a good tour can take more than a couple of hours, longer with the yachts at anchor, and with the myriad interiors and exteriors it will all blur into a mental overload.
A meeting before the show with a good broker is paramount, where an open conversation and a plan of attack based on budget, preferences, experiences, existing yachts owned and overall expectations should reduce the target list to a handful of yachts to view. But how you identify a good broker is the next question, as the list is long and, in theory, they are all charming and confident sales people. Plus, once you’ve found a good broker, they will be able to do all the work for you, arranging the tours and visits in the most efficient way possible, even discounting the yachts that are not worth the tour.
So we did some research and analysis of the market to create a unique piece of intelligence that highlights who has been doing the deals in the past 12 months in the 50-metre category, as it makes very interesting reading. The only caveat we need to apply to the data is that there is a small grey area to this where some deals have been sold quietly off market and there are those brokers who either wanted to be anonymous or were contractually bound to be so.
However, when you read the list of individuals who have been actively selling 50-metre yachts in the past 12 months, and you overlay this with the actual brokerage houses that have been equally successful in the same category, this becomes an interesting new perspective, especially for clients looking to sell. MHR
Once you’ve found a good broker, they will be able to do all the work for you, arranging the tours and visits in the most efficient way possible, even discounting the yachts that are not worth the tour.
of two or more
(For two or three deals the position is ranked based upon the total value of those deals)
Yacht crew safety culture and well-being
Lloyd’s Register on why the industry needs to go beyond compliance and focus on human-centred safety.
The superyacht industry has long been associated with luxury, precision and impeccable service. However, beneath the surface of this glamorous world lies a crucial element that demands attention: safety culture and crew well-being. While regulations and evolving technology contribute significantly to maritime safety, the real challenge lies in shifting from a compliance-driven mindset to one that embraces a human-centered approach to safety and operational efficiency.
In light of recent incidents: a renewed focus on safety
In light of recent high-profile incidents within the yachting community, safety has once again become a critical focal point. While human error is often cited as the primary cause of accidents, deeper investigations frequently reveal a more complex interplay between people, processes and technology. This reality compels us to ask:
Do we truly understand the safety level of our industry? And on what basis do we claim to know it?
With thousands of yachts navigating the world’s waters, the number of serious incidents may appear relatively low.
However, every accident represents a missed opportunity to learn, improve and prevent future tragedies. Rather than responding reactively after disaster strikes – prompting yet another wave of regulations – it is time to adopt a proactive, data-driven approach to safety.
History has shown us the cost of inaction. From the Titanic to the Herald of Free Enterprise and the Torrey Canyon, change has too often come at the expense of human lives. Lloyd’s Register (LR) proposes a different path – one that sets a new benchmark for safety culture within the yachting sector.
To achieve this, LR is conducting a comprehensive safety culture survey across seagoing yachts and their management companies. This initiative aims to measure and compare safety practices, identify areas for improvement and provide actionable insights to strengthen our industry’s safety framework.
Having successfully led similar initiatives across other maritime sectors, LR is committed to driving this effort forward – but we cannot do it alone. Industry-wide participation
will be crucial. We urge yacht owners, operators, management companies and crew members to contribute their perspectives, helping us shape a safety culture that is not only robust but also deeply ingrained in our industry’s values.
The survey can be accessed by going to https://feedback.lr.org/jfe/form/SV_ eqVXMiB20mjT8LY
Lloyd’s Register’s Global Yacht Segment Director Engel-Jan de Boer states: “Together, we have an opportunity to redefine safety standards – not through reactive regulation, but through informed, collaborative action. The journey to a safer future starts now. Let’s embark on it together.”
Moving beyond regulatory compliance
Historically, the industry has followed a reactive pattern – accidents lead to new regulations, which in turn create a perception of safety. However, this approach is flawed. Regulations alone do not make a yacht safer. Safety is achieved through real actions, effective leadership and a proactive safety culture that extends beyond checklists and mandatory compliance.
Guest Column by Lloyd’s Register
Classification societies, along with Flag and port states, play a role in ensuring safety standards. However, the onus should not rest solely on them. Builders, manufacturers, suppliers, management companies, captains and crew must all actively contribute to creating a safer environment on board. It is not enough to rely on rules; rather, the industry must emphasise decision-making, crew empowerment and intelligent design to foster an intrinsic culture of safety.
The role of human factors in safety
A staggering 80 per cent of maritime accidents are attributed to human error, with the remaining 20 per cent still involving human involvement. But is this truly human error or is it a failure to design systems that account for human capabilities and limitations? Research has shown that designing for operation and maintainability can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency while enhancing safety.
Many accidents stem from inadequate consideration of human factors in yacht
design and operations. Issues such as fatigue, poor ergonomics, insufficient training, communication breakdowns and ship-shore conflicts all contribute to unsafe environments. Addressing these challenges requires an approach that prioritises human-centered design –fitting the task to the human, rather than expecting humans to adapt to flawed designs and processes.
The power of behaviour-based safety Behaviour-based safety (BBS) is an approach that emphasises modifying actions and attitudes to enhance overall safety performance. This cultural shift starts at the top – with yacht managers and captains leading by example –and filters down to the crew and even guests. Superyacht crew often prioritise guest experience, but safety should be seamlessly integrated into this experience, not treated as a separate or secondary concern.
Creating a safety-conscious environment means ensuring that every person on board understands and respects
A staggering 80 per cent of maritime accidents are attributed to human error, with the remaining 20 per cent still involving human involvement. But is this truly human error or is it a failure to design systems that account for human capabilities and limitations?
potential risks. While checklists and procedures are necessary, an overreliance on rigid control mechanisms can be counterproductive. If a crew member follows a checklist exactly but lacks the awareness to recognise an emerging hazard, the safety system has failed. Instead, empowering crew members through training and trust allows them to exercise judgement based on experience and situational awareness.
Learning from incidents: a culture of transparency
Incident analysis and transparency are critical for improving safety culture. The superyacht industry tends to report only major accidents that trigger Flagstate investigations, but this approach means valuable lessons from near-miss incidents are often lost. Encouraging the reporting and sharing of minor incidents and close calls can help prevent major disasters by addressing risks proactively
A shift toward openness in learning from incidents and near-misses would enable the industry to build a more robust safety culture. If safety is seen as a shared responsibility rather than a burden of compliance, superyachts can set new benchmarks for excellence not only in luxury but also in well-being and operational integrity.
Conclusion: A call for humancentred safety Regulations will always play a role in maritime safety, but they are not the ultimate solution. True safety comes from integrating human factors into yacht design, fostering a behaviourbased safety culture, and ensuring that crew well-being is a top priority.
By moving away from a regulatory mindset and towards a proactive, humancentered approach, the superyacht industry can redefine safety. LR
Shipyards’ approach to teak
DECK TO THE FUTURE! PART II
The second part of The Superyacht Report ’s examination of the teak industry reveals how eco-conscious thinking about alternative decking materials can result in creating sustainable innovation.
BY CONOR FEASEY
Teak still rules the waves, but its reign is facing open rebellion.
For decades, the prized wood has been synonymous with yachting, but its sourcing and application have become severely problematic for a myriad of reasons. We’ve spent previous editions dissecting not just why that matters, but what’s being done about it. What we’ve found is a market at the edge of transition, with changes typically happening from the ground up.
At the grass roots of it all, suppliers like Teak Decking Systems, Wolz Nautic and Amorim, who featured in our previous issue, have spent over a decade and a half building parallel systems, testing new materials and stress-testing assumptions. Alternatives to the once immovable feature are now live and in action. Plantation teak, when properly certified and carefully managed, can be a viable option. Not everywhere, and not without limitations, but it’s a start. ‘Green teak’, built from veneer, offers a manufactured solution that mimics the grain and feel of old-growth with 90 per cent yield from much younger trees.
Modified woods like Tesumo, which are pressure-treated, resin-infused and thermally stabilised, are already being used on major projects, with durability, repairability and stability to rival the gold standard. And then there’s cork: carbon-negative, fully recyclable, lowmaintenance and soft underfoot. The comfort is genuine, with a tactility. The question is no longer whether it works, but whether people are ready to use it?
This is where the friction sits, in this perception gap between what’s available and what’s accepted. That gap is aesthetic, emotional and, often, generational. For some, decking still begins and ends with traditional teak. And that goes for the builders too. It’s
the colour, the smell, the symbolism. It’s how it feels in your hands when you work with it. And this myth of endless supply still lingers despite increasing regulation, reputational risk and price pressure – the emotional pull remains hard to shake.
The fact is, we are running out of road – the realities of the teak market have shifted. Long planks are disappearing. Five-metre runs of flawless grain are now rare artefacts. Even three-metre boards are becoming scarce. That means working smarter. Scarf joints, once niche, are becoming necessary. Yards are adapting, shortening planks, blending seams and applying methods that would’ve been dismissed five years ago. It’s slower, more technical work, but it’s the only viable route forward for some.
The sourcing narrative has changed too. Forest Stewardship Councilcertified plantations are growing, with new regions coming online in Panama, Costa Rica, Thailand and Indonesia. But certification alone isn’t enough and companies are taking it upon themselves to use isotope analysis, DNA testing and boots-on-the-ground oversight as part of the standard playbook for those who want to protect themselves and their clients from legal and reputational fallout.
And while plantation teak offers a potential path forward, it’s not one-sizefits-all. Quality varies, as does scale. A 200-square-metre semi-custom project? Sure, you can make it work. But a 90metre-plus full-custom project? It’s a far more challenging ask, to say the least, unless you’re willing to combine materials or reframe expectations. That’s the other shift taking place, not just in the materials themselves, but how and where they’re used. Composites are finding their place in high-use zones where
practicality trumps prestige, like helidecks, tender garages and bows. Clients may still want a teak aft, where they entertain, in the master suites, but they’re starting to listen.
The offering is expanding, and while the technical aspects are solid, one consistent theme emerges from all parts of the supply chain: suppliers are still grappling with inertia due to a deeply ingrained client-led resistance. This is often tied to the belief that luxury is synonymous with legacy, and legacy is associated with traditional materials like teak. While this myth has been slow to fade, it may be facing significant challenges as a new shift arises from unexpected sources – specifically, questions from the (grand)children of captains and owners. In the shipyards, some designers are discovering that clients may be more receptive to new ideas than they had thought. Forwardthinking yards are re-evaluating what “quality” means in this changed context. And that brings us to the present moment.
If 80 per cent of a yacht’s lifetime impact is determined at the design stage, then everything depends on the design boards and the negotiation tables. This is where technical feasibility intersects with client psychology, serving as the crucial meeting point of sustainability and sales. It is here that the conversation can either expand or shrink under the weight of expectations from either side. Here, we explore what happens inside the shipyards. We talk to those handling real briefs, real budgets and genuine pushback. How do you present cork to a client who expects Burmese teak? How do you balance performance with perception? And to what extent are owners willing to go when doing the right thing still feels like a risk?
News Editor Conor Feasey speaks with Feadship, Lürssen and Oceanco to explore their cutting-edge approaches to long-term sustainable teak alternatives.
THE FUTURE OF DECKING WITH FEADSHIP
As regulation tightens and teak supply continues to narrow, builders are increasingly navigating the complex reality of owner expectation, material performance and environmental responsibility. We spoke with Martijn van Wijngaarden from Feadship’s Knowledge & Innovation team. Holding a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from TU Delft with a specialisation in structures and materials, he built his expertise in research and development, earning the JEC World Aerospace Innovation Award for a patented induction welding technology now used by GKN, Airbus, Boeing and Gulfstream. He joined Feadship’s Knowledge & Innovation department in 2016, where he leads innovation projects. We sat down with him to understand how one of the industry’s most influential shipyards is approaching the future of decking through sourcing, testing and long-term sustainability planning.
From your perspective, what is the biggest concern for shipyards and owners when it comes to decking options in 2025?
Good question and I think the answer depends on who you ask. Sales and design teams are often most concerned about clients asking for materials which are near impossible to source. A carpenter’s biggest concern is making a mistake on a priceless and irreplaceable piece of wood. For all personnel involved, it has become challenging to deliver a quality deck which meets the client’s requirements.
So how are you currently approaching the teak conversation from a sustainability and sourcing perspective?
What Feadship can offer will have to be compliant with the new Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) regulation. In simple terms, this means that any wood used will have to be free of
deforestation impact, with documents to prove it. Regardless of how you approach a teak conversation, the rules are clear. It’s usually a demand versus what can be sourced discussion, since differences in sustainability can be marginal.
Are you seeing shifts in client expectations particularly around alternative materials, origin or reduced teak usage?
Teak was the default choice for many years and that heritage is still there. Clients have a ‘carte blanche’ to create their view of the perfect yacht and that is also influenced by yachts they have seen or experienced. Based on those wishes, we look for options to create that vision, which is limited by legal and availability constraints. We also calculate the impact of all selected materials used on the yacht, but generally, clients are not restricted in their wishes in relation to materials usage or origin.
What is Feadship’s current stance on plantation-grown teak and other sourcing models?
Plantation-grown teak and other sources also need to comply with the EUDR. We are testing teak from a number of plantations and FSC compliant natural forests, and most perform very well. Are you actively exploring synthetic, composite or cork alternatives and how are these being received internally or by clients? Is it a chicken-and-egg situation or do we need to be firmer in more ‘sustainable options’ being provided?
Feadship does not intend to create its own decking materials as we actively test all viable alternatives which indeed includes synthetic, composite, cork as well as ceramic alternatives. What may be counter intuitive is that if you calculate the footprint per year of the lifespan of all the alternatives for decking materials the differences are actually very small.
Synthetic materials have a higher impact but are applied in smaller quantities and have a longer lifespan than wood. Wood is a natural material but is bonded on a synthetic filler and caulked at all the seams. Neither of these materials can be recycled at the end of life. Cork is currently the only material which can be downcycled into other products, but it has other disadvantages. In the end, it matters most that the owner and crew take pride in the deck they have and take good care of it, thereby prolonging the lifespan.
A genuine concern is that a European deforestation regulation will not stop deforestation outside of the EU, or it will be offered elsewhere. We cannot control this, but we can control our own actions and discussions with clients.
Below:
Do you anticipate teak availability or regulation becoming a challenge to future builds?
We do not anticipate this; it has already been the case for several years, not just for future builds. There is a fleet of sailing yachts which in the past received much thicker teak decking than has been applied in more recent years. All of these teak decks are losing about 1mm thickness per year and both the older and more recent yachts will have teak decks at the end of life in the very near future. All the EUDR-compliant plantations and forests cannot provide material for all those refits and new builds.
Feadship plays a vital role in setting a benchmark for innovation. But what role do you think shipyards play in shaping industry-wide progress on responsible decking solutions?
Realistically, a genuine concern is that a European deforestation regulation will not stop deforestation outside of the EU or it being offered elsewhere. We cannot control this, but we can control our own actions and discussions with clients. The role we see for ourselves is to test different options and prevent our clients from selecting materials that may look good on a sample but will fail within one to two years of operation. I do not know if we are a benchmark for innovation in that sense. We do show alternatives in all our recent concept designs, but it is up to clients to decide.
We expect to see and produce more diverse decks in the years to come. When clients see other options in practice, this will also increase the chances for more different designs and materials.
Left: Detail on the tender for 88.4-metre Zen , built by Feadship in 2021.
Exterior detail on board 84.2-metre Obsidian , built in 2023.
Photo © Feadship
17 - 18 November 2025
RAI Amsterdam
A spark in the future of superyachts
This year’s theme “NXT” champions innovation and responsible growth. It serves as a powerful call to action for the industry to embrace adaptation in a rapidly changing world and foster future generations.
Learn from industry experts and actively contribute to visionary content sessions on digitisation, regenerative sustainability, humanitarian work, operational excellence, superyacht standards, crew welfare and training, and more.
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KNOCK ON WOOD
After more than a decade of research, timber trials from across the world and a joint venture into production, Lürssen hopes it’s found the next best thing to old-growth teak ...
Lürssen is renowned for building German giants, but on the opposite side of the Weser River in Bremen, just beyond the main yard, is a comparatively small, unassuming facility that has been working to a new standard. In 2008, the yard entered into a research partnership with the University of Göttingen, with the programme running for more than two years focused on identifying suitable timber species and exploring chemical and thermal modification techniques. More than 50 timber species were put through testing. Some failed immediately, others held up in the lab but broke down under actual maritime conditions. And a few absorbed resins inconsistently, a flaw that only revealed itself once the decks were installed. The failures were somewhat unpredictable, but after years of iteration, one species proved viable.
Enter Tesumo. Now in full-scale production, with its first deck in use on Dragonfly and a second yacht currently in build, the scientific process only bears part of the story so far. To gain a deeper understanding, I sit down with Lürssen’s head of development and innovation, Bernhard Urban, and design department manager, Frank Witt, to explore how Lürssen brought Tesumo to life and what it takes to convince owners, captains and entire teams to step off teak for a new product.
“The main driver back then was that teak sourcing was already starting to become a challenge after the first sanctions against Myanmar. So, we explored a lot of the materials already on the market, but we didn’t find anything that could match teak in performance. That’s when we started our own research,” explains Urban.
“In the end, the most promising approach was a combination of three separate processes: a thermal treatment, an impregnation step and a hardening process that fixes the resin within the
wood. After that research phase, we conducted numerous tests. We installed small sample areas on various yachts, mostly on sun decks, to test their performance. We eventually found two promising options, but then we discovered that one couldn’t be impregnated. Some specimens can be, others can’t, and you can’t tell from the outside. That made it feel like gambling. We had a test area that looked perfect, then the next one was really poor. There were a lot of hurdles like that.”
“In the end, it was the combination of the three processes that got us to Tesumo,” adds Witt. “Some of the outcomes were quite unexpected. The timber species we ended up with wasn’t even on our radar at first. Initially, we were looking at traditional boatbuilding timbers like Oregon pine. But as Bernhard said, one of the key steps is resin impregnation and you want the resin to go into the wood on a cellular level, not just into the surface pores. Mother Nature prevents that process in 95 per cent of timber species, so, we had to find the ones that would allow it. And even then, it takes time for a material to prove itself. You’ve got weathering tests, but they’re never perfect:, either too quick, too soft, or too aggressive. Because if and when you see cracks form, you need to know how bad they are and that simply takes time.”
It wasn’t until about eight years ago that the team felt comfortable from a research point of view that they were satisfied with their progress, having gained enough experience to move forward with full-scale testing and move into production. A joint venture with the University of Göttingen and Wolz Nautic (who feature in the first edition of Deck to the Future) followed, although it took time to fully establish. When the venture entered full-scale production, it finally had a name: Tesumo, taken from the Latin name for Limba, Terminalia
“The production process itself is fully in place now and it’s running smoothly. The next step is for Tesumo to lock in those supply routes and create a stable, ongoing process, making sure there’s enough timber available for consistent production.”
Tesumo is installed on the 300-squaremetre helipad deck of 142-metre Dragonfly (above).
superba, the West African hardwood that had proved perfectly suited to the three-step modification process. It was here that Tesumo became its own entity, with Lürssen securing the patent for maritime applications and non-marine uses remaining with the University of Göttingen.
The production process is based on the initial thermal conditioning in autoclaves under heat and pressure, a pressure-based resin impregnation, a chilling and curing cycle of up to ten days and thorough traceability via barcoded planks. It is also graded in three quality levels, the top grade reserved for the most visible yacht decks, and lower grades used in hidden areas.
“With the development project, you’ve got your lab-scale recipe and your stepby-step process. But going from that to an industrial scale, you need completely different machinery. That’s part of what’s taken the last two years – getting the impregnation facilities, curing ovens, and everything else operational here in Bremen,” explains Witt.
Even once the Tesumo process had been proven, production brought a different kind of complexity. Limba, the species selected, had fallen out of commercial rotation. Trade routes had faded and quality protocols no longer existed. Limba grows naturally in forests, mainly in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Another key hurdle was ensuring the
raw material came from sustainable sources that were managed correctly. With sustainability a core tenet of the Tesumo offering, providing the latter is imperative, even if it literally grows on trees.
“We were lucky,” says Witt. “We live in an industrialised country where you can buy almost any timber species in small quantities and that was enough to get started. The University of Göttingen did an incredible job checking whether those species would be available in larger volumes. So, we ruled out any rare or exotic timbers from the beginning. We never intended to go into a South American rainforest and start harvesting. Limba had actually been widely used in
It’s essential to understand that Tesumo isn’t a synthetic or magic material. It’s a natural timber surface that still needs to be maintained and treated as such.
interiors, so it was already known to the market. But scaling up, re-establishing trade routes, and obtaining the right certification with the forest certification system developed by Bureau Veritas in former french colonies, Origine et Légalité des Bois (OLB), is difficult but completely necessary.”
“That’s one of Tesumo’s main priorities – to set up those sourcing routes and provide the right timber,” adds Urban. “The production process itself is fully in place now and it’s running smoothly. The next step is for Tesumo to lock in those supply routes and create a stable, ongoing process, making sure there’s enough timber available for consistent production.”
Lürssen’s first Tesumo client was the owner of Alibaba, now known as Dragonfly. The 142- metre Dragonfly is now in its first season, and this is where the real challenge begins. With the owners’ team willing to dip their toe in, the Bremenbased builders installed a 300-squaremetre deck on the helipad, meaning the wood is completely exposed to the marine environment. It’s the test over a decade in the making, a feat of engineering battling against the elements, and it’s essential to understand that Tesumo isn’t a synthetic or magic material. It’s a natural timber surface that still needs to be maintained and treated as such.
“One of the most satisfying things is when people from the industry don’t realise they’re not standing on teak. It’s
real, grown timber and even the colour is very close to teak. That’s one of Tesumo’s big advantages visually:; it’s very close. We’ve had sample pieces here in nontropical conditions and what you always see with timber surfaces is that they go grey with age. Tesumo is the same,” continues Witt. “In terms of mechanical properties, you need to make sure it’s kept clean and that it retains a certain moisture content. If it dries out too quickly, it can form small weather cracks on the surface. So, we’ll have to see how the crew manages that and whether they can keep it looking good aesthetically.”
“Our experience from all the test set-ups here in Bremen has been that if you’re going to have any failure, it usually happens in the first few months. Around 99 per cent of failures happen early on,” adds Urban. “So, we’re quite confident that since Dragonfly left the shipyard, any defects were discovered and repaired before the season started. We don’t expect too many problems now.”
When it comes to application, there are nuances worth noting. Tesumo isn’t a direct one-to-one with teak in every respect. Its structure makes it slightly less elastic, which means it can’t be bent around tight radii in quite the same way. However, what it lacks in flexibility, it makes up for in bond strength, as it isn’t loaded with the same oily content as teak, making the glueing process more efficient. And it’s a detail that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the instal teams, who
Plantation teak tends to be softer, knottier and inconsistent, with wider annual rings and a fraction of the density. Against that, Tesumo holds up very well. Visually, it’s almost indistinguishable; structurally, it’s more predictable.
enjoyed working with the timber, by all accounts. Witt and the team are currently compiling a technical paper that outlines the full suite of handling and performance characteristics for the broader market, with the intention of scaling it far beyond Lürssen’s own fleet.
The fact is, Tesumo isn’t pretending to outperform old-growth Burmese teak, but that’s not the point. The real benchmark is plantation teak, which tends to be softer, knottier and inconsistent, with wider annual rings and a fraction of the density. Against that, Tesumo holds up very well. Visually, it’s almost indistinguishable; structurally, it’s more predictable. Unlike teak, it doesn’t rely on 80-year-old trees that are no longer available in a viable supply. Plantation teak comes with its own complications. Trees have to be trained from the ground up, with plantation workers managing branch growth decades in advance to shape the right cuts. And even then, the grain is rarely fine enough for high-end deckwork. Tesumo avoids that cycle entirely. Perhaps the conversation isn’t about fixing teak, but about finding a realistic alternative that’s scalable, clean, and performs the way a yacht needs it to.
Sustainability is where Tesumo really makes sense. Owners may not be driven purely by footprint, but the conversation has changed. Sometimes it’s the family, sometimes the crew, sometimes the owner themselves. And it’s all part of a broader shift towards better energy efficiency and fewer emissions. Tesumo happens to be a material solution at precisely the right time. Not perfect, nor magic, but widely regarded and already gaining traction.
Lürssen is currently working on a project to build a 100 per cent Tesumo decking. For a shipyard at the pinnacle of the market, it’s a claxon that signals a sizeable shift in owner mentality and,
traditionally speaking at least, the rest of the market tends to follow from the top down. These are not clients limited by budget. When the ultra-wealthy want something, they get it. The shift toward Tesumo is less about technical com-parison and more about cultural momentum. The conversation around sustainability is no longer niche; it’s mainstream. Whether it’s coming from the owner or the next generation, it doesn’t really matter.
“I remember the first presentation I made on sustainable technology was about 11 years ago,” adds Urban. “It was a basic overview of what was available at the time and what we could offer the client. Since then, that presentation has been updated every year. Many of our customers are open to hearing what we can do and how we can improve performance in terms of sustainable materials, energy consumption, and other key areas. And reaction from shows like Monaco and METSRADE has been overwhelming.”
“It’s a bit of a trend, like a zeitgeist shift,” laughs Witt. “At the end of the day, the products we build are luxury items; there’s no denying that. But of course, you can approach the owner and ask, ‘What’s best for the planet?’. Tesumo isn’t just for Lürssen. Our partners have their own projects. There’s a yard in the Netherlands, projects in the UK too, so there will be a lot of different voices and opinions shaping how it’s judged.
“I can’t think of another shipyard that would’ve spent so much time and resources developing its own materials to replace teak, including its own modified timber, to bring to the market. I think that’s something the likes of Lürssen have the power and privilege to do. I’m really proud to have been part of that process, and I hope, knock on wood, the future will be positive.”
OCEANCO – GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN
From laminated plantation wood to cork and solar-integrated surfaces, the Dutch yard is redefining the boundaries of what decking can be not just in yachting but across the maritime industry at large.
Around five years ago, Oceanco began researching teak alternatives extensively. Even before legislation started to shift, there was a sense that irreversible change was on the horizon. Sourcing teak was already becoming increasingly complex and the adage ‘If you can get it, you can use it’ was starting to unravel fast. As one of the largest builders by average LOA, the Dutch shipyard’s scope is vast, with its integrated teams covering more than just decking but also everything from interiors, exterior furniture, ceilings and all other related elements. So naturally, teak has been central to the company’s offering for an eternity. And change, real, meaningful change, takes time, especially considering the calibre of owners operating in this segment of the market.
To gain insight into what they are seeing from their eagle-eyed view of the highest end of industry, I sit down with Alan Coleman, Head of Interior Design and Outfitting, and Wim Verhoeff, Head of Sales. The pair explains that they were aware of issues looming in the background surrounding teak, even though it was still technically legal to source at the time. “The biggest issue we face is that we’re now trying to replace a beautiful, natural material that in many ways is still the perfect non-slip deck surface. Every alternative feels like a compromise. And so, for real progress, we’re talking about a seismic shift in thinking across the industry,” explains Coleman.
There’s been a slow movement away from teak, simply because people have relied on it for so long. Now the likes of Coleman are being forced to look at alternatives. However, each of these comes with its own caveats: how they’re used, maintained, installed and even how they perform over time. Decking is,
of course, the most visible place teak is used, so it’s where most people associate the material.
But it goes beyond that. Teak has been used in cladding, interior elements and even structural features. Across shipbuilding as a whole, it’s still seen as synonymous with luxury. “For a lot of people, a yacht should look like a yacht and teak is seen as central to that identity,” adds Verhoeff. “So the resistance isn’t just practical, it’s perceptual. But the shift is underway, affecting both maintenance and operational considerations as well as aesthetics. It just hasn’t fully landed and there’s still a long way to go to roll it out to the next level.”
At first, when Verhoeff and Coleman proposed alternatives to teak, people weren’t receptive at all. In fact, they had to fight to strengthen their position. At Oceanco, they no longer support specific sourcing routes because they reject operating in grey areas. However, once clients were presented with credible scientific data and real alternatives, the idea began to gain traction. “Most of the lab research we’ve done was initially aimed at finding a natural alternative to teak,” explains Verhoeff. “But teak has almost magical material properties in terms of its natural acidity, oil content
and internal structure. It all plays a part and it’s uniquely well-suited to marine environments. So getting a natural alternative with those properties, well, that’s quite tricky.”
You are still seeing both ends of the spectrum. Some clients prefer the traditional approach of using teak first and if that’s not possible, then the closest visual match. “But others want to go radical, embrace change and explore completely new design directions for decking. We’re seeing clients go all the way in the other direction, saying, “If I can’t have teak, then I don’t even want it to look like teak.” Colours, patterns and entirely different materials are being used by a growing number of owners and it is causing the old aesthetic codes to loosen.
That freedom has allowed Oceanco to test an unusually broad range of alternatives, with the team trialling everything from maple, bamboo and cork to heat-treated woods, chemically modified timbers and other composites. However, teak’s unique material properties remain difficult to replicate. The reality is that the closest alternative to teak decking is still teak itself, but plantation-grown teak has been one of the most scrutinised options. The faster growth cycles, typically around 30 years compared to centuries-old Burmese trees, produce smaller trunks, which makes it harder to source the stable, high-quality stock required for decking.
“The issue with teak decking is that it requires quarter-sawn timber, the part of the log where the annual growth rings are at a 90-degree angle to the plank face,” says Coleman. “That cut is preferred because it moves the least when exposed to wet and dry conditions and since it’s being used outdoors, stability is critical. But quarter-sawing is also inefficient.
The biggest hurdle remains the industry’s risk aversion, especially at this level. On 100-metre-plus projects, the stakes are as high as the price tag and if something goes wrong with the deck, it’s a major expense to fix.
It produces a lot of waste and irregular offcuts that aren’t suitable for decking. With plantation teak, the smaller trees make it even harder to extract enough clean quarter-sawn stock. So, if you try to use it as-is, you often end up compromising on the look, inconsistent grain, unusual features, visual variation that could lead to issues down the line.”
This is where lamination becomes a solution. Coleman explains that by taking teak planks, typically in thin 1mm strips and laminating them under pressure, you bypass the limitations of the raw cut teak and instead of relying on large sections of pure quarter-sawn wood, you engineer the plank from multiple thin stable layers. The result is a material that performs like traditional teak while delivering far better yield from smaller plantation logs. Sourced from FSC-certified forests in Thailand, these laminated planks can now be produced in lengths up to four metres, which is a significant breakthrough considering that available lengths were dropping year on year. And so far, laminated plantation teak has performed well in testing, both visually and structurally.
“Beyond teak itself, Oceanco has broadened its testing programme to include other natural and engineered materials. The team has also trialled marine maple, which has shown surprisingly strong results and is now planning more extensive real-world evaluations. Bamboo, however, presented challenges with expansion and contraction, and Accoya, a heat-treated maple and acid-treated pine, failed to match the performance of traditional teak under Oceanco’s simulations. Synthetic and composite options, on the other hand, introduce a different trade-off. Because they’re chemically engineered, their material properties can be tightly controlled, allowing for high durability and consistency. But they come with higher carbon footprints during production and resistance remains strong at the client level, partly due to lingering perceptions of ‘fake teak’ and partly because if something goes wrong on a 100-metre yacht, the cost to rectify it is enormous.
This is why cork sits somewhere between synthetics and laminated teak. Its appeal lies in its sustainability credentials; it’s carbon-negative, fully recyclable and harvested without felling
trees, but its perception lags behind its performance. “It has a bad perception in yachting circles because it’s associated with small boats. But it’s actually a lovely material underfoot – very tactile. No, it doesn’t have the same performance properties as teak, but it’s absolutely worth exploring,” says Coleman.
“The challenge is that using cork means stepping into a different decking system entirely. For years, the industry has defaulted to teak. We’ve built systems, maintenance routines and design expectations around it. Switching from that is difficult, but with regulation forcing people’s hands, we could see a shift in conversation there too. Of course, cork can lose its colour over time, but there are UV coatings to help preserve it. It can be sanded and it’s already being used by some progressive architects for cladding on buildings, including one we know of in Oxfordshire. And if it can survive an English winter on a façade, it deserves a serious look on board.”
For all the R&D breakthroughs, the real challenge has always been mindset over materials. The biggest hurdle remains the industry’s risk aversion, especially at this level. On 100-metre-plus projects, the stakes are as high as the price tag and if something goes wrong with the deck, it’s a major expense to fix. Much of that reluctance doesn’t always come directly from the owner but from their team whose job is to safeguard against risk. The caution is understandable, but it slows adoption. Oceanco has conducted extensive due diligence on multiple materials, running tests, validating sourcing and making clear recommendations. Still, as Coleman points out, lab conditions can only go so far. Until these alternatives spend five years in the Caribbean or the Med, nobody will truly know how they perform in the real world.
“At the end of the day, as an industry, we need to do a better job of training crew and managing owner expectations. Every material comes with a maintenance profile. The goal is to preserve it, not wear it out. Sanding a teak deck every month doesn’t make sense either. It’s a living material and we need to treat it that way,” says Verhoeff. “Of course, every shipyard strives to be a pioneer in innovation. So, when it comes to sustainable R&D, we’re more than happy to share what we learn. That includes our suppliers too. We actively encourage them: read
The teak deck on 105.26-metre H3 , built by Oceanco and delivered in 2000.
© Guillaume Plisson
Beyond teak itself, Oceanco has broadened its testing programme to include other natural and engineered materials. The team has also trialled marine maple, which has shown surprisingly strong results and is now planning more extensive real-world evaluations.
the reports, learn from the results. If we want to exist long term as an industry, we need to move together. We have the resources to research and develop and when we do, we should be generous with that knowledge.”
And sometimes you need owners who are genuinely willing to innovate and push the boundaries for this to happen. Verhoeff recalls Black Pearl, where Oceanco developed energy regeneration systems for the sails – technology now being adapted across other industries. That’s the kind of ripple effect the industry needs to see with decking too. If viable solutions can be proven and then shared, everyone benefits. Right now, laminated teak is looking strong. Conversations at the coalface with installers confirm they’re pleased with how it handles and performs in practice. “We’re just completing our first project using it and it’s due to launch this WWWyear,” says Coleman. “It’s the first time we’ve applied this material at full scale and so far, the results have been excellent. The installation process has gone smoothly and visually, it looks better than most of the teak decks we’ve delivered in the last decade. That said, time will tell. The real test is how it performs.”
Where real change begins, there’s always pushback. Oceanco has approached this with education from the start. Simply telling an owner building their dream yacht that ‘teak is bad’ seldom works. You have to bring them into the process, explain why alternatives are being used, show them results and unpack the science. That takes time and these lessons will need years to truly take hold. We are witnessing ongoing seismic shifts in research, however. New products are emerging, including a British company developing a solar panel with a teak-look foil on top. “It does impact the efficiency slightly, but only marginally. And when you consider the sheer surface area on large yachts, particularly in less-trafficked zones, it could become a major energy
contributor,” says Coleman. “Think of the flat surfaces on a yacht exposed to Caribbean or Mediterranean sun. Those square metres could become part of the energy system. That’s a real opportunity and we’re watching it closely.”
“We need to see this moment for what it is. It’s not just a challenge, but an opportunity,” adds Verhoeff. “New companies are entering the space and new functions for decking are being explored. Honestly, I hope that 50 years from now, we look back at teak and ask ourselves, ‘What were we thinking, always putting wood out there?’ Now, we understand that ‘sustainable superyacht’ is a contradiction in terms. A yacht, by definition, isn’t sustainable. But what we can do is act as a catalyst for sustainable innovation. That’s where our focus is. Everything we do is guided by eco-conscious thinking and wherever possible, we push to develop something better, something that moves the conversation forward.”
At yards like Oceanco, responsibility weighs heavily, largely due to the visibility and calibre of what they build. Their projects are high-profile and when a material choice is made, it has ripple effects across the market. If they use marine cork, laminated teak or another boundary-pushing alternative, it gives others the confidence to follow. It normalises the choice. And maybe that’s the next big step, not full replacement, but a combination.
“We’re already starting to think that way,” Coleman concludes. “Perhaps in the owner’s area, you still use the most premium, traditional product, because that’s where aesthetics and feel matter most. However, elsewhere in service areas, technical zones, sundecks and helipads, you might use materials like cork or a composite. The key is making sure it’s cohesive. If the materials are harmonised, if the colour and finish work together, clients may not even notice the difference. That blended approach might be how we make meaningful progress at scale.”
What we’re seeing across Feadship, Lürssen and Oceanco isn’t a flash-in-thepan trend, it’s the result of tens of thousands of hours of research, millions of euros spent, all amid ethics and expectations shifting as rapidly as the environment around us. We are witnessing a fundamental change in the market in real time, coinciding with a realignment in mindset among owners at the very top. These are the builders who shape industry norms, technical, visual and cultural influence. And when that top tier begins investing in alternatives, educating owners, challenging suppliers, and installing next-gen decking at real scale, it sends a message downstream.
Forget about greenwashing. What’s being developed is as much a response to supply and performance as it is to sustainability, perhaps more so. A resource that was once synonymous with the definition of a yacht has become too problematic to consider a genuine future with. And from the laminated plantation teak engineered for stability or Tesumo’s proprietary thermal-resin modification to Feadship’s multi-material benchmarking and lifecycle impact modelling, this is deep technical R&D, not just aesthetic or sustainable substitution.
What’s more, these projects are not confined to design studios or renderings. They’re being installed on 100-metre-plus builds and tested on helipads, sundecks and technical areas. They are already underfoot, in salt, sun and spray. Tangible evidence of how the market is evolving. Of course, as with anything that happens in yachting, it is slow and marked with trepidation, but the old teak mindset is beginning to loosen.
And when these builders, with the clients who can afford anything, begin shifting toward materials that are more traceable, more scalable and more sustainable, the trickle-down effect becomes inevitable. The question isn’t whether we’ll see these technologies enter serial production yards and sub-500gt builds at scale. The question is when – and who’s ready. CF
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Guest Column
by Raphael Sauleau
MYBA – a clarification
Raphael Sauleau, MYBA President, responds on behalf of the MYBA Board to a recent article on SuperyachtNews about the newly launched MYBA Charter Agreement.
The MYBA charter agreement has been in widespread use for approaching 40 years. Other forms of yacht charter contracts are freely available, and the MYBA charter agreement is much imitated, but it remains popular because it was specifically developed for the superyacht charter market by experienced industry brokers and has been revised periodically to ensure that it remains current.
The most recent revision is a case in point. It is the product of years of work by the MYBA charter committee, comprising experienced Central Agency and retail professionals from brokerages large and small, and assisted by not one but two sets of experienced superyacht law firms. As such every effort has been taken to ensure that the current form strikes the correct balance and takes account of modern trends.
One such trend is the impact of governmental and federal legislation concerning anti-money laundering, sanctions, data protection and transparency. A deliberate choice was made by the authors of the new form to assist users by including a minimum level of expected regulatory adherence. To suggest that this is inappropriate is absurd. Everyone involved in the conclusion of charters must( or should)
confront such issues on a daily basis and the inclusion of the new clauses provides a welcome framework for this.
As to specific amendments to the more traditional clauses in the MYBA agreement, these have been the subject of vigorous healthy debate and they represent a balanced view as to how the charter may operate more fairly. These amendments respond to very many comments made by charter users both on and outside the Charter Committee.
It is suggested by Dr Christoph Shliessmann, that MYBA is a “monopoly”, a “gated community”, a “de facto contractual diktat”. As a general point, it is to be regretted that such a soi-disant “experienced maritime lawyer” chooses to vent his feelings in such a histrionic fashion.
None of these accusations is true. MYBA and YACHTFOLIO membership is freely available to those who meet its published criteria. Other charter forms are available and are widely used. Nor is the form itself proscriptive. Parties can introduce their own special conditions and almost invariably do so.
Dr Schliessmann also rails against the effects of EU Consumer law and its effect on charters, and touts an addendum
whereby he says owners may mitigate the risks of the impact of this legislation. We should make it quite clear that his addendum, which he sets out in full, is NOT part of the MYBA charter agreement and is NOT endorsed by us. Nor presumably can MYBA be blamed for EU legislation!
As to the few other points made, he complains about the basis on which brokers hold charter funds and the force majeure clause, but these provisions have been subject to only minimal change. The inclusion of an Entire Agreement clause is indeed to cut down on unnecessary legal disputes based on pre-contract negotiations; this was thought to be a helpful inclusion for all concerned, whether charterers, owners or brokers.
There has been a widespread acceptance of the 2025 MYBA Charter agreement of which we are proud. We welcome a healthy debate about its terms as the form is under constant scrutiny not just by industry professionals but also by the end users, namely charterers and yacht Owners alike. But we deplore cheap shots being taken at it and us where the observations are wrong, harmful and of questionable motivation. RS
Transfer of ownership – the future of Oceanco
Martin H. Redmayne gives a brief history of the shipyard and looks at what the future may hold under its new owner.
Emerging out of South Africa in 1987, with a group of local investors building hulls and super structure to be transported to Holland for completion, in the heydays of interesting mechanisms and financial structures across global jurisdictions, Oceanco has had a fascinating history and has enjoyed various patriarchs at the helm.
This unique evolution was followed in 2002 by the Angelopoulos Greek Era, with the creation of the Alfa Nero series, perhaps one of the most successful models of the time: a progressive, dynamic, innovative and iconic yacht range and still easily recognisable globally.
Then in 2010, we saw the arrival of the charming Omani oil industry investor Dr Mohammed Al Barwani and family, who transformed the business with investments in infrastructure and upgraded facilities to meet the future expectations of the market. More iterations of the Alfa Nero series continued wih a combined with a shift into the 100-metre-plus sector, following the tech billionaire and oligarch market trends and positioning themselves in the ultra-luxury sector.
Fifteen years later, fast forward to present day and we see the news that another investor has stepped on board, this time from the USA and, similarly to Angelopoulos and Al Barwani, a passionate owner of superyachts and lover of the oceans.
It’s fair to say that our industry has three types
of shipyard ownership: publicly listed, legacy family owned and then there have been many examples of yacht owners taking over and investing in the shipyards building their superyacht, either through passion or default. In the case of Gabe Newell, one assumes this is all about passion and perhaps his appreciation of the product through ownership of the old Equanimity and other floating assets and now through his current new build, Y722.
To put Gabe Newell in perspective, yes, he’s a tech billionaire, linked to the video gaming industry, but it’s fair at this stage to quote the Oceanco website:
“Gabe sees the world as full of cross-overs. What happens when you let yacht builders talk to world builders? When craftsmen get access to tech usually reserved for game developers and mad scientists? You get innovation that doesn’t just look good. It feels good. Gabe is not here for gadgets. He is here for growth, the human kind. He wants Oceanco to push harder on what it already does best: putting people first. The means more collaboration, more autonomy and a mind-set geared towards long-term evolution not just short-term wins. This isn’t about buying a yacht company. It’s about plugging into a tribe of builders, dreamers, sailors, creatives and engineers and seeing what kind of future they can shape, when no one’s holding them back. This isn’t a transaction. It’s ignition. Gabe doesn’t want to fix it, he wants to fuel it.”
New Oceanco owner Gabe Newell
Oceanco yachts built 1993-2025
It’s fair to say that the ownership of Oceanco has been transferred into good hands, a passionate superyacht owner who spends most of his time living on board his fleet (estimated to be 300-plus days a year), with a vast and deep passion for Planet Ocean.
One of the interesting dimensions of Gabe Newell’s ocean of influence is no doubt the incredible network of West Coast friends he has in the ultra-wealthy sector, but more than that, he is the owner of the marine research organisation Inkfish with his floating research platform acquired from Victor Vescovo, the 68.3-metre Pressure Drop. However, he now has a new stateof-the art-100-metre project, the R/V 6000 being built at Vard, with a contract value of 200 million euros as an addition to the Inkfish fleet, which also includes R/V Hydra, the old M/V Alucia from the Ray Dalio fleet and a 40-year-old research ship, the R/V Dagon.
It’s fair to say that the ownership of Oceanco has been transferred into good hands, a passionate superyacht owner who spends most of his time living on board his fleet (estimated to be 300-plus days a year), with a vast and deep passion for Planet Ocean. What this does to the future fleet in the Oceanco yard will be fascinating to watch; after all, building 100-metre superyachts is not a game for the faint hearted.
We look forward to meeting Gabe Newell virtually at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show where he will share his vision for the future and more details about his latest delivery M/Y Leviathan, see overleaf.
Leviathan: the 111-metre superyacht that puts people first
When Leviathan finally emerged from Oceanco’s halls, it was less a yacht and more a statement: that the future of yachting will be shaped not just by size, speed or spectacle but by purpose. At 111 metres (364 feet), this diesel-electric leviathan is among the most impressive launches of the year, but it’s the philosophy behind it that has the industry buzzing.
Rather than designing it around tradition, Oceanco and the visionary owner began with a simple, radical premise: what if a yacht could be built around the people who live and work aboard it?
“Leviathan represents a new philosophy of yachting – one that places greater purpose at the heart of design, ownership and operations,” says Deniz de Koningh, Project Director at Oceanco. “The owner’s vision sets a forward-thinking example of how yachts can be built and used with intent.”
Crew at the core
From day one, Leviathan’s crew were invited into the process – not as operators but as co-creators. Their input shaped everything from circulation paths to materials to operational systems. The result is a yacht that not only dazzles but works beautifully for the people who keep it running.
Instead of simply making life easier by automating and outsourcing, the design team focused on redirecting effort toward meaningful work. Durable, low-maintenance materials – honed stone, natural wool carpets – were chosen to free crew from the tyranny of endless polishing and allow them to focus on what matters: delivering exceptional guest experiences, supporting on-board science projects and running complex operations with precision.
Traditional high-maintenance elements – endless teak, painted superstructure, polished wooden cappings – have been replaced with smart, beautiful alternatives: composite capping rails and decks, fullheight glass bulkheads that blur the line between exterior and interior, and finishes that look as good in five years as they do on launch day.
“She is a working ecosystem, designed to support everything from world-class hospitality to scientific research.”
A yacht built by thousands Leviathan’s creation was a true act of collaboration. Naval architecture by Lateral Naval Architects and Oceanco, and interiors by Mark Berryman Design and the owner’s technical team YTMC – alongside management by Y.CO – worked in lockstep to ensure every decision reflected the yacht’s human-centric mission.
In a gesture that encapsulates the spirit of the project, a glass panel engraved with the names of more than 2,000 individuals who contributed to Leviathan’s construction now graces the main staircase – a permanent tribute to the shipyard workers, designers, engineers and crew who brought the yacht to life.
“She is not just a high-performance vessel,” says Charlie Birkett, CEO and co-founder of Y.CO. “She is a working ecosystem, designed to support everything from world-class hospitality to scientific research. That is what happens when you put people and purpose at the centre.”
Silence, strength and synergy
Visually, Leviathan is as commanding as the name suggests: the sharp exterior lines give the yacht a poised, almost predatory profile, while its dieselelectric powertrain ensures it glides through the water with near silence. “A sanctuary of comfort where silence meets strength”, is how Dan Morgan, Managing Director of YTMC, describes Leviathan – a synergy of form and function that hints at the future of superyacht design.
With sea trials set to begin in the coming weeks, Leviathan is poised to become more than a yacht: it’s a manifesto, a case study in how yachting might evolve when crew, guests and mission are given equal weight.
For an industry often accused of excess, Leviathan suggests a new path – one where innovation is measured not just in gross tonnage, but in humanity. MHR
THE FICTION OF DETACHMENT
We must accept that we are citizens of the world first and an industry collective second. Our future depends on insisting that wealth flows into people, infrastructure and the ocean itself ...
The news cycle is rarely kind, it feels designed to grind us down. Tariffs throttling businesses, interest rates creeping ever higher, political violence, the spread of misinformation. Climate emergency. Murder. War. Famine. Genocide. For the most part, we somewhat swerve the darkest corners of this morbid carousel in our sunny little echo chamber. We concern ourselves with delivery dates, tonnage thresholds, order book backlogs, with constant spats on what constitutes genuine innovation or is rendered obsolete. It’s not frivolous work, far from it, but it perpetuates this illusion of detachment, as if we merely watch the world through the thick glass of a porthole, or barefoot from the aft deck, or even hunched behind a desk.
The yachting bubble analogy is so trite and overused, I’m surprised it didn’t burst sooner. But the cliché exists for a reason. The industry does, at times, at least, feel a world apart from what we see around us. What we have seen this year, however, is that we are not insulated from tragedy in any meaningful sense. That is why it is worth pausing, even amid a busy production schedule or a bustling boat show, to remind ourselves that we are still citizens of the world first and an industry collective second. Our fortunes rise and fall with markets and pandemics, with political decisions and supply chains, with climate change and war. We are neither apart from nor above the world we inhabit. To pretend otherwise is a dangerous fiction.
So why, knowing this, do we find it so cripplingly difficult to make a change to the world around us? We have
the alphabet soup of associations, the endless pledges, the glossy sustainability spin. And yet how much of it ever hardens into reality?
This gap between words and reality extends into our market and wider ecosystem. Our patrons, the successful, ultra-wealthy individuals who fuel our fragile superyacht ecosystem, rightfully expect their money to be put to good use. Their spending sustains thousands of livelihoods and fuels innovation. But it is on us to ensure their wealth is directed into the communities, infrastructure and wider ocean environment that supports it. We must insist on it by embedding investment into contracts, demanding transparency and refusing to let pledges dissolve into a PR abyss.
On a recent visit to a prestigious shipyard, I was told despairingly that, despite every carpenter being capable of finding a better wage elsewhere, labour is the biggest expenditure – but it should be. This tepid notion that ‘belief in the product’ is the overriding factor isn’t watertight and the balance will tip sooner or later. Belief alone doesn’t pay the bills, nor will it keep the next generation of quality crew and skilled artisans looking elsewhere for security and purpose. We are constantly told that the growth of ultra-high-net-worth wealth is a positive thing for our industry, but when the idea that these beneficiaries should bear more costs for our people or the environment comes up, it suddenly becomes taboo. Everyone is frankly too busy and stretched to take this on alone. That is why we need owners and leadership, members of our community, to
BY CONOR FEASEY
shoulder more of the responsibility. Movement is perhaps most visible in the environmental space. Forget a hybrid yacht here or a token initiative there. Policy pressure, supply and demand and the optics of being seen to act are forcing some change. It is in the pages of this issue with research vessels like REV Ocean, philanthropic endeavours to give back to maritime communities and moves toward more ethical building practices. But these remain exceptions to the norm and that is the point. This is a choice. And they choosing to realise they are part of this world too. The challenge is to stop treating them as novelties to point at from afar and start treating them as benchmarks the wider industry must meet.
None of this is to pretend that the industry or our patrons now have to somehow be paragons of virtue. Yachting will never be the poster child for restraint or modesty. It definitely shouldn’t pretend to be either. But there is something significant about an industry so often tarred as indulgent beginning, however slowly, to reckon with responsibility. There is something hopeful in that. And hope, I would argue, is not naïve. It is a discipline not to ignore the horrors of the wider world, but to choose to do something better within our corner of it. That requires work, persistence and, most crucially, collaboration from all. The heart of this industry is not the person with the biggest wallet or the one shouting loudest about vision or growth, but the willingness of the many to show up, pitch in and make the difficult choices. CF
NEXT GENERATION TOPCOAT
