With ever-changing regulations impacting the way they build their yachts and the way their clients use them, and with the need to share information, megayacht builders need a professional body to help give them a united voice. That organization, the Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss), was officially launched in Monaco last month. While there are a variety of organizations representing the megayacht industry, this is the only one I’m aware of that specifically promotes the shipyards.
SYBAss has a few main goals. For one, it aims to advocate the yards’ abilities to yacht owners worldwide as well as within the marine business in general, through existing events such as the upcoming Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) as well as its own exhibitions. At FLIBS, for example, there will be a SYBAss welcome area, and VIP tenders will take guests invited by SYBAss members to the yachts that interest them.
Another main goal–one which could easily become a 24/7 task–is to lobby regulatory agencies when it comes to safety rules, emissions standards, and related items. I remember when the MCA Code was enacted, I attended a meeting at which yacht builders, captains, brokers, and others stepped to the microphone, one after the other, to explain to the agency officials present why certain rules in effect for the broader marine market just didn’t make sense to blanketly apply to megayachts. SYBAss already has relationships with MCA, various flag states, SOLAS, and other major regulatory bodies, so here’s hoping it can effect change that preserves the craft of yacht building without undue regulations and without setting the bar so high that quality yards cannot compete.
And finally, there’s professionalism. This encompasses obvious things, like compiling statistics that properly represent the megayacht industry. But there’s more. SYBAss is exploring establishing a university course for client representatives, in which people can learn the nuances of yacht construction and effectively communicate these to potential owners, as well as to be an effective liaison between the yards and owners.
So can any yacht yard join SYBAss? Not exactly. To qualify, a yard must have launched at least three yachts, motor or sail, of 40 meters (131 feet) or more within the past decade. So far the membership ranks are filled with notable names: Abeking & Rasmussen, Alloy Yachts, Amels, Benetti, CRN, Delta, Feadship, Heesen, ISA, Lurssen, Oceanco, Pendennis, Perini Navi, Royal Huisman, Trinity Yachts, and Vitters Shipyard. Burger Boat Company, Holland Jachtbouw, and Wally are awaiting approval.
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