Refit is utterly integral to the industry. As the fleet ages and regulations tighten, refit has moved decisively beyond scheduled maintenance to become one of the most consequential decisions an owner will make to future-proof their vessel. With that shift comes greater expectation, greater exposure and far less tolerance for error.

With that, we’ve created this issue to ask the market the questions that really matter, resulting in The Superyacht Report 227: Refit Focus. looks at refit not as an isolated event but as a process defined by priorities, preparation and alignment, or the lack of them.

Read The Superyacht Report 227: Refit Focus here.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the paint shed. Constantly cited as the number one cause of client-induced headaches and arguments, paint is a market under immense pressure from all angles. Working alongside Wrede Consulting, Superyacht Intelligence presents a five-year forecast of the paint refit market as the first article of this edition, examining the volume of paint required, the number of skilled hours available and the associated costs.

But the numbers only show so much. To understand where they truly sit within the broader market context, we spoke directly to those operating at the coal face. Project managers, CEOs, consultants and refit veterans offer their perspectives on whether the sector is approaching a bottleneck and what that may mean for future refit capacity.

In response to Captain Rod Hatch’s article in The Superyacht Report 226, The Yacht Purser Sandra Jordaan asks what we do when representation fails and whether the PYA is truly the voice of yacht crew. It’s a deep analysis based on years of lived and heard experience and a perspective worth listening to in the broader debate on crew welfare and the systems meant to protect and listen to them. Our news editor, Conor Feasey, also addresses the topic in his column, urging everyone in the industry to use their voice and contribute to the conversation to drive real, tangible change.

World-leading stability authority Andy King of Holder also offers an expert guide to the Stability (Master Yachts) Course, demystifying one of the industry’s most demanding qualifications and explaining its relevance to professional development. 

Surveying remains one of the most critical and often misunderstood elements of the refit process. Drawing on experience managing major insurance claim repairs, Richard Franklin strips away assumptions and focuses instead on evidence, documentation and accountability. These themes were echoed at the Refit Advisory Group meeting during the 2025 Monaco Yacht Show.

Rory Marshall, owner and director of Newmar Overseas Ltd, explains why setting priorities early is the only path to quality itself, as when priorities are unclear or deferred, quality is usually the first casualty. The same logic applies across the wider fleet lifecycle, where refit is increasingly understood as an opportunity to invest beyond cosmetic personalisation, upgrading systems to reduce operating costs and meet regulatory requirements before they are imposed rather than enforced.

Bob Wagemakers, of Virtue Yacht Partners, examines why project management is a central discipline that translates ambition into achievable scope, while Lee Stevenson, co-founder of OCCAM, extends that thinking to risk itself. Refit cannot be risk-free, but it can be de-risked when captains, crews, shipyards and project teams are aligned, informed and working towards a shared outcome.

In the same breath, insurance, often relegated to the background until something goes wrong, demands the same level of scrutiny. Alex Emley, Director of Special Risks at Willis Marine, outlines why refit exposure requires specialist thinking. Choosing the right shipyard, as marine engineering consultant Terry Allen makes clear, is equally consequential and the difference between success and failure often lies in whether expectations are properly understood before steel is cut.

Our own Martin H Redmayne reflects on a recent visit to Malta, offering insight into the potential of this small yet strategically located island between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, as well as the Italian Yacht Masters event. The latter highlights the importance of collaboration among like-minded professionals. We have also included an in-depth report on The Superyacht Consultancy’s recent marketing survey results, examining how marketing leaders are navigating an evolving landscape.

This issue also explores how upgrading systems can reduce operating costs and allow owners to meet regulatory requirements before they are enforced. That thinking extends to the legacy fleet, where Simon Brealey of Lateral Naval Architects sets out how existing yachts can be modernised to align with contemporary environmental and technical standards, unlocking value without starting from scratch.

Some yachts, however, are more reborn than they are simply refitted. Emblematic of a market built for bringing the past into the future, the rebuild of Atlantide reflects the inescapable cyclicity of life within yachting itself. Following a legacy-defining revival at Royal Huisman’s Huisfit facility, its time on the water has seen it evacuate allies from Dunkirk, feature on the silver screen and become a Côte d’Azur icon.

From coatings and surveying to people, technological revolutions, revelations and legacy, this issue brings the real refit conversation into focus. So stay informed as the industry navigates its next phase with all this, and more, in the latest edition of The Superyacht Report.

Read The Superyacht Report 227: Refit Focus here.

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