Owning a yacht today is as much about stewardship, vision and responsibility as it is about enjoyment. Owners are not only commissioning ever more ambitious projects but also helping to shape the future of brokerage, charter, sustainability and crew wellbeing across the sector.

The Superyacht Report 226: Owner Focus examines what ownership really means in 2025. From landmark shipyard stories and the economics of charter to the rise of new standards in safety and sustainability, this issue explores the evolving landscape at the very forefront of the market.

Almost eight years on from its inception, we chart the extraordinary journey of REV Ocean, speaking with George Gill and Eva Ramirez. It’s a story of visionary persistence and reinvention, to build something that demonstrates how ambition and resilience can reshape the very boundaries of yachting and ocean science.

Captain Rod Hatch, Director of the PYA, presents an earnest and hard-hitting piece that addresses some inconvenient truths. He outlines the steps the association has taken to improve conditions for crew and stresses the importance of engaging professional bodies if the industry is to achieve tangible, meaningful change.
 

Our chairman, Martin H. Redmayne, reflects on 150-plus years of Lürssen, culminating in COSMOS, the builder’s 150th anniversary statement project and what such milestones mean for owners and the industry alike.

We also dive into the brokerage league table, spotlighting who is driving deals this year and the real value a skilled broker brings to ownership. 

Daniel Küpfer, founder and managing director of the yacht and aviation management and consulting firm Yanova, analyses how the industry landscape has evolved into a far more complex but professional environment for today’s mariners and how owners must adapt in step. 

Meanwhile, Neil Hornsby of Yomira charter brokers sets out the golden rules of charter, explaining how owners can optimise income while safeguarding their asset. And Raphael Sauleau, MYBA president, provides clarity on the association’s new Charter Agreement.

Beyond business, we follow intrepid explorer and investor Victor Vescovo on his neo-Homeric odyssey into the deep, exploring how a pioneering spirit continues to inspire new frontiers of exploration.

In When Charm Outshines Competence, an anonymous contributor raises concerns about how the vital role of manager and consultant is too often overlooked in comparison to the higher profile of the more visible broker.

Winch Design CEO and Chairwoman of Water Revolution Foundation Aino Grapin calls for owners and shipyards to embrace sustainability more deliberately, proving that visionaries at the top can drive positive change across the sector.

As ownership evolves, we’ll explore the future of Oceanco under new leadership and the innovations emerging in alternative decking materials in the second part of our Deck to the Future! series.

From Kelda Lay’s introduction of WELL certification for superyachts to Lloyd’s Register’s call for a human-centred safety culture, the wellbeing of both owners and crew remains central throughout this issue.

All this and more is now available in The Superyacht Report 226: Owner Focus, which can be read online now.

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