Superyachts today are subject to all manner of regulations, compliance and safety standards and, for the most part, these hoops through which vessels must jump are a necessary part of superyachting development. After all, these changes have been essential to ensuring that the industry has a future at all. Yet, why is it that while the yachts themselves are being persistently scrutinised, certain elements of the industry have managed to continue devoid of evolution, checks and balances.

While those of us within the industry clamour for transparency, let’s first try to provide superyachts and their owners with some semblance of consistency. Owners expect a certain level of service and value for money in every aspect of yachting and at the end of the day that is why they are prepared to pay the premium prices.

Sadly, the promise of excellence is not always upheld. In an industry where word of mouth plays such an important role, are we doing enough to ensure that owners and potential owners are met with the gold standard not the bog standard?

In Issue 24 of The Superyacht Owner, Andrew Colin, the owner of the 39m Pendennis-built S/Y Tenaz, questions how well the industry is set up for new ownership, highlighting that without the necessary contacts it is easy to be led down the wrong path and end up being put off ownership entirely. Fortunately for Colin, he came across the Pendennis shipyard and was extremely pleased with the results.

Equally, in a conversation I had with Floating Life’s CEO Andrea Pezzini some time ago, he expressed dissatisfaction that yacht management was unregulated and explained that he hoped for, and was actively pursuing, the creation of a yacht management certification in order to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The seven-star service that the market often boasts should not be limited to the superyachts themselves, it should incorporate every element of the industry and be effectively marketed and communicated to its potential customers. Word of mouth can be as damning as it is practical, it’s time for us to start speaking up.

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