Industry » Features
Features & Interviews
Is the long-awaited explosion in yacht sales in China about to take place? There are good reasons to believe that it is, but did we underestimate cultural differences, attitudes towards conspicuous wealth and the viable pace of tr...
Read More
What a difference a decade makes. Last month, two corporate giants unveiled their latest products: the long-anticipated Apple Watch (coming next year) and the innovative Amazon Fire smartphone linked to its ‘Prime’ content-streami...
Read More
In 1991, the newly-founded bluewater was only the third crew agency in existence, and a Yachtmaster was the only piece of paper you needed. John Wyborn tells OnboardOnline how the industry has changed.
Read More
Over the past decade or two, vinyl has been emerging as a viable alternative to a paint finishes. One of the companies leading the way, Wild Group International, is keen to change the landscape by educating captains, designers and...
Read More
A female crew member was allegedly repeatedly attacked by a senior male crew member over a period of months. Bullying exists on yachts as it does in life, but this case is instructive, in that it paints a worst-case scenario of wh...
Read More
With new developments opening in Barcelona, Cyprus, Malta, Turkey, Montenegro and Croatia, yacht owners can now look beyond the Cote d'Azur for the winter months. We explore some exciting new ports around the Med to see why they h...
Read More
In his 18 years at the MCA, Roger Towner has managed to bridge the gap between ensuring exacting levels of safety and professionalism while keeping mostly onside with the grass roots of the industry.
Read More
As MYBA celebrates its 30th anniversary, it can say without reservation that the last decade has been a doozy. But faced with technological revolution, rapid expansion of the market and massive haemorrhaging post financial crisis,...
Read More
All too often the functional spaces on board a yacht are designed by people who are proficient in design and have the best intentions but have never been crew.
Read More
A lot of effort goes into protecting yachts, but how much thought goes into protecting the crew, especially ashore? The risk of being attacked used to be highest in the Caribbean, but things are changing. So is enough being done t...
Read More
Following on from our first feature on nautical terminology, we venture further into the truths and myths of old sailing expressions. Join us for a look into the origins of grog, the fate of that poor doomed monkey and the legend...
Read More
They say it’s not what you know but who you know, and there are few individuals as well connected as Ulf Sydbeck, Founder of Riviera Yacht Support, when it comes to delivering over and above the expectations of clients.
Read More
Ever heard of the PYA? Never heard of the PYA? Heard of it as Protect Your Ass?
What do you do to protect your ass? Take another course, move up the ladder, earn more pay? Of course you protect your ass. But you are not doing it ... Read More
What do you do to protect your ass? Take another course, move up the ladder, earn more pay? Of course you protect your ass. But you are not doing it ... Read More
There would seem to be no connection whatsoever between the three items in the headline. However, under the MLC, are you confident that you would have no conceivable liability for what happens to a travelling seafarer under circum...
Read More
In May of 2014, The Superyacht Report published a report naming the 'best' and 'worst' yacht agents in the industry. The article prompted much debate over whether the survey methods were flawed and whether the article should have...
Read More
Imagine a world of financial insecurity, where some of the richest people have the least time for leisure. This is the reality facing the yachting industry, and it's prompting a rise in the number of companies promoting fractional...
Read More
In 2008, an unarmed private security team (including two ex-marines) aboard MV Biscaglia abandoned the ship, leaving the vessel fatally exposed to armed hijackers. The ship and crew were held by pirates for three months.
Read More
A chief stewardess stands near the transom, impatiently tapping her foot as the yacht enters the port and draws slowly towards a rusting commercial dock. She squints her eyes: are there people waiting on the dock? She hopes so, t...
Read More
The past year has seen a number of exciting developments at Fraser Yachts, including their expansion into Australia and the Far East and more recently, the appointment of Fabio Ermetto as chairman of the Group’s Yachtique division...
Read More
Jacqui Lockhart is a woman of many talents. In addition to running Select Charter Services, the Glasgow born businesswoman is Vice President of MYBA and also at the helm of the MYBA Charter Show in Genoa.
Read More
With the huge rise in celebrity chefs in recent years, Phil Colicchio, a New York based expert in the legal and business aspects of the hospitality industry is on a mission to connect the 'Super Chefs' with the superyacht communit...
Read More
In the Albania of Anna Nina's youth, there was no sailing culture to speak of and an oppressive Socialist dictatorship in power. Thirty years on, Anna Nina is putting Albanian sailing on the map.
Read More
There is no doubt that piracy is a real threat that requires a definitive and robust response. Few disagree that media reporting is vital in maintaining the debate over the security of vessels to ensure safe passage. But does the ...
Read More
There are many reasons why people choose to cruise the Med’s hotspots, but clarity of regulatory requirements is certainly not one of them. Not only are superyachts struggling to figure out the exact implications of the Maritime L...
Read More
What travels faster than a nuclear submarine, Usain Bolt on a good day, or a dolphin? What’s the same length as a jumbo jet, but is built with aluminium three times as thick?
Read More
On any given night in Antibes, you can find crew willing to debate the finer points of the yachting life over a few beers – from the merits of new courses to how to deal with crew disputes or non-payment. However, if you’re look...
Read More
The Voiles d'Antibes started as a conversation between race crew in 1995 and quickly became one of the most-loved regattas on the classic circuit. OnboardOnline caught up with Director Yann Joannon to learn about the event's orig...
Read More
It's a well known adage that you don't bite the hand that feeds. So why then did The Superyacht Report, one of the industry's most established and reputable titles, publish a report naming and shaming the best and worst yacht agen...
Read More
In last month’s feature, yacht provisoners shared their stories with OnboardOnline about wacky requests, such as provisioning live crickets to feed a yacht’s iguana and supplying haute couture. The stories don't stop there though...
Read More
While it’s widely recognized that HTC smartphones, Garmin GPS devices and a sweeping array of big-brand laptops are staples of the Made in Taiwan effort, it’s a lesser-known fact that luxury yachts (those measuring 80 - 120 ft.) a...
Read More