Technical regulations are of crucial to the superyacht industry. The issue involves much more than class society requirements, which focus on construction and maintenance rules. The MCA statutory code also has a huge impact on construction and operation of superyachts. And the trend towards the internationalisation of regulations makes it even more vital that the voice of superyacht builders is heard.

SYBAss plays a prominent role in discussions on regulations, maintaining good relations with Flag states, MCA, ICOMIA and IMO. We are also active in the ISO subcommittee that sets standards for large yachts.

Our views on technical regulation can be summarised as follows:

• Issuing rules is not a goal on its own.
• Safety rules should target issues that actually apply to superyachts. Those designed for the wider marine world (such as cruise ships) cannot simply be replicated in yachts.
• The interpretation of rules should always support a level playing field, not give a competitive advantage to certain yards.

In cooperation with ARN Advisory, SYBAss recently finished an investigation of the status of the "Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships". This report also gives a few examples of how an information stream within the Superyacht industry could be developed. This report has been made available for download.