2019 brings the 11th Superyacht Design Symposium, due to take place in Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy from 27 – 29 January, with a line-up of speakers from across the industry delivering on the theme 'Defining Innovation.' Superyacht owners and representatives will join hundreds of leading superyacht designers, key industry figures and shipyard CEOs from across the globe to discuss and debate what innovation really means, how and who is delivering it, design concepts, latest trends and challenge traditional thinking. This key event in the Superyacht industry calendar offers plenty of networking opportunities, with guests mingling with contacts old and new in a collaborative, positive and informative environment, coming together to influence the future of super...

Superyachts are traditionally built for their elegance and style, designed to the owner's specification for their personal comfort and enjoyment, not for the high-octane ocean racetrack. But when an owner experiences the exhilaration of seeing their superyacht perform at speed, adrenaline kicks in.  They can get hooked on the thrill and excitement and many want to see what the superyacht racing calendar has to offer globally. The superyacht race circuit typically starts with cruising yachts up to 40ft doing the Annual Ark Race from Gran Canaria to St Lucia as a taster for the big races.  Then Antigua Superyacht for 115ft superyachts, St Barth's Bucket for invited yachts over 100ft and a small percentage racing Palma Superyacht.  But superyachts have to be ra...

Just as with any staff uniform, crew on board superyachts have to look the part, whatever their role, whatever the hour.  They're expected to deliver a consistently high-quality of service, so the quality and sustainability of their workwear is paramount. We caught up with Ed Taylor from Taylor Made Designs (TMD) based on the UK's south coast who explained that getting crew kit right is so much more than flicking through catalogues and printing logos on garments.  It's about uniform management.  A process which often starts right back at the beginning of the boat build, or subsequent refit.  Ed told me "we're often called in to work with interior consultants on superyacht builds and refits to ensure crew uniform is an extension of the s...

The PYA Christmas Ball is one of the most iconic social events in the Superyacht industry. Book tickets online here. Don't miss out - last year's event was fully subscribed! Are you new to yachting?  Not yet a PYA member? If you book a ticket to the PYA Ball and join PYA you can receive a 20% discount on your first year of membership (Code BALL18).   The Carlton is offering guests of the PYA special rates for accommodation the night of the Christmas Ball. To benefit from this, please download and complete this form and return it directly to the Carlton. To see details of previous Christmas Balls, you can check out our past social events. For sponsorship opportunities, contact us in Antibes.

Gemma Zannoni has kindly helped us put together some tips to help you build beautiful floral displays on board superyachts: Behind the Scenes When ordering, select the correct types of flowers to order based on seasons and guest preferences. You will need to calculate how many flowers in total you will need for a guest trip and assess when you will need to top up your order bearing in mind your location. Agree to use a crew area (if there is no Florist studio or Florist Fridge) to store flowers in and ensure the cabin temperature is cool enough. Ensure you have plenty of buckets of water ready when the flowers arrive on board. STERILIZE your buckets. This also applies for vases. When it comes to flowers, cleanliness matters. "A clean vase filled with fresh water is the best...

How does anyone create consistently unique, fresh and beautiful flower arrangements from the confined space of below deck, with limited resources, in extreme weather conditions, extreme temperatures, within a really tight timeframe? We tracked down one of the UK's Superyacht Florists to find out.  Gemma Zannoni, freelance florist, has become a bit of an expert when it comes to creating beautiful floral arrangements on board superyachts.   Have you always been a florist? No, but I've always been creative. I studied fashion textiles at University.  I have built-in creative flair, I think it's because I'm half Italian, half British! But I didn't get into floristry until about 4 years ago.   What qualifications did you need? I di...

Working on superyachts can be anything from hard work to exhilarating, great fun to utterly exhausting and frustrating!  With exacting standards and well-established protocol to follow, you'll learn loads of new skills and get pushed to the limit! But there's no two ways about it, sometimes living and working in a confined space with a bunch of strangers, of differing ages, experience, backgrounds, culture and attitude can sometimes be testing. With mental health at the forefront of our minds, Captains and Owners are shipping in the experts to mentor and trouble-shoot, sorting out any crew problems, dispelling the old-school myths and empowering stewards and First Officers to bring on their crew, giving them the skills whether it's; silver service, table pla...

This month we caught up with Superyacht Charities. Founded by a team of influential figures in the Superyacht Industry and born out of a desire to generate funds for a whole host of charitable causes, regardless of global location.   Bringing with them a wealth of expertise, knowledge and contacts, from executive board member of International Superyacht Society, to yacht builders and key figures in superyacht crew training and development, this 'dream team' are doing plenty to make a difference. Co-founder, Vanessa Hodgson explained "most of the funding we raise comes from kind donations, in support of our many events, we've done all sorts, from a sponsored 24 hours in a life raft, a bike ride and of course our Pre-Med Ball, which has become so po...

This year's Superyacht Forum is just around the corner, a 3-day event held in Amsterdam, from 12th– 14th November.  Bringing together the great and the good from the world's superyacht industry. Over 3 days, approximately 800 of the most influential and innovative superyacht delegates from across the globe, will attend a series of topics and workshops following the theme 'The Perfect Customer Journey'.  They'll be encouraged to discuss and debate during think tanks, social interactions and keynote speeches, the current customer experience and how the industry can improve and sustain better ways of engaging and connecting with tomorrow's Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) customers. Looking at new business models, innovators and investo...

We all know that too much plastic ends up in our oceans, it's damaging wildlife and if we continue will adversely affect our entire ecosystem.  Something has to be done. Behaviour change is obviously key, removing single-use plastic from our everyday lives and ensuring we all dispose of plastics responsibly, every time.  Meanwhile, extensive clean up operations are being conducted, coordinated by action groups along beaches, rivers, in forests and now in the Pacific Ocean. The team over at The Ocean Cleanup are making great strides in doing something positive to make a difference. Their mission?  To develop advanced technology to rid the world of the ocean's plastic, ultimately reducing the concentration of plastics in the oceans by 90% in 2040. Having unde...