Sealogical at The Superyacht Forum

Every year, Amsterdam plays host to some of the biggest names in the Superyacht industry, with the Global Superyacht Forum. This year Sealogical attended what promised to be an even bigger event, branded as ‘The Superyacht Forum’.  Organisers Superyacht News took the decision to merge their events portfolio; combining SuperyachtDESIGN Week, the Superyacht Management Meetings, The Superyacht Owner’s Summit, Make Your Mark and the Global Superyacht Forum.  It was a good move, decluttering the calendar and guaranteeing a good range of industry insiders, all in one place. 

We caught up with Peel Taggart, who was there on our behalf… With the Forum lasting four days, it’s fair to say there was a lot to cram in.  The programme was very full, with lots of additional events and activities, thanks to the METSTrade Show, which was running at the same time.

First on the agenda, was the 10 Year Blueprint, reviewing the industry over the past 25 years and looking forward to how we can improve the market and the industry over the next decade. The focus was on creating a sustainable, commercial industry for superyacht owners, operators, crew and of course, designers, builders and brokers.  The session set out the collective plans for superyachts of the future, with cleaner, greener energy being high on the list of priorities.  Wim Koersvelt made good points about efficiency and predicted that in ten years’ time, we will have superyachts that are cleaner, quiet, remotely maintained and with fewer crew, allowing more room for owners to enjoy their yachts.

Meanwhile, Adrian McCourt had some very interesting things to say about collectivisation in the superyacht industry, which made a lot of sense. Also, ‘collectivisation’ is definitely a rarely used word in the world of superyachts!

Another highlight was the session led by Emily Penn. Emily is a seasoned adventurer and ocean environmentalist, who completed a round-the-world expedition on her biodiesel-fuelled yacht, Earthrace.  Speaking about the Clearwater campaign, Emily focussed on the damage caused to the oceans by single-use plastic. As she quite rightly said, “Why can’t the superyacht industry lead the way in ocean conservation…?”

We also attended the official launch of The Red Ensign Group’s new Yacht Code, which comes into force in January 2019.  (We have written about what the new code means for yacht owners and operators here. [link]) There was a great atmosphere at the launch party, which gave us chance to catch up with industry friends and colleagues such as Dick Welsh of the Isle of Man Yacht Registry and Captain Mikael Andersson of M/Y Be Mine.

The Superyacht Forum was an enjoyable – and very useful – few days, where we were able to put names to faces and catch up with some of the Captains and owners who use Sealogical on their yachts.  We’re already looking forward to next year!