Unavailable at present Latest Position Example Brokerage & Co Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 70 m Length Finest Craft Builder 2013 Build year 805 Gross tonnage Marshall Islands Registry Particulars Simulation

While the refitting of an older yacht may appeal to some owners, others may prefer to go a stage further and upcycle a naval or other working vessel. These often have an attractive aesthetic born of practical necessity - which can be transformed into uniquely beautiful yachts, inherently well suited to cruising in unusual locations. Home Handbook Upcycling / / Conversion Projects 8 August 2018 Last revised minutes 2 Reading time While the refitting of an older yacht may appeal to some owners, others may prefer to go a stage further and upcycle a naval or other working vessel. These often have an attractive aesthetic born of practical necessity - which can be transformed into uniquely beautiful yachts, inherently well suited to cruising in unusual locations. minutes 2 Reading time 8 August 2018 Last revised While the refitting of an older yacht may appeal to some owners, others may prefer to go a stage further and upcycle a naval or other working vessel. These often have an attractive aesthetic born of practical necessity - which can be transformed into uniquely beautiful yachts, inherently well suited to cruising in unusual locations. Some commercial and surplus military vessels can be purchased at a fraction of the price of large yachts, creating interesting opportunities. Buying directly from the seller or their appointed broker is preferable to using an intermediary, which can lead to increased costs and communication issues. Refit and repair yards, rather than builders, are more likely to undertake conversion projects, providing more choice and negotiation power for owners. Conversion projects involve combining new and old designs into a single vessel, requiring integration and compliance with evolving regulations. Interfaces between old and new elements can present challenges during and after the conversion process. Structural changes can affect the distribution of pressures and forces, potentially compromising previously sound parts of the vessel. There is a risk of unexpected costs and lost commercial opportunities during conversions, leading to compensation payments from the yard. Yacht conversions require a measured approach to ensure high-quality fit and finish. Legal and practical issues specific to conversion projects should be addressed before entering into an agreement with the yard. Converting ships to yachts is a niche business, and experienced project management is crucial to ensure high standards and attention to detail. Structural changes can affect the distribution of pressures and forces, potentially compromising previously sound parts of the vessel. There is a risk of unexpected costs and lost commercial opportunities during conversions, leading to compensation payments from the yard. Yacht conversions require a measured approach to ensure high-quality fit and finish. Legal and practical issues specific to conversion projects should be addressed before entering into an agreement with the yard. Converting ships to yachts is a niche business, and experienced project management is crucial to ensure high standards and attention to detail. Some commercial and surplus military vessels can be purchased at a fraction of the price of large yachts, creating interesting opportunities. Buying directly from the seller or their appointed broker is preferable to using an intermediary, which can lead to increased costs and communication issues. Refit and repair yards, rather than builders, are more likely to undertake conversion projects, providing more choice and negotiation power for owners. Conversion projects involve combining new and old designs into a single vessel, requiring integration and compliance with evolving regulations. Interfaces between old and new elements can present challenges during and after the conversion process. Commercial vessels exist to fulfil particular roles. When no longer needed they become liabilities which are generally disposed of without delay – often at a fraction of the price of a similar-sized yacht. High-performance military vessels can also become dated or surplus to requirements as geopolitical sands shift, with government bureaucrats having little interest in maximising sale prices. Opportunities to purchase tend to arise on an ad hoc basis. As when buying a yacht, you should ensure that you’re dealing with the seller directly or the seller’s appointed broker. Using an intermediary broker leads to extended lines of communication, more costs and a greater chance of the purchase falling through. YARD CHOICE While conversions may involve the rebuilding of entire parts of the original ship, such projects are always unique, and cannot readily be fitted into a build slot. For this reason, it is generalised refit and repair yards rather than builders which tend to undertake the work. And, as there are more of the former than the latter, owners have more choice and can drive a harder bargain. PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS All conversion projects have a number of common characteristics. To a greater or lesser degree, they will all combine new and old designs into a single vessel, which must then function effectively as an integrated whole. All this against a backdrop of constantly evolving regulations governing specifications, materials and equipment. And so there will exist various interfaces between old and new elements which do not exist in the context of newbuilds. Issues may arise not only during the conversion process but well after the vessel has re-entered service in its new role. Depending on the extent of any structural changes, hydrodynamic forces may no longer be distributed as originally intended, possibly compromising previously sound parts. Even where the yard has provided a post-redelivery guarantee of workmanship and materials, it may be an unforeseeable aspect of the combination of old and new elements that leads to a fault – rather than a deficiency in the workmanship and (new) materials. When trading ships are converted from one role to another, there is always the risk that the project will cost more than expected because the works have taken longer than expected and charters and other commercial opportunities have been lost. A yard will often have to pay a fixed, daily rate in compensation as part of their agreement with the owner. The works can be rushed and/or the vessel not properly surveyed prior to agreeing a timescale. As the quality of fit and finish is paramount, a more measured approach is needed for yacht conversions. The unique characteristics of the conversion project give rise to a number of practical and legal issues that need to be considered and addressed before entering into any agreement with the yard. And sometimes even before acquiring the would-be project in the first place. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Converting ships to yachts is, to say the least, a niche business. Using yards more used to converting ships for use in one trade to another can lead to significant cost savings, but the high standards of workmanship and the attention to detail demanded by yacht owners can come as a surprise to the yard’s management. Various specialist third party contractors might be needed – and this may not be how the yard typically operates. It is therefore vital that owners have an experienced and effective project manager in attendance on a full-time basis. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Conversion Agreements Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Conversion Agreements

We’re not suggesting an end to superyachts of course, just the label. Because, increasingly, the term is also being used pejoratively by some, and as a target by others. And that’s just not helpful to us owners. Is it time to rethink and rebrand? Home Handbook White Papers / / Down With 'Superyachts'? "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all." Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass (1871) While there is no legal definition of what a ‘superyacht’ is, this doesn’t stop some unilaterally deciding what it is: > 24 metres in length overall - Superyacht UK > 24 metres in length with full-time captain and crew – Burgess Yachts ≥ 24 metres in loadline length and commercially operated – Warsash Maritime School > 98 feet (29.87metres) in Length - The New Yorker > 30 metres in length – Superyacht Times > 30.48 metres in length overall – Offshore Racing Congress > 45.72 metres in length with a draught of ≥ 3 metres - Port Authority of New South Wales Generally, we know what we mean by the term: a pleasure vessel which, for regulatory reasons and on account of its sheer size, needs a permanent, full-time crew. This is the point at which, irrespective of size, the vessel isn’t just an asset but a place of employment and worker accommodation – all rolled into one. Large yachts, with a full-time crew, have been around since the dawn of the 20th century. But the term ‘superyacht’, and the now lesser-used label ‘megayacht’, have only been in widespread use since the mid-1980s. Looking back at the yachting journals of the 1980s, it’s clear that the terms ‘superyacht’ and ‘megayacht’ were simply applied to distinguish between larger vessels which were owner-operated and smaller ones which were not. It was used by brokers and journalists as hyperbole – long before digital media and online videos allowed size, style and pedigree to speak for themselves. This was an age – let’s not forget – when many owners not only sailed some of the larger yachts themselves but often built or at least fitted them out themselves, too. Fast forward to 2000, and there were still only a fraction of the number of large yachts is use compared to today. It was an industry still largely unknown to those not involved. Most brokers and many captains knew each other. Except for some opportunist paparazzi, most journalists paid little regard. A USEFUL DESCRIPTION To be fair, ‘superyacht’ is a useful term – within the industry itself. When an owner can afford crew, he or she can afford to pay for, say, paint of a higher quality but needing a more exacting application standards. A superyacht insurance policy will take account of the owner’s role as an employer and the vessel’s function as a workplace. But such details can be contained deep within a product’s specification.The term has a kudos all of its own. They are, after all, impressive and effortlessly cool. It makes sense to appropriate the term to distinguish oneself as a services supplier. It adds marketplace swagger – although there has been a tendency, for example, for shipping lawyers with little understanding of the market or business models to label themselves as superyacht lawyers. AN UNWELCOME LABEL? Time and again, however, since the early 2010s, environmentalists – and politicians looking to combine green virtue signalling with the politics of envy – have used the term superyacht in a pejorative sense. Rarely, if ever, do they simply refer to yachts: “ Specifically, we draw attention to assessing aspects of ecological footprints of super yachts [sic], super homes, luxury vehicles, and private jets. Taken together, the construction and use of these items in the United States alone is likely to create a CO2 footprint that exceeds those from entire nations .” Lynch, Long, Stretesky & Barrett: Measuring the Ecological Impact of the Wealthy: Excessive Consumption, Ecological Disorganization, Green Crime, and Justice (2019) “ Among the many possessions of billionaires, large “superyachts” are by far the largest producers of greenhouse gases. ” Barros & Wilk: The outsized carbon footprints of the super-rich (2021) “ Superyacht sale surge prompt fresh calls for curbs on their emissions ” The Guardian , 4 October 2022 “ Superyachts aim to go green – but at what cost? ” Financial Times , 1 September 2022 “ THE SUPERYACHT INDUSTRY IS A SINKING SHIP ” - Extinction Rebellion protestors’ banner unfurled during The Superyacht Forum, 16 November 2022 NOT WANTED & NOT NEEDED Informal discussions with Club Members reveal that many just do not like the term superyacht. It has nowadays, for some, the wrong connotations. It’s become a target as well as a description. A lot of owners neither want nor need the perceived kudos which attaches to the term. In short, they have nothing to prove. Their vessels just happen to be larger than most, more or less in proportion to their net worth. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Perhaps the industry needs to bite the bullet and do away with the term superyacht. Remember when The Superyacht Report was just called The Yacht Report? Maybe it's time to change back. Yes, rebranding is expensive, but such changes may prove far less expensive than not evolving. Brand refreshment is a regular necessity. When the next one’s due, let’s drop the ‘super’ and just call a yacht a yacht. It’s not about trying to make large yachts somehow less conspicuous. It is about removing the popular and mistaken distinction between yachts and superyachts, and instead viewing one being merely a subset of the other. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who provided perspectives for this white paper. We’re not suggesting an end to superyachts of course, just the label. Because, increasingly, the term is also being used pejoratively by some, and as a target by others. And that’s just not helpful to us owners. Is it time to rethink and rebrand? 18 November 2022 Last revised minutes 4 Reading time minutes 4 Reading time 18 November 2022 Last revised We’re not suggesting an end to superyachts of course, just the label. Because, increasingly, the term is also being used pejoratively by some, and as a target by others. And that’s just not helpful to us owners. Is it time to rethink and rebrand? The term 'superyacht' has many definitions, but none in law. The term gained widespread use in the mid-1980s to distinguish larger, crewed vessels from smaller ones. The word has become associated with luxury and prestige. In recent years, however, environmentalists and politicians have used the term in a negative way, linking it to excessive consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Informal discussions among our Members reveals that many of us feel we neither want nor need the perceived kudos associated with the term. Some suggest doing away with the term 'superyacht' altogether and simply calling them yachts. Rebranding may be costly, but it could be a worthwhile change for the industry to make. You can also read about Cut to the Chase Questions or comments? Please contact us Join the discussion over in the Club's group You can also read about Cut to the Chase Questions or comments? Please contact us

Unavailable at present Latest Position Wright A Way & Co Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 36 m Length Builder & Co Builder 1997 Build year 360 Gross tonnage France Registry Particulars Marker

Unavailable at present Latest Position New Horizons Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 54 m Length Builder & Co Builder 2002 Build year 499 Gross tonnage Cayman Islands Registry Particulars Precursor

Unavailable at present Latest Position Rapid Brokers Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 54 m Length DMS & Co Builder 2008 Build year 497 Gross tonnage British Virgin Islands Registry Particulars Benchmark

Compliance with the more obscure flag state regulations and local laws can sometimes seem like unnecessary hassle and expense. Yet if you, as a yacht owner, are to remain protected in the event of an accident, investing in detailed compliance may be money well spent. You also need to keep lines of communication with your insurance broker open. Home Handbook Insuring / / Staying Covered 10 May 2023 Last revised minutes 6 Reading time Compliance with the more obscure flag state regulations and local laws can sometimes seem like unnecessary hassle and expense. Yet if you, as owner, are to remain protected in the event of an accident, investing in detailed compliance may be money well spent. You also need to keep lines of communication with your insurance broker open. minutes 6 Reading time 10 May 2023 Last revised Compliance with the more obscure flag state regulations and local laws can sometimes seem like unnecessary hassle and expense. Yet if you, as owner, are to remain protected in the event of an accident, investing in detailed compliance may be money well spent. You also need to keep lines of communication with your insurance broker open. Warranties are requirements that must be fulfilled by the policyholder to manage risk in insurance situations. Breach of warranty no longer automatically avoids all liability for underwriters since 2016. Underwriters remain liable for losses occurring after a breach of warranty if it can be remedied. If a loss occurs while the insured is in breach of warranty and the breach increases the risk, underwriters can deny liability. Breach of warranty regarding past facts may permanently suspend the underwriter's liability. Identifying warranties in a policy is crucial as they can be expressed or implied by law. Popular policy forms include warranties related to the purpose of use, navigation limits, vessel control, etc. The warranty of legality is an important implied warranty that covers lawful adventures and lawful usage of the yacht. Seaworthiness may not be explicitly required in policies, but it can impact coverage and claims. Sensible precautions, such as using approved charter agreements and verifying crew qualifications, are recommended to ensure coverage and compliance with laws and regulations. Identifying warranties in a policy is crucial as they can be expressed or implied by law. Popular policy forms include warranties related to the purpose of use, navigation limits, vessel control, etc. The warranty of legality is an important implied warranty that covers lawful adventures and lawful usage of the yacht. Seaworthiness may not be explicitly required in policies, but it can impact coverage and claims. Sensible precautions, such as using approved charter agreements and verifying crew qualifications, are recommended to ensure coverage and compliance with laws and regulations. Warranties are requirements that must be fulfilled by the policyholder to manage risk in insurance situations. Breach of warranty no longer automatically avoids all liability for underwriters since 2016. Underwriters remain liable for losses occurring after a breach of warranty if it can be remedied. If a loss occurs while the insured is in breach of warranty and the breach increases the risk, underwriters can deny liability. Breach of warranty regarding past facts may permanently suspend the underwriter's liability. Warranties serve to manage risk in various situations. They are requirements that need to be fulfilled by the policyholder. Warranties can be promissory, where the policyholder commits to a specific action or condition, or they can affirm or deny the existence of certain facts. Simply labelling a term as a warranty is insufficient, and the courts will consider the parties' intentions as well. They can be set out in the policy, or are implied by law – for example that the yacht will be used for lawful purposes, and operated in a lawful manner. BREACHES OF WARRANTY Since 2016, the old ‘basis of the contract’ clauses have been abolished. This means that underwriters cannot automatically avoid all liability if an express warranty is breached. The underwriter is liable for losses that occurred before a breach of warranty – as was always the case. But now, if the breach can be remedied, the underwriter remains liable for losses that happen after the breach has been fixed. If a loss occurs while the insured is in breach of a warranty, and if (crucially) the breach actually increased the risk of the actual loss, underwriters can still deny liability. Once (if) the insured rectifies the breach before the loss happens, the insured will again be back on-cover. After a breach of a warranty, the insured is still responsible for paying the premium. However, underwriters may be cautious when demanding payment to avoid waiving their right to rely on the breach. If the breach cannot be rectified, such as a breach of warranty regarding past facts (e.g., previous insurance claims or losses), the liability of the underwriter remains permanently suspended, and the insured will not have had any cover. RECOGNISING WARRANTIES So, with such serious consequences flowing from a breach of warranty, it is vital to be able to identify what warranties apply to a policy. The trouble is that warranties can be expressed in the contract, but not actually described as a warranty. More worryingly, they can be implied automatically by law, without even having to be agreed upon. Thankfully, express warranties must at least be included in the policy, or must at least be contained in some document referred to in the policy. So in the event of a claim it wouldn’t be good enough for an underwriter to simply dust-off some previously unknown ‘standard’ terms and refuse to pay. They are normally added as a deliberate and obvious fundamental stipulation of the contract. While implied warranties cannot be found in policies, they are easy to ascertain from the UK’s Marine Insurance Act 1906, and we’ll consider the more important ones below. While it may seem narrow-minded just to look at English law, it’s worth considering that most of the world’s risks are insured on the London market, and most countries model their own insurance laws on this Act – sometimes word for word. Whereas express warranties tend to be specific, implied warranties can be overarching and vague; so there can be overlaps between them. But an express warranty will not exclude an implied warranty on a related matter, unless directly inconsistent with it. EXPRESS WARRANTIES The two most widely used policy forms, the Institute Yacht Clauses and the American Yacht Form, contain warranties that the yacht is only to be used for ‘private pleasure purposes’ and is not to be chartered unless the underwriters specifically agree. The Institute Yacht Clauses also frame agreed navigation limits and the vessel’s maximum speed as warranties. Other popular forms often demand that when the yacht is underway a competent person must be on board and in control of the vessel. In a 2006 English case, concerning a claim following a serious fire on board the motor yacht Newfoundland Explorer while she was laid up afloat in Fort Lauderdale, the court held that the phrase ‘warranted vessel fully crewed at all times’ meant that the owner had to keep at least one crew member on board the yacht 24 hours a day, subject to (i) emergencies rendering crew departure necessary, or (ii) necessary temporary departures for the purposes of performing crewing duties or related activities such as adjusting mooring lines. It wasn’t good enough to employ a captain who lived ashore 30 minutes away. History was repeated in 2008 with a fire on board another vessel, Resolute, whose crew lived nearby – and the court in that case came to the same conclusion. WARRANTY OF LEGALITY Arguably the most important warranty is not expressed, but implied. Under the UK’s Marine Insurance Act 1906 (and in the laws of many other nations) there is an implied warranty that: The ‘adventure’ (i.e. a charter or a period of use by the owner and/or crew) will be lawful; and The yacht will be used in a lawful manner – as far as the insured can control the matter. With regard to legality of the adventure, at one end of the spectrum a yacht will clearly not be covered where the owner uses it for smuggling. Problems arise where the owner has no knowledge of doing anything illegal. Illegality may stem from local law as well as the yacht’s flag state law: a yacht chartering in without a local charter licence may not be covered. One would also want to ensure that the complex US security regulations are complied with when entering their waters. As for the second part – using the yacht in a lawful manner – this is only an issue as far the owner can control it. Compliance with safety-related regulations, such as the International Safety Management (ISM) Code or the Red Ensign Group Yacht Code Large Yacht will be a prerequisite to the underwriter paying related claims. So important is the warranty of legality that breaches of it cannot be waived by a kind underwriter, neither can the parties agree to overlook it. The warranty of legality has been used to avoid payment even where the crew failed to keep a proper watch – as this was in itself a breach of international collision regulations. In one landmark case, a yard was also denied cover where fire destroyed yachts in the yard, but where the yard itself did not conform to municipal byelaws. SEAWORTHINESS As surprising as it may seem, where a policy is for a period of time (as nearly all are) rather than for a specific passage, there is no implicit requirement in law for your yacht to be maintained in a seaworthy state. While some policies overcome this by expressly obliging the owner to maintain the yacht in a seaworthy condition, some standard forms don’t. Where there’s no stated obligation to do so, the underwriter will not be liable for any losses arising from unseaworthiness if the yacht actually puts to sea in that state with the knowledge of the insured. Where, as is normally the case, the legal owner (and therefore the named insured) is an offshore company, perhaps held in trust, identifying the individual(s) with such knowledge is difficult. The managers are an obvious starting point. Whilst it is for the underwriters to prove such knowledge, not for the insured to disprove, a review of the documents and correspondence held by the ISM Code ‘designated person’ could prove fatal to the chances of a pay-out. Being in a seaworthy condition means just that: falling short, but nevertheless making every effort, will not do. Even if a policy does not insist on seaworthiness, this is likely to be examined by the underwriter in any event after a claim, as any material non-disclosure would still provide a separate route for invalidating the claim. Many flag states, in particular within the Red Ensign group, have technical Codes of Practice that apply specifically to large yachts and those which are chartered. These provide objective measures of unseaworthiness, but, whilst helpful, should not be considered as providing a complete description of what constitutes a seaworthy yacht. SENSIBLE PRECAUTIONS If you’re chartering your yacht out, underwriters may insist on the use of a charter agreement that has been specifically approved by them, or is in a standard industry format, such as that published by MYBA . Likewise, if you’re going to race your sailing yacht, you may net to provide advance notification. However you use your yacht, be sure to get written confirmation of the ongoing information needed by underwriters – and provide this clearly, verifiable and in good time. It's also vital to check that your yacht is operating in accordance with flag and port state laws, and that you have the paperwork to provide this. Check, also, that your crew have the qualifications they claim they have: there are various third parties which provide this standalone service. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Making a Claim Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Making a Claim

Yachts bring employees together in close proximity, for long periods, working under pressure, like no other. Employers have always owed crewmembers various duties of care, but recent British legal developments oblige owners to be proactive in preventing sexual harassment. Prevention is better than cure. While these changes only apply to a minority of yachts and crewmembers, it's a step in the right direction and provides a useful industry benchmark. Home Handbook Employing / / Harassment Prevention 30 April 2024 Last revised minutes 8 Reading time Yachts bring employees together in close proximity, for long periods, working under pressure, like no other. Employers have always owed crewmembers various duties of care, but recent British legal developments oblige owners to be proactive in preventing sexual harassment. Prevention is better than cure. While these changes only apply to a minority of yachts and crewmembers, it's a step in the right direction and provides a useful industry benchmark. minutes 8 Reading time 30 April 2024 Last revised Yachts bring employees together in close proximity, for long periods, working under pressure, like no other. Employers have always owed crewmembers various duties of care, but recent British legal developments oblige owners to be proactive in preventing sexual harassment. Prevention is better than cure. While these changes only apply to a minority of yachts and crewmembers, it's a step in the right direction and provides a useful industry benchmark. Yachts create unique working conditions, bringing employees together closely for extended periods under high-pressure situations, making prevention of sexual harassment crucial. The #MeToo movement exposed systemic issues regarding sexual harassment in the workplace, prompting legal reforms to address these failings. Recent legal developments now oblige certain owners to proactively prevent this type of behaviour, emphasizing prevention over remedy. The UK’s Equality Act 2010 defines sexual harassment and places the burden on employers to demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to prevent it. UK employment law applies to crew based on their employment arrangements and connections to Great Britain, with distinctions between peripatetic and expatriate crew. The Act applies to crew working in or adjacent to Great Britain, regardless of their role or the yacht's size, private or commercial. As from October 2024, all employers must take "reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, with significant penalties for non-compliance. The law provides no clear guidance on what constitutes reasonable steps, leaving employers to adopt a risk-based approach. The Equality & Human Rights Commission offers a seven-step guidance for employers, emphasizing policy development, engagement, risk assessment, reporting, training, complaint handling, and addressing third-party harassment. Creating an inclusive and respectful working environment not only fulfils legal obligations but also enhances crew satisfaction, guest experiences, and mitigates retention issues. The Act applies to crew working in or adjacent to Great Britain, regardless of their role or the yacht's size, private or commercial. As from October 2024, all employers must take "reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment, with significant penalties for non-compliance. The law provides no clear guidance on what constitutes reasonable steps, leaving employers to adopt a risk-based approach. The Equality & Human Rights Commission offers a seven-step guidance for employers, emphasizing policy development, engagement, risk assessment, reporting, training, complaint handling, and addressing third-party harassment. Creating an inclusive and respectful working environment not only fulfils legal obligations but also enhances crew satisfaction, guest experiences, and mitigates retention issues. Yachts create unique working conditions, bringing employees together closely for extended periods under high-pressure situations, making prevention of sexual harassment crucial. The #MeToo movement exposed systemic issues regarding sexual harassment in the workplace, prompting legal reforms to address these failings. Recent legal developments now oblige certain owners to proactively prevent this type of behaviour, emphasizing prevention over remedy. The UK’s Equality Act 2010 defines sexual harassment and places the burden on employers to demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to prevent it. UK employment law applies to crew based on their employment arrangements and connections to Great Britain, with distinctions between peripatetic and expatriate crew. It’s hard to believe that the #MeToo movement began way back in October 2017. And it’s by October 2024 that employers will have to abide by a set of new rules aimed at preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The hashtag exposed not only the staggering scale of the problem but how the law was failing employees at every stage. It’s shameful that it’ll have taken seven years. But here we are. THE PRESENT POSITION The Maritime Labour Convention (applicable only to chartered yachts) already mandates that signatory states should take account of the latest version of the Guidance on eliminating shipboard harassment and bullying jointly published by the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation. That guidance does contain an example policy on general harassment, but it is so vague as to be almost meaningless. The Equality Act 2010 defines sexual harassment as any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, which has the purpose or effect of violating dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Those on the receiving end can bring an employment tribunal claim against their employer (and/or a court claim against their harasser). It’ll then be for the employer to demonstrate that they took “all reasonable steps” to prevent the harassment. In practice, it’s an uphill task to prove that such steps were taken. THE NEW DUTY The Equality Act 2010 has been amended, so that, from 26 October 2024 onwards, all employers must take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment. “Sexual harassment” means being subjecting someone to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature - and what constitutes that is for the tribunal to decide on the facts. Of course, sexual harassment is already outlawed, but employers are now under a positive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent it. An allegation of no such steps having been made, employers and are on the backfoot and must prove that they did indeed take such steps. And the new law is non-specific about from whom the crewmember must be protected. So as well as seeking to avoid harassment from fellow crew, reasonable steps must be taken to prevent crewmembers falling victim to unwanted sexual conduct by, say, charter guests. As well as awarding compensation, an employment tribunal may also apply a further uplift of up to 25% where it’s decided that the employer failed to take reasonable steps. This uplift applies to all the compensation awarded for any harassment (whether sexual or not). If the crewmember succeeds in a claim on multiple instances of various types of harassment, the uplift could have a significant effect. APPLICATION TO CREW Broadly, British employment law applies to crewmembers (including captains) ordinarily working in Great Britain. Visiting crews aren’t usually covered. For those working elsewhere, their employment arrangements are key. The law distinguishes between “peripatetic” crew, working on rotation, whose base is in Great Britain and from where they begin their “tours of duty” (who are covered by British employment law) and “expatriate” crew, who live and work abroad. The latter are unlikely to be covered, unless there’s a “sufficient connection” with Great Britain – just holding a UK passport isn’t enough. Employees who do not fit into the above categories, but who have "equally strong" connections with Great Britain and British employment law, might also be covered. There was found to be a sufficient connection, even where a crewmember was employed by a company based outside the UK, on a vessel which never entered UK waters, merely where her salary was paid into a UK bank account, she accounted to HMRC for tax, and the employment agreement was subject to English law and jurisdiction. More specifically (according to The Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 ) the relevant parts of the Equality Act 2010 apply to any crewmember working (wholly or partly) within Great Britain or adjacent waters, where: The yacht is UK-registered and has a homeport in Great Britain, or The yacht is EEA member state-registered, and the crewmember is a citizen of Great Britain or of an EEA or designated state, and the legal relationship of the crewmember's employment is located within Great Britain, or the crewmember retains a sufficiently close link with Great Britain. The relevant parts also apply to any crewmember working outside Great Britain and adjacent waters, where: Where the crewmember is working on a yacht which is UK-registered and has a homeport in Great Britain, and The crewmember is a citizen of Great Britain or of an EEA or designated state, and the legal relationship of the crewmember's employment is located within Great Britain, or the crewmember retains a sufficiently close link with Great Britain. Where the Act applies, the crewmember’s role, and the size or use of the yacht (private or commercial) are irrelevant. And it doesn’t matter whether the contract is temporary or permanent – or even just on an informal, casual basis so long as the crewmember works on a personal basis. So dayworkers would be encompassed, but the employees of subcontractors would not. WHAT MUST BE DONE? The new law provides no steer whatsoever on what reasonable steps must be taken. Taking a risk-based approach, the tribunal would have before it a wealthy employer, employing typically young crewmembers, in a confined space, often working long hours and sometimes attending to guests whose inhibitions may have been relaxed by alcohol. So the tribunal’s expectations may be very high. Onboard cultures take time to change, and new policies take time to bed-in, so the time to start taking meaningful, tailored action is now. Helpfully, the Equality & Human Rights Commission has produced some guidance. It’s not definitive, but an employment tribunal could use it as a starting point when considering what steps should have been taken. The seven-step guidance can be summarised, and adapted for owners and managers, as follows. Remember that record-keeping is essential. Step 1: Develop an Effective Policy The policy should state that: All crewmembers are in need of protection, and are subject to and protected by the policy, Sexual harassment is unlawful and will not be tolerated, Harassment or victimisation is likely to lead to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal, and Aggravating factors, such as abuse of power over a more junior colleague, will be taken into account in deciding what disciplinary action will be taken. The policy should also: Define sexual harassment and provide clear examples of it - relevant to the environment of a professionally-crewed yacht, Include an effective procedure for receiving and responding to complaints of harassment, and Provide a commitment to review the policy at regular intervals and to monitor its effectiveness. The policy should go on to address third-party harassment, explaining clearly: That third-party harassment can result in legal liability on the part of the perpetrator and employer, That it will not be tolerated, That crewmembers are encouraged to report it, What steps will be taken to prevent it, and What steps will be taken to remedy a complaint and prevent it from happening again. Step 2: Engage Your Crew Conduct regular crew interviews, anonymous surveys and exit interviews. Captain, manager and the owner’s representative should have known open-door policies. Make sure that all crewmembers are verifiably aware of: How they can report sexual harassment Your sexual harassment policy, and The consequences of breaching the policy. Step 3: Assess & Reduce Risks While many of these will be obvious, you should consider and record factors that might increase the likelihood of sexual harassment and the steps that can be taken to minimise them, such as: Where are the power imbalances? Is there job insecurity for a particular group or role? Are crewmembers working alone? Are guests drinking significant amounts of alcohol? Which crewmembers have guest-facing duties? Is there a lack of diversity in your workforce? Step 4: Reporting Implement a reporting system (an online or independent telephone-based service) that allows crewmembers to raise an issue (anonymously or not). Explain clearly to all crewmembers: What is considered acceptable behaviour, How to recognise sexual harassment, and What to do if they experience or witness it. Step 5: Training Crewmembers should be trained on: What sexual harassment in the workplace looks like, What to do if they experience it, How to handle any complaints of harassment, and How to address third-party harassment from guests, suppliers, etc. Step 6: Actioning a Complaint Act immediately to resolve the complaint, taking into account how the crewmember wants it to be resolved. Respect the confidentiality of all parties. Protect the complainant from ongoing harassment or being victimised or harassed further during an investigation. If a crewmember makes a complaint of harassment that may be a criminal offence, you should speak to the individual about whether they want to report the matter. Only use confidentiality agreements where it is lawful, necessary and appropriate to do so. Always communicate the outcome of the complaint to the complainant in a timely manner. Step 7: Dealing with Third Parties Harassment by a third party, such as a guest or supplier’s employee, should be treated just as seriously as that by a colleague. Employers should take steps to prevent this type of harassment, including putting reporting mechanisms in place or assessing high-risk workplaces where staff might be left alone with guests. THE UPSIDES Owners must not see this change in the law as making life more difficult for them and their captains and managers. (Lack of) crew retention is a thorny, ongoing and expensive issue. Social media groups allow crew (anonymously) to name and shame poorly-managed yachts where unacceptable behaviour goes unchecked. In turn, such yachts will struggle to hire good quality crew to replace those who’ve had enough. Sexual harassment can ferment a toxic onboard atmosphere. By contrast, an inclusive and respectful working environment leads to happier crew and better owner and guest experiences. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Oh Referee! Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Oh Referee!

The Owners Club's General Secretary is an English superyacht lawyer. He is a Partner at a leading international law firm, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority and the London Stock Exchange. Naturally used to maintaining client confidence, he has also provided expertise on the law and practice of yacht ownership to leading publications and broadcasters. Home About Secretariat / / At Your Service It’s a huge honour to be appointed. Having had many owners and managers as clients over the years, I am only too aware of the issues which need to be addressed. BENJAMIN MALTBY, GENERAL SECRETARY TRUSTED PROFESSIONAL CLUB SECRETARIAT We considered it important to have a regulated professional managing the Club and organising its affairs. We have therefore appointed an English lawyer as our General Secretary. He is a Partner at a leading international firm, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority and the London Stock Exchange. Naturally used to maintaining client confidence, he has also provided expertise on the law and practice of yacht ownership to leading publications and broadcasters, including: Truly Independent Leadership FAQs The General Secretary’s role is to operate the Club at a high level, undertake research, provide guidance and draft the documents and agreements essential to yacht acquisition and ownership. Neither the Club nor General Secretary have vested interests in particular third party suppliers. We’re not beholden to particular yachting industry advertisers . So our approach is objective. Our contracts are fair, balanced and conducive to efficient, fuss-free ownership.

Other standard forms are in use, but the poorly drafted and incomplete MYBA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) remains the standard agreement for the sale and purchase of yachts, used by brokers large and small, whether a member of that organisation or not. Before considering what needs to be added, let’s look at what’s there at the outset. Home Handbook Buying / / MYBA MOA Clause by Clause 9 December 2022 Last revised minutes 11 Reading time Other standard forms are in use, but the poorly drafted and incomplete MYBA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) remains the standard agreement for the sale and purchase of yachts, used by brokers large and small, whether a member of that organisation or not. Before considering what needs to be added, let’s look at what’s there at the outset. minutes 11 Reading time 9 December 2022 Last revised Other standard forms are in use, but the poorly drafted and incomplete MYBA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) remains the standard agreement for the sale and purchase of yachts, used by brokers large and small, whether a member of that organisation or not. Before considering what needs to be added, let’s look at what’s there at the outset. The article focuses on the MYBA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) November 2008 edition, which is the most commonly used contract in large yacht sales and purchases. The MOA should not be accepted at face value, and it is crucial to amend and supplement it before any transaction takes place. Clause 14 allows the seller to negotiate with other potential buyers as long as no commitments are made, even after signing the MOA. Clause 15 removes the statutory buyer protection provided by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended), and it is important to clarify the meaning of "warranty" in this context. The list of things that the vessel should be "free and clear of" in Clause 15 should be expanded to avoid ambiguity and potential disputes. Clause 16 highlights the importance of maintaining an inventory of the vessel's items, especially for larger vessels, and clarifies the consequences of rejecting the inventory. Clause 17 emphasizes the mandatory nature of making the vessel available for sea trials and surveys, and precautions should be taken to prevent conflicting charter arrangements. Clause 18 requires the seller to provide specific documents known as "Addendum One" that prove compliance with regulations and establish the vessel's value and validity of the sale. The list of things that the vessel should be "free and clear of" in Clause 15 should be expanded to avoid ambiguity and potential disputes. Clause 16 highlights the importance of maintaining an inventory of the vessel's items, especially for larger vessels, and clarifies the consequences of rejecting the inventory. Clause 17 emphasizes the mandatory nature of making the vessel available for sea trials and surveys, and precautions should be taken to prevent conflicting charter arrangements. Clause 18 requires the seller to provide specific documents known as "Addendum One" that prove compliance with regulations and establish the vessel's value and validity of the sale. The article focuses on the MYBA Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) November 2008 edition, which is the most commonly used contract in large yacht sales and purchases. The MOA should not be accepted at face value, and it is crucial to amend and supplement it before any transaction takes place. Clause 14 allows the seller to negotiate with other potential buyers as long as no commitments are made, even after signing the MOA. Clause 15 removes the statutory buyer protection provided by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended), and it is important to clarify the meaning of "warranty" in this context. This article considers the MYBA MOA, clause by clause. We’re looking at the November 2008 edition, because this is most commonly used. It’s available online. The February 2005 edition is still occasionally used and a 2021 electronic edition, featuring a few nips and tucks, has been published but is not yet in widespread use. The key takeaway is that, despite its official appearance, the MOA must not be accepted at face value, and no transaction should ever take place without the MOA being amended and supplemented. The MOA clauses themselves are in an illogical sequence, but are looked at in numerical order nevertheless. CLAUSES 1-13 The first two pages contain Clauses 1 to 13 in the form of boxes for the relevant details. A format commonly used in the commercial shipping sector. The attention to detail is immediately obvious: assuming “G.R.T.” is meant to mean Gross Register(ed) Tonnage, this is a term which was consigned to history long ago by the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships 1969. Clause 1 refers to "banking days" without reference to a specific location. And it may be wise to not to leave Clause 5 blank in the context of Clause 25 and Clause 38 : buyers may not want to pay a pay a deposit to the seller’s statutorily unregulated broker. CLAUSE 14 While this clause commits seller to the sale process, the seller isn’t prevented from negotiating with other would-be buyers – as long as no commitments are made with any such third party. Having signed the MOA, if the buyer comes under pressure from a broker to improve on the deal – as other would-be buyers are circling – this can be ignored. CLAUSE 15 While, in law, the term “warranty” has a specific meaning, it appears under this context – confusingly – that it simply means “represents”. This clause is important as the ordinary statutory buyer protection provided by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) is normally removed by Clause 34 . Compared to the sale agreements for trading ships, the list of things which has to be “free and clear of” is a bit simplistic and limited – and should be expanded to include charters, mortgages, writs and port state and other administrative detentions rather than leave scope for argument over what “encumbrance” encompasses in the context of the MOA. The seller needs to ensure that anything of this kind is affecting the vessel: it’s not good enough to expect that the buyer will come across details of these in the public domain. Releasing the vessel from such encumbrance is a prerequisite to the sale completing as set out in Clause 30 . Where any such only comes to light after completion, the seller obliged to indemnify the buyer – which is of no use where the seller’s a company the only asset of which was the vessel just sold. Hence the need for a guarantee from a bank or the seller’s beneficial owner. Under Clause 15, the seller also represents that it(or he/she) is the legal registered owner of the vessel, with title to and the right to sell the vessel – and this will remain the case right up to the point of delivery to the buyer. This is the case anyway under section 12(1) of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) in spite of Clause 34 which only excludes statutory protection “in relation to the VESSEL, fault or errors in her description or her quality or her fitness, for any particular purpose”. CLAUSE 16 The larger the vessel, the greater the inventory, and the longer it’s going to take to compile or update and check. This should be produced or updated as soon as the vessel is placed on the market, having regard to Clause 21 , as the buyer’s surveyor will need to check the items off against it as part of the pre-purchase survey. Once agreed on, the inventory forms part of the sale agreement. Clause 16 is silent as to consequences of rejection of the inventory by the buyer, but it seems likely that the agreement itself will be unaffected – and it’s still open for the buyer to reject under Clause 26 . Regarding significant works of art, sculptures, equipment, tenders and toys, it’s helpful to obtain a clear understanding of what’s staying on board (and, as importantly, what's not) before the MOA is signed. CLAUSE 17 While self-explanatory, this clause makes it clear that making the vessel available for a Clause 26 sea trial and Clause 27 survey is mandatory, not a nice-to-have, and the seller must take care that a charter broker does not arrange for a charter to take place which might prevent this. CLAUSE 18 While this clause simply sets out that the “Addendum One” documents must be provided by the seller, the MOA doesn’t come with Addendum One – or any addenda for that matter. The documents are so much more than mere paperwork: they are evidence that the vessel complies with certain regulations. Non-compliance may require major works to be carried out. Certain documents will be needed for re-registration and for proving title – without which the vessel may be worth less or even worthless. The sale itself could be invalidated where the correct corporate authorities and powers of attorney aren’t in place. And such documents may need to be authenticated in a particular way(s) in order to be accepted by the vessel’s new or existing flag state. CLAUSE 19 Unusually for the MOA, this clause is self-explanatory. Keep in mind that “berthing fees and crew’s wages” are implicitly not an exhaustive list. CLAUSE 20 This clause makes clear that where the seller fails to deliver the vessel (that is, in the legal sense of the word ‘deliver’) per Clause 21 or documentation per Clause 18 then all bets are off and the agreement is cancelled. However, as will be seen with regard to Clause 30 , all that’s needed with broad compliance with Addendum One - there’s no mention of the documentation needing to be authenticated as the buyer may require – or even to be effective at all. CLAUSE 21 The vessel must be delivered in the condition it was in at the time of the Clause 9 / Clause 26 sea trial and Clause 9 / Clause 27 condition survey, making this a sale of the vessel on an ‘as was’ basis – not ‘as-is’. ‘Delivery’ in this clause means the transfer of physical possession, rather than the vessel being moved. The vessel may have to be delivered elsewhere than at its usual mooring – usually for tax purposes – after which it’ll head straight back to its berth. While the financial consequences for the buyer of having the vessel delivered in the wrong place could lead to an unexpected Value Added Tax liability of up to 25% of the sale price, it seems that delivering elsewhere than that stated in Clause 11 will only entitle the buyer to claim damages. By contrast, the delivery date is a contractual condition breach of which allows the buyer to cancel the agreement: this is clear from the use of the phrase “time being of the essence” in Clause 12 . How this element of Clause 21 is affected by Clause 35 - which deals with force majeure events - isn't clear. By listing in Clause 21 various specific items which are to be included in the sale, those items not listed are, arguably, excluded. It would have been better simply to state “with everything belonging to the VESSEL on board and on shore” or some such – at least the scope for disagreement would have been reduced. CLAUSE 22 As risk of loss of, or damage to, the vessel passes under this clause immediately upon delivery, the buyer must make sure that suitable cover has been obtained well in advance. CLAUSE 23 This may seem like an obvious provision, but keep in mind that where the seller is a company which is in liquidation it may require authorisation to sell the yacht. CLAUSE 24 The companion to Clause 14 this clause commits the buyer to the sale process. The buyer may only exit from the deal - should the buyer have a change of heart - will be as the agreement allows. CLAUSE 25 While the “four banking days” clock only begins to tick once the agreement has been signed, as with Clause 1 , the term “banking days” isn’t defined in terms of any particular country’s banks. And that’s a problem as a failure to pay is breach of contract, allowing the seller to terminate and sue for damages – which could be an amount equivalent to the unpaid deposit. It’s not the case that the deposit needs to be paid for the agreement to come into effect. It’s also unclear whether the date of signature is included or excluded in the four-day period. Buyers must be aware of, and take into account, the time taken for identity checks and anti-money laundering to be carried out. CLAUSE 26 One of the many ways in which the drafting of the MOA leaves much to be desired is Clauses 26 and 27 – which between presuppose that the vessel is in the water at the outset. Of course, large yachts can be out of the water for months at a time. No sensible owner would normally place his or her pride and joy on the market while she’s on the hard: often parts of the interior will have been covered-up or removed while works are ongoing, but if the sale is urgent there may be no choice. Where the vessel is out of the water, the necessary amendments will have to be detailed. Assuming the vessel is in the water when the MOA is agreed, then the seller must make her available for a sea trial of up to four hours. This does not mean that the seller is obliged to make all necessary arrangements. It’s unclear, for example, who would be responsible for ordering pilots if required. While this clause fails to mention this, the buyer would be well advised to arrange for a surveyor to attend to examine certain aspects of the vessel’s performance which can’t be tested out of the water. How easily the main engine(s) and gensets start, and how much smoke is emitted at various engine temperatures, for example, typically can’t be tested as the engine’s heat exchangers require the vessel to be in the water, and the engines should be tested under load. Following the sea trial, the buyer may then elect not to go ahead with the purchase – although it’s not clear whether the grounds for this are for any reason (i.e. the saloon cushions are the wrong colour or a similar trivial reason) or whether the reason must relate to the performance of the vessel during the sea trial. To be effective, the buyer must ensure that the rejection is: In writing; To the seller or broker; Within 24 hours of the sea trial; and Submitted as a formal notice in compliance with Clause 43 . CLAUSE 27 It should not be underestimated how difficult it can be to find at short notice a suitably qualified surveyor, appropriately insured, with availability, who the buyer can be reasonably confident will be thorough and independent. It may not be advisable to go along with the seller’s broker’s suggestion. Yard space and facilities may also be a premium – especially out of season. It is also usually be advisable for samples to taken of the engine’s lubricating oil for laboratory analysis. Elemental spectroscopy of the oil can reveal premature engine wear, while the presence of water might indicate a gasket or heat exchanger seal failure. Combined with testing for acidity a picture can be built of the seller’s crew’s approach to equipment maintenance. Differences in results for two identical engines can be an obvious cause for concern. It’s crucial to consider timescales for surveying and testing before dates are set in stone in the MOA. The object of the survey is only to discover defects which haven’t already been disclosed to the buyer in writing – although the buyer may wish to ascertain the nature and extent of disclosed defects. It’s not clear when the nature and extent of such defects is such that it could be considered that these defects haven’t actually been disclosed. While a “defect” is determined in Clause 27 to be a defect which “affect(s) the operational integrity of the VESSEL or her machinery or her systems or renders the VESSEL unseaworthy”. There’s no definition of “operational integrity” either in the MOA or in the law generally. Unseaworthiness is also not defined in the MOA. Broadly, as a matter of law, a vessel is unseaworthy when she is not reasonably fit in all respects to encounter the ordinary perils of the seas – but this still leaves plenty of scope for factual and legal argument. Where such an undisclosed defect is found by the surveyor, the buyer must choose one of the option given in (a) paragraph (a), bearing in mind that such notice must be given: In writing; To the seller or broker; Within seven days of the completion of the survey; and In conformity with Clause 43 . If the buyer elects for the seller to carry out remedial works, then it would be wise to set a realistic date for the completion of these, rather than just rely on the “without undue delay” provision. CLAUSE 28 This clause makes clear that the notice provisions in Clause 26 and Clause 27 must be complied with to the letter – failing which the vessel will have been accepted. CLAUSE 29 While it is hard to imagine circumstances where the vessel is damaged as a result of the captain complying with a request from the buyer during a sea trial, given the captains duty of care to the seller, it is conceivable that the buyer’s surveyor causes damage. This underlines the importance of checking that the surveyor carries suitable insurance. CLAUSE 30 Completion (more often known as ‘closing’) is the final stage of the sale and purchase process, during which payment of the balance is made, and the vessel and documents are delivered to the buyer. Subject to any Clause 27 notice or Clause 35 force majeure event, the Clause 12 completion date is the date on which the buyer must pay the balance. There is no mention of this also being the date upon which the seller must receive the funds, but it’s clearly in everyone’s interests for payment to be made as quickly as possible. The currency, bank details and payment method should be agreed in Addendum One and expressly made conditions of the agreement to be strictly adhered with. Payment is required as soon as the Addendum One documents have been tendered to the buyer – seemingly even if they are defective in terms of their effectiveness or authentication, as long as they comply with their descriptions set out in Addendum One. CLAUSE 31 This clause elaborates on Clause 25 . It’s odd that these two clauses aren’t drafted as a single clause for greater clarity. CLAUSE 32 This clause elaborates on Clause 23 . Again, it’s odd that these two clauses aren’t also drafted as a single clause for greater clarity. CLAUSE 33 While it used to be considered bad luck to change the name of a yacht, the MOA copies the now standard practice in the shipping industry to change name upon change of ownership. It’s as good to be aware of this clause, given that it is the default position. Given the amount of equipment on board bearing the yacht’s name, logo or monogram, the expense of compliance isn’t to be underestimated. An oil tanker’s name can be changed with a paintbrush: a modern yacht will almost certainly have a custom-made, illuminated name which must be installed and the immediate surrounding area filled and repainted as required. The standard seven days may be no way near long enough. That said, the seller is going to face an uphill task in proving what losses may have followed from any delay in remaining. CLAUSE 34 In the normal course of events, sections 13, 14 and 15A of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) will apply to the sale and purchase of the vessel. Under these sections, goods sold must corresponded with the seller’s description of them, they must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, etc. But parties are free, subject to certain statutory limitations, to agree to exclude such provisions. And this is what Clause 34 aims to do. It succeeds in this aim, albeit in respect of corporate buyers : individual buyers are ‘consumers’ meaning that these sections cannot be excluded. This clause does not affect the seller’s Clause 15 warranty. CLAUSE 35 This clause sets out what the parties are to do where certain external events beyond their control delay the sea trial, survey or closing. As the law aims to ensure that the parties carry through with the deal, force majeure clauses are interpreted restrictively and against the party seeking to rely on them. And even then, that party must then prove that it used reasonable endeavours to minimise the delay. CLAUSE 36 This is a standard so-called boilerplate clause, which are normally placed after all the commercial terms. But MYBA, it seems, likes to do things differently. CLAUSE 37 Though detailed, Clause 37 is self-explanatory and requires no further explanation. CLAUSE 38 While Clause 5 presupposes that the stakeholder will be a broker, the seller should think long and hard about whether it’s wise to place money at the disposal of a statutorily unregulated party which is acting for the buyer. It is increasingly common for funds to be placed with the buyer’s lawyer – which also alleviates the broker from the increasing bureaucracy associated with satisfying anti-money laundering rules. Even then, the choice of lawyer is important. CLAUSE 39 This otherwise self-explanatory clause only applies where the parties agree that the bottom should be painted with antifouling and anodes replaced. Notably, it makes no mention of more modern and environmentally-friendly antifouling wraps. Where there is significant fouling but the sacrificial anodes do not require replacing, there could be a cathodic grounding fault which the surveyor should investigate. The anodes are implicitly those on the hull, shafts and rudders – rather than those within the raw-water side of the engines’ cooling systems. CLAUSE 40 Arbitration is a way of setline disputes in private, which is no less effective than going through the public courts potentially in the media spotlight. Missing from the MOA is a specific reference to the arbitration being conducted in accordance with the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) terms – which allow for different levels of procedural complexity according to the amount in issue. CLAUSE 41–44 These are standard boilerplate clauses, but the reference to the “telefax” is now obviously very outdated and needs amending. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Corporate Ownership Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Corporate Ownership

Traditionally, large yachts are owned through companies and trusts, typically based in small offshore locations. However, their use can still leave owners liable for non-compliance with the law. This article examines the reasons behind the tradition, and considers how effective companies and trusts can be at insulating the owner from the liabilities of ownership. Home Handbook Buying / / Corporate Ownership 8 August 2014 Last revised minutes 5 Reading time Traditionally, large yachts are owned through companies and trusts, typically based in small offshore locations. However, their use can still leave owners liable for non-compliance with the law. This article examines the reasons behind the tradition, and considers how effective companies and trusts can be at insulating the owner from the liabilities of ownership. minutes 5 Reading time 8 August 2014 Last revised Traditionally, large yachts are owned through companies and trusts, typically based in small offshore locations. However, their use can still leave owners liable for non-compliance with the law. This article examines the reasons behind the tradition, and considers how effective companies and trusts can be at insulating the owner from the liabilities of ownership. Companies have their own legal personality and can buy and sell goods and services like individuals. Trusts are arrangements where property is handed over for the benefit of another, with legal rights enforceable by the courts. Companies and trusts can help reduce personal tax exposure and protect assets, such as yachts. Owning a yacht through a company can ring-fence liability and protect other assets. Companies and trusts can isolate ownership in politically unstable countries or protect against creditors. Establishing transactions through a company provides personal liability protection for directors and shareholders. Yachts can be arrested following accidents, pollution allegations, or unpaid services, requiring payment or security to release them. 'Lifting the corporate veil' allows individuals involved in fraudulent transactions to be held liable. Companies cannot be used to evade legal obligations, and privacy may not be entirely guaranteed. Offshore jurisdictions are commonly used for private, tax-efficient business operations, and careful consideration is needed when choosing one. Yachts can be arrested following accidents, pollution allegations, or unpaid services, requiring payment or security to release them. 'Lifting the corporate veil' allows individuals involved in fraudulent transactions to be held liable. Companies cannot be used to evade legal obligations, and privacy may not be entirely guaranteed. Offshore jurisdictions are commonly used for private, tax-efficient business operations, and careful consideration is needed when choosing one. Companies have their own legal personality and can buy and sell goods and services like individuals. Trusts are arrangements where property is handed over for the benefit of another, with legal rights enforceable by the courts. Companies and trusts can help reduce personal tax exposure and protect assets, such as yachts. Owning a yacht through a company can ring-fence liability and protect other assets. Companies and trusts can isolate ownership in politically unstable countries or protect against creditors. Establishing transactions through a company provides personal liability protection for directors and shareholders. Companies are said by lawyers to have their own ‘legal personality’. This curious phrase just means that they are able to buy and sell goods and services in just the same way as an individual person. Although the idea was dreamt up to allow entrepreneurs to raise money without the fear of loosing all their remaining wealth should their business not succeed, companies can also be used in a non-commercial way to own assets – such as yachts. TRUSTS Trusts are a rather different concept. They have no such personality. They are simply an arrangement whereby property is handed over by one party (the ‘settlor’) to another (the ‘trustee’) for the benefit of another (the ‘beneficiary’), on the basis that the property will be held and used as the trustee wishes. Although legal title is actually transferred from the settlor to the trustee, the trustee’s and beneficiary’s rights are recognisable and enforceable by the courts. As with companies, the use of trusts has come along way since their invention – they were first used to protect the property of medieval knights while away on crusade. Although until recently a concept only recognised in United Kingdom Commonwealth countries and other former colonies, it is now possible to establish trusts in countries with very different legal traditions, such as China. BENEFITS Although establishing and administering either a company or a trust is not without expense, they make a lot of sense when it comes to buying and owning a yacht. Most importantly, companies and trusts can also be used, quite lawfully, to reduce an individual’s apparent wealth and subsequent personal tax exposure. Companies are also used to form the basis of VAT-avoidance structures, by putting the use of a yacht on a commercial basis and through the use of cross-border leases. Now and then, yachts are involved in accidents. Liability could easily exceed the value of the yacht, and, should the owner be held liable, his or her other assets are at risk. More sensible, then, to ring-fence any such source of liability by owning the yacht through a company. Similarly, companies and trusts can help to isolate ownership where wealth is derived from developing or otherwise unstable countries, where there is a risk of political rivals attempting to expropriate personal possessions. And for those in even the most stable surroundings, protection from creditors is usually desirable where the owner wants to indulge in large, commercial risk-taking. By law, yachts must be registered somewhere. Shipping registers being open to inspection by the public, details of a yacht’s owner are readily available. Most owners just don’t like the idea of tabloid journalists – or perhaps even former spouses – knowing what they own. Although the identity of company directors and shareholders is often a matter of public record, many jurisdictions allow directorships and shares to be held in the name of nominees. The beauty of undertaking transactions through a company is that it is the company that undertakes the transaction, not the directors or shareholders, meaning that the latter can bask safe in the knowledge that they are largely immune from personal liability. YACHT ARREST This comfortable state of affairs cannot, however, prevent the arrest of the yacht itself. Where this happens, the yacht is legally prevented from leaving her mooring. Typically, police or customs officers present the yacht with the court papers – this is the process which used to involve the nailing of a writ to the mast. Yachts are often arrested following a collision, an allegation of pollution, or where a good or service has been provided to the yacht without the provider (including crew) having been paid. There is no need for judgment to have been given and there may be little or no warning before the yacht is arrested – potentially leaving the owner in an awkward and embarrassing position in the middle of a busy charter season. The only way to release the yacht from arrest is either to pay the claim or to provide security. Such security may only be acceptable if provided or supported by a large bank. In turn, the bank will require a personal guarantee from the yacht’s ultimate owner. LIMITATIONS On occasion it may be possible to look behind the company at the individuals involved. This is known as ‘lifting the corporate veil.’ The laws of certain jurisdictions, for example, state that where it appears that, in the course of winding-up a bankrupt company, transactions have been carried out with the intent to defraud creditors, a court may declare the individuals involved liable. Criminal sanctions can also apply. ‘Creditors’ here only includes those owed money at the time the transfer was made, excluding future creditors. The burden of proving the necessary intent lies with the creditors. The same principle applies where it looks as if a company was set up to frustrate a court order to freeze assets. Further, companies cannot be used to circumvent legal obligations. This does not mean that individuals will be liable if the company’s legal obligations are breached, but if the company is set up just because a legal obligation (such as complying with safety requirements in respect of a large yacht) is inconvenient or expensive to comply with, then the veil could be lifted. The use of nominees only prevents the true identity of directors and shareholders being made available to the public. It is not normally possible to offload liability onto the nominees, and there is likely to be a clause in the agreement to set up the company, obliging the actual directors and shareholders to indemnify the nominees. Privacy cannot be entirely guaranteed in any event. Not unreasonably, international treaties on the exchange of information relating to criminal activities, including tax evasion, can allow require even the strongest privacy laws to be brushed aside. Property placed in a trust may still be made the subject of asset freezing orders and court judgments if a trust is not recognised, although if the property is physically located in the same country that the trust is administered from, this will be difficult. A number of countries, including the United Kingdom, are party to an international convention on the recognition of trusts, known as the Hague Convention, recognising trusts which conform to certain characteristics. JURISDICTIONS Offshore jurisdictions still have a reputation as being sun-baked islands where dodgy deals can be concluded in an unregulated financial free-for-all. Nothing could be further from the truth for the vast majority of commonly-used locations. In fact, virtually all the world’s leading multinationals use offshore companies and trusts to undertake business in a private, tax-efficient yet entirely legal way. ‘Offshore’ simply means a jurisdiction other the one someone is already resident or domiciled in for tax purposes. They certainly don’t need to be either sunny or insular, although many are as it can form a lucrative boost to otherwise small, remote and tourist-dependent economies. In fact, a good example of a growing offshore centre is the United Kingdom. For yacht owners, the principal advantage of using a respectable, well-known offshore jurisdiction is that there is rarely the need to reinvent the wheel: they are geared up to provide yacht owning structures. As these activities often provide a sizeable proportion of foreign income, their governments make it a priority to make matters simple for those looking for this type of service. It is important to choose the jurisdiction(s) with care, however. No two are the same. There are bad apples in the barrel, especially with regards the integrity of local practitioners. With companies, but more particularly with trusts – where legal title is transferred to a local trustee who may perhaps have discretionary powers – there exists opportunities to extract more from their clients than had been expected. CHOICE Other factors to consider include initial and ongoing costs (including local taxes), international reputation, and the strength of their rule of law – in other words how tough their courts are. Political stability is another important factor, as is the time zone, the exchange controls, and any escape provisions – which allow companies to change jurisdictions while maintaining their legal personality and trusts to be transferred without needing to be rewritten. Working with a local branch of an international legal or accounting group may provide reassurance, but on the other hand one may end up being steered towards just those places where they happen to have an office. Ideally, guidance in the earliest stages should be sought from an independent, trusted source, capable of providing a truly impartial, global overview. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about The Brokers' Role Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about The Brokers' Role

The Owners Club's Rules from an agreement between the Club on the one hand, and all Associates, Members and Governors and anyone using this website on the other. They establish a fair and balanced framework which governs respective rights and responsibilities. Home About Rules / / Them's the Rules These Rules from an agreement between the Club on the one hand, and all Associates, Members and Governors and anyone using this website on the other. They establish a fair and balanced framework which governs respective rights and responsibilities. You’re bound by the Rules, so please take a moment to read them thoroughly. Please contact us if there’s anything you’d like clarified. 1. DEFINITIONS 1.1. In the Rules the following words have the following meanings: 1.1.2. IP Rights: any and all intellectual property rights, whether registered or unregistered, including but not limited to any patents, trademarks, domain names, URLs, design rights, copyright, software rights, database rights, rights in and to business names, product names and logos, processes, trade secrets, confidential information and any similar rights in any jurisdiction. 1.1.3. Link(s): link(s), provided in the Website, to third party resources and businesses; 1.1.4. Material: information, articles, guides, documents and clauses, provided by Us, whether via the Website or otherwise; 1.1.5. Membership: a paid subscription granting You access to certain Material; 1.1.6. Our: belonging to, or emanating from, Us; 1.1.7. Rules: this present document, known as the Rules; 1.1.8. Staff: any employee or representative of The Owners Club, including but not limited to the Our General Secretary; 1.1.9. We, Us: The Owners Club; 1.1.10. Website: the website theownersclub.org, and all pages, parts and elements thereof; 1.1.11. You: You, whether Associate, Member or Governor of The Owners Club, or user of the Website, as the case may be, and Your employer or principal where you act on behalf of one; 1.1.12. Your: of or from You. 2. APPLICATION 2.1. For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, You agree to be bound by all of the Rules. 2.2. By using the Website, or viewing, downloading, using, sending, storing or receiving, any Material, You agree to be bound by all of the Rules, as well as Our [privacy policy]. 2.3. You are responsible for ensuring that all persons who access the Website through Your internet connection are aware of all of the Rules and that they comply with them. 3. MEMBERSHIP 3.1. Memberships are for one year, payable monthly. 3.2. A Membership entitles You, for one year, subject to monthly Membership fee instalments having been paid to date, to access those parts of the Website which We may from time to time restrict access to those only with Membership, and to access and download certain Material. 3.3. On each anniversary of You joining Us, We will automatically renew Membership unless You have notified Us that You want to cancel Membership by emailing us at gensec@theownersclub.org. 3.4. We may store and when possible update Your payment method on file. It is Your responsibility to maintain current credit card information on file with Us. 3.5. We reserve the right to change Membership fees from time to time. 3.6. From time to time, we may also offer different Membership terms and benefits. 3.7. Membership fees are non-refundable. 3.8. You authorise Us, to collect, without notice, Membership fees using any valid payment source We have on record for You. 3.9. If You fail to provide a payment to Us in full and on time, or We are unable to obtain payment using Your designated payment, We may deem such a failure as notice of cancellation and cancel Membership immediately. 3.10 We may cancel Membership at any time where We consider that You are in breach of any part of the Rules. 3.11. You are responsible for ensuring all contact details You provide Us with are correct and up to date. 3.12. If You choose, or You are provided with, a user identification code, password or any other piece of information as part of Our security procedures, You must treat such information as confidential, and You must not disclose it to any third party. 3.13. We have the right to disable any user identification code or password, whether chosen by You or allocated by Us, at any time, if in Our reasonable opinion You have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these terms of use. 3.14. If You know or suspect that anyone other than You knows Your user identification code or password, You must notify Us promptly at gensec@theownersclub.org. 4. WEBSITE 4.1. You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for You to have access to the Website. 4.2. You will not: 4.2.1. Use the Website for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by the Rules; 4.2.2. Use the Website in any manner which could damage, disable, overburden or impair the Website, or interfere with any other party’s use and enjoyment of the Website; or 4.2.3. Obtain or attempt to obtain any Material through any means not intentionally provided for on the Website. 4.3. We will use reasonable efforts to keep the Website available to You, but if necessary, We may suspend access to the Website, or close it indefinitely. We will not be liable if for any reason the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period. 4.4. The Website may include information and materials uploaded by other users of the Website, including to bulletin boards and chat rooms. Such information and materials have not been verified or approved by Us. The views expressed by other users of the Website do not represent Our views or values. 5. VIRUSES 5.1. We do not guarantee that the Website will be secure or free from bugs or viruses. 5.2. You are responsible for configuring Your information technology, computer programmes and platform to access the Website. You should use Your own virus protection software. 5.3. You must not: 5.3.1. Misuse the Website by introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful. 5.3.2. Gain unauthorised access to the Website, the server on which the Website is stored or any server, computer or database connected to the Website. 5.3.3. Attack the Website via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack. 6. UPLOADING 6.1. Any content You upload to the Website will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. You retain all of Your ownership rights in Your content, but You grant Us a licence to use, store and copy that content and to distribute and make it available to third parties. 6.2. We have the right to disclose Your identity to any third party who is claiming that any content posted or uploaded by You to the Website constitutes a violation of their intellectual property rights, or of their right to privacy. 6.3. You are solely responsible for securing and backing up Your content. 6.4. When You upload or post content to the Website, You grant Us the following rights to use that content: 6.4.1. A worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform that user-generated content in connection with the service provided by the Website and across different media, including to promote the site or the service, forever; and 6.4.2. A worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence for other users, partners or advertisers to use the content for their purposes, forever. 7. LINKS 7.1. Links are only provided for Your convenience and to help You identify and locate other resources that may be of interest to You. 7.2. We do not control, endorse or monitor the contents of any sites subject to a Link, including, without limitation, any further link contained in a site referenced by a Link, and any changes or updates to site referenced by a Link. 7.3. If You use any service provided on a site to which a Link refers: 7.3.1. We will not be responsible for any act or omission of any third party, including such third party’s access to or use of Your data; and 7.3.2. We do not warrant or support any product or service provided by the third party. 7.4. You may link to the Website home page, provided You do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage Our reputation or take advantage of it. 7.5. You must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on Our part where none exists. 7.6. You must not establish a link to the Website in any website that is not owned by You. 7.7. Our site must not be framed on any other site, nor may You create a link to any part of the Website other than the home page. 7.8. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice. 8. MATERIAL 8.1. We do not guarantee that Material is correct, up-to-date, or suitable for particular persons or situations. 8.2. The Material may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. 8.3. From time to time, changes may be made to the Material, with or without You being notified. 8.4. Material must not be relied upon for legal, tax or financial decisions and You should consult an appropriate professional for specific advice tailored to Your situation. 8.5. Any templates within the Material are for use only as a starting point for the preparation of legal documents. They must be adapted by You to meet Your individual requirements. You should always take legal advice for Your specific situation. 8.6. We make no representations about the suitability, reliability, availability, timeliness, and accuracy of the Material. 8.7. All Material is provided ‘as is’ without warranty or condition of any kind including all implied warranties or conditions of satisfactoriness, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. 8.8. You use the Material and the Website at Your own risk. 8.9. Neither Us nor any Staff will be liable to You or any other party for any losses or damages whatsoever or howsoever arising in connection with the Material or the Website, whether under contract or as a result of any misrepresentation, misstatement or tortious act or omission, including negligence. 8.10. Our and the Staff’s liability to You for any loss or damage, including any losses, damages, costs or expenses whatsoever or howsoever arising in connection with the use of the Material or Website, whether under the Rules or other Rules or as a result of any misrepresentation, misstatement or tortious act or omission, including negligence, is limited to damages of an amount equal to that received by Us from You for a year’s Membership. 9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 9.1. We own and retain all rights, title, interest and IP Rights in relation to the Material. 9.2. Except in connection with the ownership or management of a yacht(s) which You own directly or indirectly or You manage, You must not reproduce, modify, translate or create derivative works of any Material. 9.3. Without exception, You may not sell, license, sublicense, rent, lease, distribute, copy, publicly display or publish any Material. 10. RELATIONSHIP 10.1. We only provide a platform for information and self-help. 10.2. Material is provided for Your private use, does not constitute legal and/or financial advice and should not be relied upon as such. 10.3. We are not a regulated or unregulated law firm. Communications between You and Us or Staff will not be protected by legal professional privilege and may be disclosable to third parties. 10.4. No communications between You and Us or Staff constitute legal advice or can be relied on as such. 10.5. Use by You of the Website or Material does not establish a duty of care (either in tort or in contract) between You and Us or Staff, or create a lawyer-client relationship between You and Us or Staff. 10.6. Names of third parties are published on the Website or in Material, or provided to Members, for information purposes only. We do not endorse or recommend any third party nor do We make any warranty as to the qualifications or competency of any third party. 10.7. You agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between You and Us as a result of the Rules or Your use of the Website or the Material. 11. SEVERANCE 11.1. If any part of the Rules is determined to be invalid or unenforceable under any applicable law, then the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the relevant provision or part-provision will be deemed deleted. Following such modification or deletion, the remainder of the Rules will continue in effect. 12. REVISIONS 12.1. We may revise the Rules from time to time, and will always post the most current version on the Website. By continuing to use or access the Website or Material, You agree to be bound by the most recent revision of the Rules. 13. ENTIRE AGREEMENT 13.1. Unless otherwise specified, the Rules constitutes the entire Rules between You and Us with respect to the matters covered by the Rules, and extinguishes all previous Ruless, arrangements, representations and understandings between You and Us, whether written or oral, relating such matters. 14. ASSIGNMENT 14.1. You must not assign or otherwise transfer any right granted under the Rules. We can freely assign Our rights under the Rules. 15. WAIVER 15.1. A failure or delay by Us to exercise any right or remedy provided under the Rules or by law will not constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor will it prevent or restrict any further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. 16. THIRD PARTIES 16.1. A person who is not a party to the Rules will not have any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of the Rules. 17. LAW & JURISDICTION 17.1. The Rules and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation will be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. 17.2. The courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with the Rules or its subject matter or formation. Contact Us These Rules from an agreement between the Club on the one hand, and all Associates, Members and Governors and anyone using this website on the other. They establish a fair and balanced framework which governs respective rights and responsibilities. You’re bound by the Rules, so please take a moment to read them thoroughly. Please contact us if there’s anything you’d like clarified. 1. DEFINITIONS 1.1. In the Rules the following words have the following meanings: 1.1.2. IP Rights: any and all intellectual property rights, whether registered or unregistered, including but not limited to any patents, trademarks, domain names, URLs, design rights, copyright, software rights, database rights, rights in and to business names, product names and logos, processes, trade secrets, confidential information and any similar rights in any jurisdiction. 1.1.3. Link(s): link(s), provided in the Website, to third party resources and businesses; 1.1.4. Material: information, articles, guides, documents and clauses, provided by Us, whether via the Website or otherwise; 1.1.5. Membership: a paid subscription granting You access to certain Material; 1.1.6. Our: belonging to, or emanating from, Us; 1.1.7. Rules: this present document, known as the Rules; 1.1.8. Staff: any employee or representative of The Owners Club, including but not limited to the Our General Secretary; 1.1.9. We, Us: The Owners Club; 1.1.10. Website: the website theownersclub.org, and all pages, parts and elements thereof; 1.1.11. You: You, whether Associate, Member or Governor of The Owners Club, or user of the Website, as the case may be, and Your employer or principal where you act on behalf of one; 1.1.12. Your: of or from You. 2. APPLICATION 2.1. For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, You agree to be bound by all of the Rules. 2.2. By using the Website, or viewing, downloading, using, sending, storing or receiving, any Material, You agree to be bound by all of the Rules, as well as Our privacy policy . 2.3. You are responsible for ensuring that all persons who access the Website through Your internet connection are aware of all of the Rules and that they comply with them. 3. MEMBERSHIP 3.1. Memberships are for one year, payable monthly. 3.2. A Membership entitles You, for one year, subject to monthly Membership fee instalments having been paid to date, to access those parts of the Website which We may from time to time restrict access to those only with Membership, and to access and download certain Material. 3.3. On each anniversary of You joining Us, We will automatically renew Membership unless You have notified Us that You want to cancel Membership by emailing us at gensec@theownersclub.org. 3.4. We may store and when possible update Your payment method on file. It is Your responsibility to maintain current credit card information on file with Us. 3.5. We reserve the right to change Membership fees from time to time. 3.6. From time to time, we may also offer different Membership terms and benefits. 3.7. Membership fees are non-refundable. 3.8. You authorise Us, to collect, without notice, Membership fees using any valid payment source We have on record for You. 3.9. If You fail to provide a payment to Us in full and on time, or We are unable to obtain payment using Your designated payment, We may deem such a failure as notice of cancellation and cancel Membership immediately. 3.10 We may cancel Membership at any time where We consider that You are in breach of any part of the Rules. 3.11. You are responsible for ensuring all contact details You provide Us with are correct and up to date. 3.12. If You choose, or You are provided with, a user identification code, password or any other piece of information as part of Our security procedures, You must treat such information as confidential, and You must not disclose it to any third party. 3.13. We have the right to disable any user identification code or password, whether chosen by You or allocated by Us, at any time, if in Our reasonable opinion You have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these terms of use. 3.14. If You know or suspect that anyone other than You knows Your user identification code or password, You must notify Us promptly at gensec@theownersclub.org. 4. WEBSITE 4.1. You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for You to have access to the Website. 4.2. You will not: 4.2.1. Use the Website for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by the Rules; 4.2.2. Use the Website in any manner which could damage, disable, overburden or impair the Website, or interfere with any other party’s use and enjoyment of the Website; or 4.2.3. Obtain or attempt to obtain any Material through any means not intentionally provided for on the Website. 4.3. We will use reasonable efforts to keep the Website available to You, but if necessary, We may suspend access to the Website, or close it indefinitely. We will not be liable if for any reason the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period. 4.4. The Website may include information and materials uploaded by other users of the Website, including to bulletin boards and chat rooms. Such information and materials have not been verified or approved by Us. The views expressed by other users of the Website do not represent Our views or values. 5. VIRUSES 5.1. We do not guarantee that the Website will be secure or free from bugs or viruses. 5.2. You are responsible for configuring Your information technology, computer programmes and platform to access the Website. You should use Your own virus protection software. 5.3. You must not: 5.3.1. Misuse the Website by introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful. 5.3.2. Gain unauthorised access to the Website, the server on which the Website is stored or any server, computer or database connected to the Website. 5.3.3. Attack the Website via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack. 6. UPLOADING 6.1. Any content You upload to the Website will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. You retain all of Your ownership rights in Your content, but You grant Us a licence to use, store and copy that content and to distribute and make it available to third parties. 6.2. We have the right to disclose Your identity to any third party who is claiming that any content posted or uploaded by You to the Website constitutes a violation of their intellectual property rights, or of their right to privacy. 6.3. You are solely responsible for securing and backing up Your content. 6.4. When You upload or post content to the Website, You grant Us the following rights to use that content: 6.4.1. A worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform that user-generated content in connection with the service provided by the Website and across different media, including to promote the site or the service, forever; and 6.4.2. A worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence for other users, partners or advertisers to use the content for their purposes, forever. 7. LINKS 7.1. Links are only provided for Your convenience and to help You identify and locate other resources that may be of interest to You. 7.2. We do not control, endorse or monitor the contents of any sites subject to a Link, including, without limitation, any further link contained in a site referenced by a Link, and any changes or updates to site referenced by a Link. 7.3. If You use any service provided on a site to which a Link refers: 7.3.1. We will not be responsible for any act or omission of any third party, including such third party’s access to or use of Your data; and 7.3.2. We do not warrant or support any product or service provided by the third party. 7.4. You may link to the Website home page, provided You do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage Our reputation or take advantage of it. 7.5. You must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on Our part where none exists. 7.6. You must not establish a link to the Website in any website that is not owned by You. 7.7. Our site must not be framed on any other site, nor may You create a link to any part of the Website other than the home page. 7.8. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice. 8. MATERIAL 8.1. We do not guarantee that Material is correct, up-to-date, or suitable for particular persons or situations. 8.2. The Material may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. 8.3. From time to time, changes may be made to the Material, with or without You being notified. 8.4. Material must not be relied upon for legal, tax or financial decisions and You should consult an appropriate professional for specific advice tailored to Your situation. 8.5. Any templates within the Material are for use only as a starting point for the preparation of legal documents. They must be adapted by You to meet Your individual requirements. You should always take legal advice for Your specific situation. 8.6. We make no representations about the suitability, reliability, availability, timeliness, and accuracy of the Material. 8.7. All Material is provided ‘as is’ without warranty or condition of any kind including all implied warranties or conditions of satisfactoriness, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. 8.8. You use the Material and the Website at Your own risk. 8.9. Neither Us nor any Staff will be liable to You or any other party for any losses or damages whatsoever or howsoever arising in connection with the Material or the Website, whether under contract or as a result of any misrepresentation, misstatement or tortious act or omission, including negligence. 8.10. Our and the Staff’s liability to You for any loss or damage, including any losses, damages, costs or expenses whatsoever or howsoever arising in connection with the use of the Material or Website, whether under the Rules or other Rules or as a result of any misrepresentation, misstatement or tortious act or omission, including negligence, is limited to damages of an amount equal to that received by Us from You for a year’s Membership. 9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 9.1. We own and retain all rights, title, interest and IP Rights in relation to the Material. 9.2. Except in connection with the ownership or management of a yacht(s) which You own directly or indirectly or You manage, You must not reproduce, modify, translate or create derivative works of any Material. 9.3. Without exception, You may not sell, license, sublicense, rent, lease, distribute, copy, publicly display or publish any Material. 10. RELATIONSHIP 10.1. We only provide a platform for information and self-help. 10.2. Material is provided for Your private use, does not constitute legal and/or financial advice and should not be relied upon as such. 10.3. We are not a regulated or unregulated law firm. Communications between You and Us or Staff will not be protected by legal professional privilege and may be disclosable to third parties. 10.4. No communications between You and Us or Staff constitute legal advice or can be relied on as such. 10.5. Use by You of the Website or Material does not establish a duty of care (either in tort or in contract) between You and Us or Staff, or create a lawyer-client relationship between You and Us or Staff. 10.6. Names of third parties are published on the Website or in Material, or provided to Members, for information purposes only. We do not endorse or recommend any third party nor do We make any warranty as to the qualifications or competency of any third party. 10.7. You agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between You and Us as a result of the Rules or Your use of the Website or the Material. 11. SEVERANCE 11.1. If any part of the Rules is determined to be invalid or unenforceable under any applicable law, then the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the relevant provision or part-provision will be deemed deleted. Following such modification or deletion, the remainder of the Rules will continue in effect. 12. REVISIONS 12.1. We may revise the Rules from time to time, and will always post the most current version on the Website. By continuing to use or access the Website or Material, You agree to be bound by the most recent revision of the Rules. 13. ENTIRE AGREEMENT 13.1. Unless otherwise specified, the Rules constitutes the entire Rules between You and Us with respect to the matters covered by the Rules, and extinguishes all previous Ruless, arrangements, representations and understandings between You and Us, whether written or oral, relating such matters. 14. ASSIGNMENT 14.1. You must not assign or otherwise transfer any right granted under the Rules. We can freely assign Our rights under the Rules. 15. WAIVER 15.1. A failure or delay by Us to exercise any right or remedy provided under the Rules or by law will not constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy, nor will it prevent or restrict any further exercise of that or any other right or remedy. 16. THIRD PARTIES 16.1. A person who is not a party to the Rules will not have any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of the Rules. 17. LAW & JURISDICTION 17.1. The Rules and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation will be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. 17.2. The courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with the Rules or its subject matter or formation. Contact Us

The types of yacht insurance you need depends on the size of your vessel – and how you use it. Various types of cover can be combined within one product. Having insufficient cover can breach local laws, but be careful not to be sold cover you don’t need. And make sure you understand the role of the company you’re buying the policy through. Home Handbook Insuring / / Types of Insurance 26 March 2023 Last revised minutes 8 Reading time The type of insurance you need depends on the size of your yacht – and how you use it. Various types of cover can be combined within one product. Having insufficient cover can breach local laws, but be careful not to buy cover you don’t need. And make sure you understand the role of the company you’re buying the policy through. minutes 8 Reading time 26 March 2023 Last revised The type of insurance you need depends on the size of your yacht – and how you use it. Various types of cover can be combined within one product. Having insufficient cover can breach local laws, but be careful not to buy cover you don’t need. And make sure you understand the role of the company you’re buying the policy through. Large yacht ownership involves various risks, and insurance coverage is available to mitigate those risks. Compulsory insurances are required by port authorities, including third-party liability cover for yachts over 300 gross tonnes. Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Clubs provide liability coverage and support for yacht owners, often combined with Freight, Demurrage & Defence (FD&D) cover. Employers' liability insurance is required under UK law for the legal owner's liability for employee injuries. Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) requirements include liability coverage for repatriation, outstanding salaries, and occupational injury-related payments for crew. Crew welfare insurance covers medical costs and financial repercussions for crew members in case of illness or accidents. Oil pollution insurance is necessary to cover the legal owner's liability for oil spills caused by crew members. Wreck removal insurance is required by some countries and mandates coverage for the costs of removing wrecks. Hull & Machinery insurance covers loss or damage to the yacht, its engines, equipment, fittings, and accessories. Additional coverage options include war & strikes, fine art & valuables, subsea equipment, kidnap & ransom, project risk, and project liability insurance. Crew welfare insurance covers medical costs and financial repercussions for crew members in case of illness or accidents. Oil pollution insurance is necessary to cover the legal owner's liability for oil spills caused by crew members. Wreck removal insurance is required by some countries and mandates coverage for the costs of removing wrecks. Hull & Machinery insurance covers loss or damage to the yacht, its engines, equipment, fittings, and accessories. Additional coverage options include war & strikes, fine art & valuables, subsea equipment, kidnap & ransom, project risk, and project liability insurance. Large yacht ownership involves various risks, and insurance coverage is available to mitigate those risks. Compulsory insurances are required by port authorities, including third-party liability cover for yachts over 300 gross tonnes. Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Clubs provide liability coverage and support for yacht owners, often combined with Freight, Demurrage & Defence (FD&D) cover. Employers' liability insurance is required under UK law for the legal owner's liability for employee injuries. Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) requirements include liability coverage for repatriation, outstanding salaries, and occupational injury-related payments for crew. Here we’re looking at the various risks which large yacht ownership entails, and the cover available. Individual policies go by various names, and multiple risks are sometimes covered by one product, especially for smaller vessels. Compulsory insurances are considered first, followed by discretionary coverage. Many port authorities require not only cover, but also immediate proof in the form of certificates, so make sure these are issued simultaneously with insurance documentation. THIRD PARTY LIABILITY Risk Risk of the legal owner’s liability to third parties, while your yacht is in service. Required For yachts of 300 gross tonnes or more, third party liability cover is required by, and in accordance with, the Merchant Shipping (Compulsory Insurance of Shipowners for Maritime Claims) Regulations 2012 (UK) and Directive 2009/20/EC on the insurance of shipowners for maritime claims (EU). Most port states and private marinas require third party cover. Remarks Offered as Third Party Liability (TPL) insurance, or as broader Protection & Indemnity (P&I) cover - particularly for larger yachts. Historically, because third party claims can be so large (think oil spills), commercial ship owners joined together to form Protection & Indemnity Clubs, known as P&I Clubs. The larger ones are members of the International Group which has liability pooling arrangements to cope with the largest claims. Operating on a mutual not-for-profit basis, meaning that members can be asked to pay additional amounts to make the books balance, yacht owners can be an awkward fit. Some Clubs now offer fixed-premium cover. P&I Clubs in particular have claims handlers and foreign correspondents able to provide immediate advice following an incident, and can provide useful loss prevention guidance. In the unlikely event of a yacht being detained at a port following, for example, an accidental diesel discharge, the club will also have the known and respected financial muscle to provide security and allow the yacht to be released while the claim is processed at a later date. This support can be extremely useful in helping to keep a charter schedule on track, especially where problems are encountered in exotic destinations where local insider knowledge and contacts are vital. Although owners and managers should always ensure that they make the most of the Clubs’ support, this network is often overlooked. It can be packaged with Freight, Demurrage & Defence (FD&D) cover, which combines hands-on legal support provided by P&I Club in-house lawyers, and cover for external legal advice. EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY Risk Risk of the legal owner’s liability for bodily injury or disease sustained by any of its employees and arising out of and in the course of their employment. Required Required within the waters of, and yards within, Great Britain under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 as supplemented by the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations 1998, in respect of any employee ordinarily resident in Great Britain. Remarks This is a specific requirement of United Kingdom law, but similar requirements apply in many other jurisdictions, such as under the Jones Act in the United States. Cover will usually already be provided by a P&I Club (if applicable) so make sure you’re not paying for separate employers’ liability unnecessarily. Your broker should be able to advise you of cover limits applicable. It’s easy for dayworkers to become employees for the purposes of the law – even though they aren’t formally employed as crew or otherwise. MLC REQUIREMENTS Risk Risk of the legal owner’s liability for repatriation of crew and associated essentials, liability for outstanding salaries, etc, and liability for contractual payments for death or long-term disability due to an occupational injury, illness or hazard. Required Required in respect of all chartered yachts, where the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, as amended, (MLC) is in force, and aboard yachts registered in countries applying the MLC, pursuant to Regulation 2.5 Standard A2.5.2 Paragraph 9 and Regulation 4.2 Standard A4.2.1 paragraph 1(b) of MLC. Remarks Cover will usually already be provided by a P&I Club (if applicable) so make sure you’re not paying for separate MLC cover unnecessarily. Your broker should be able to advise you on whether such cover is needed. CREW WELFARE Risk Risk of a crewmember being unavailable for work for longer than necessary. Required Some elements may be required by law. Remarks Typically covers treatment costs, and financial repercussions, for crew in the event of illness or accident – whether on duty or not, and whether on board or ashore. Cover varies considerably, and there may be some elements of the cover which overlaps with, or includes, employers’ liability insurance and/or cover required by MLC. Beyond legal requirements, unless you’re prepared to pay this out of your own pocket, it makes sense to insure against crew accidents and medical treatments costs. It’s a benefit which is appreciated and may help to ensure that crew with minor injuries can return to work as soon as possible. OIL POLLUTION Risk Risk of the legal owner being held liable for the criminal acts of crewmembers in causing oil pollution, and the effects and costs of cleaning up. Required Insurance is usually required in respect of all yachts over 1,000 GT by the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001, but liability under this convention extends to vessels of all sizes. May also be required by other local laws, such as the United States Oil Pollution Act 1990. Remarks Fines and clean-up costs can be enormous, and the spectre of criminal liability – potentially meaning that beneficial owners cannot shelter behind an owning company – means that you must be clear that the requisite cover is in place. Cover is normally provided by P&I Clubs, and Blue Cards, proving cover, can normally be obtained on request. Fines can be issued for not carrying proof on board. WRECK REMOVAL Risk Risk of the legal owner being fined for not being insured against the costs of wreck removal. Required Insurance can be required in respect of all yachts of 300 GT and over – by a small but growing number of countries – under the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007. It can also be mandated by local laws. Remarks Cover is normally provided by P&I Clubs, and Blue Cards, proving cover, can normally be obtained on request. Fines can be issued for not carrying proof on board. HULL & MACHINERY Risk Risk of loss of, or damage caused to, your yacht, its engines, equipment, fittings and accessories. Required Not normally required by law. Remarks The term Hull & Machinery is a little misleading since the whole yacht will be covered, not just the hull and ‘machinery’ – a shipping term essentially meaning the engine and sterngear. The precise scope of cover will vary. Check, for example, whether fine art and valuables are covered, as well as your other personal effects and those of guests and crewmembers. Be aware of conditions in respect of named storms, and geographical cruising limits. Also check whether tenders are covered. Aircraft and submersibles carried on board are normally excluded. WAR & STRIKES Risk Risk of loss of, or damage caused to, your yacht, its engines, equipment, fittings and accessories, caused by war, terrorism, insurrection and strikes, and not covered by your Hull & Machinery policy. Required Not normally required by law. Remarks While cruising in a war zone isn’t going to provide the most relaxing experience, this fills gaps in the Hull & Machinery policy which may exclude passages through waters known for piracy, and damage caused where volatile political demonstrations spill over into harbourside areas. FINE ART & VALUABLES Risk Risk of loss of, or damage caused to, works of art and other valuable items, installed or carried on board your yacht, and not covered by your Hull & Machinery policy. Required Not normally required by law. Remarks Because the sky could otherwise be the limit to losses – and because yacht insurance has its roots in commercial shipping, works of art and other valuable items are normally excluded from Hull & Machinery policies. This insurance fills that gap. Be alert of the need to agree item descriptions and valuations at inception. SUBSEA EQUIPMENT Risk Risk of loss of, or damage caused to, submersibles being carried on board your yacht, and not covered by your Hull & Machinery policy. Required Not normally required by law. Remarks Submersibles being too specialist a risk for many underwriters, they are normally excluded. KIDNAP & RANSOM Risk Risk of you having to pay for crisis response, negotiation services and ransoms in the event of a kidnapping. Required Not normally required by law. Remarks While damage caused to your yacht, by pirates, should be covered by Hull & Machinery or War & Strikes Risks, costs associated with any resulting kidnapping are not. This insurance looks to plug that gap. PROJECT RISK Risk Risk of loss of, or damage caused to, your yacht, its engines, equipment, fittings and accessories, while being built. Required Not normally required by law. Remarks Hull & Machinery insurance is for yachts that have been completed – not in-build projects. The builder will insure the project (and this should have been addressed in the build agreement ) but the builder’s cover may be limited. This cover looks to plug that gap, as well as covering parts and equipment in storage at the yard and awaiting installation. PROJECT LIABILITY Risk Risk of the legal owner’s liability to third parties, while your yacht is being built, refitted or repaired. Required May be required by law. Remarks While the builder’s insurances should provide cover in respect of its own contractors and employees, it will not normally cover your project manager(s), crewmembers and contractors which you engage in respect of the project, and its tenders. You may have specific employers’ liability insurance obligations, or the local equivalent. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Understanding the Contract Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Understanding the Contract

So you have your team in place. In the case of a full custom yacht, you'll now have your design and specification to hand. And if it’s a semi-custom or series production yacht you’re going for, your team understands your vision and is ready to review, negotiate and modify the builders’ pre-existing designs and specifications. It’s time to shortlist the builders. Home Handbook Building / / Engage a Builder 10 May 2023 Last revised minutes 3 Reading time So you have your team in place. In the case of a full custom yacht, you have your design and specification to hand. And if it’s a semi-custom or series production yacht you’re going for, your team understands your vision and is ready to review, negotiate and modify the builders’ pre-existing designs and specifications. It’s time to shortlist the builders. minutes 3 Reading time 10 May 2023 Last revised So you have your team in place. In the case of a full custom yacht, you have your design and specification to hand. And if it’s a semi-custom or series production yacht you’re going for, your team understands your vision and is ready to review, negotiate and modify the builders’ pre-existing designs and specifications. It’s time to shortlist the builders. The asking prices of yachts depend on builder pedigree and size, with Northern Europe, France, Italy, and Turkey being viewed as having higher pedigree. Builders often subcontract parts of builds to suppliers, so effective build agreements and project management are crucial. Whittle down the short-list of builders by checking their available build slots and assessing their insurances and financial stability. Visit the builder's facilities to evaluate their cleanliness, safety, and organization, as well as the quality of their craftsmen and office facilities. Assess the builder's management team for communication and receptiveness to new concepts, as well as their flexibility in equipment suppliers and subcontractors. Consider the builder's financial security and willingness to have the build agreement subject to English law and jurisdiction. Choose a builder based on factors beyond the lowest bid, such as personal impression and team performance. Builders often request a Letter of Intent (LOI) before reserving a build slot, which outlines the price, payment terms, design, specification, and delivery timeframe. Clarify which parts of the LOI are binding and split it into a binding and non-binding section if necessary. Negotiate the build agreement after securing the LOI, taking legal advice before agreeing to any terms. Consider the builder's financial security and willingness to have the build agreement subject to English law and jurisdiction. Choose a builder based on factors beyond the lowest bid, such as personal impression and team performance. Builders often request a Letter of Intent (LOI) before reserving a build slot, which outlines the price, payment terms, design, specification, and delivery timeframe. Clarify which parts of the LOI are binding and split it into a binding and non-binding section if necessary. Negotiate the build agreement after securing the LOI, taking legal advice before agreeing to any terms. The asking prices of yachts depend on builder pedigree and size, with Northern Europe, France, Italy, and Turkey being viewed as having higher pedigree. Builders often subcontract parts of builds to suppliers, so effective build agreements and project management are crucial. Whittle down the short-list of builders by checking their available build slots and assessing their insurances and financial stability. Visit the builder's facilities to evaluate their cleanliness, safety, and organization, as well as the quality of their craftsmen and office facilities. Assess the builder's management team for communication and receptiveness to new concepts, as well as their flexibility in equipment suppliers and subcontractors. As your broker will have told you – or as you’ll have worked out by browsing online listings – the asking prices of yachts are dependent on builder pedigree as well as size. Broadly, builders in Northern Europe tend to be viewed as having the highest pedigree, followed by France and Italy and then Turkey. But this is much about perception than anything else. The reality is that many parts of the builds are subcontracted to suppliers who can place teams into any yard you wish. What’s key is an effective build agreement and project management. The use of well-known exterior and interior designers can add kudos and value. You’ll soon establish where your project can built. ASSESS THE CANDIDATES The short-list can be whittled down by making inquiries and establishing at the outset which of these builders have build slots available which suit your time horizon. The next task is to establish that the builder has the correct insurances and place and a strong balance sheet. A build taken on which was too ambitious or priced too keenly can quickly turn a prestigious name into a financial basket case. Some information will be publicly available, or an NDA can be put in place to allow you to examine more sensitive details. You should obtain a credit reference if possible. Then you should visit the builder in person. Modern yacht-building facilities are clean, safe, well-lit and orderly. Owners’ teams should have excellent office facilities, and there should be secure areas where owner-supplied items are clearly marked and stored. The workers are well-paid and highly-skilled craftsmen and women. It is (or should be) a far cry from many commercial and military shipyards. By meeting the builder’s management team, you can get a feel for their communicativeness, and their receptiveness to any new concepts you have in mind. You also need to assess the degree to which they are wedded to certain equipment suppliers and subcontractors in case you're considering alternatives. The builder will need to provide the right financial security and be open to having the build agreement subject to English law and jurisdiction: if it came to it, would you really receive justice in the builder’s local courts? You may well choose the builder you liked the look of, or whose team impressed you, over the one which came in with the lowest bid. RESERVE A SLOT It’s common practice for builders to request a Letter of Intent (LOI) from a prospective buyer before they’ll reserve a build slot. This stage is half-way between an informal expression of interest and a build agreement. The term is often used, but parties can be at odds about what the LOI means in practice and, in particular, the extent to which it’s going to bind the parties. As with many contracts in the international maritime sphere, the uncontroversial default choice of law for LOIs is that of England. Insistence on local laws should ring alarm bells. Under English law, contracts must be certain. Agreements to agree, and to negotiate in good faith, are unenforceable as they’re uncertain. The LOI can, and should, set out the price and payment terms, the design and specification, and the delivery timeframe. You may also want the right of first refusal for any earlier slots which become available. Depending on how these are drafted, each of these elements may or may not be binding. Different builders may have different expectations, but there is no overall consensus on this. The parties need to be clear on which parts are binding, and may be helpful to split the LOI into a binding and non-binding section. The degree to which you obtain certainty, while still retaining the flexibility to change or cancel the slot, is a matter of negotiation. Money may or may not change hands. If you haven’t had the owning company incorporated, the builder may want the LOI to be in your name personally. Whether you accede to such request is, of course, up to you, but the LOI must then contain a right for you to assign your interest over to the company upon incorporation. Never agree to an LOI before taking legal advice. With the LOI in place, it’s time to negotiate the build agreement . Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about The Build Agreement Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about The Build Agreement

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While your yacht insurance broker should understand and be able to explain policy terms to you, there can be ambiguity as to the role played by intermediaries. If you’re going to do your utmost to make sure that you remain covered, you need to be clear about the insurance contract itself, beyond deductible amounts. Underwriters are in business to make money and, despite marketing to the contrary, can and will fight larger claims. Home Handbook Insuring / / Understanding The Contract 18 April 2023 Last revised minutes 3 Reading time While your broker should understand and be able to explain policy terms to you, there can be ambiguity as to the role played by intermediaries. If you’re going to do your utmost to make sure that you remain covered, you need to be clear about the insurance contract itself, beyond deductible amounts. Underwriters are in business to make money and, despite marketing to the contrary, can and will fight larger claims. minutes 3 Reading time 18 April 2023 Last revised While your broker should understand and be able to explain policy terms to you, there can be ambiguity as to the role played by intermediaries. If you’re going to do your utmost to make sure that you remain covered, you need to be clear about the insurance contract itself, beyond deductible amounts. Underwriters are in business to make money and, despite marketing to the contrary, can and will fight larger claims. Where there's a dispute, ambiguous terms in a policy are construed in favour of the insured . Consumer protection may vary based on whether the insured uses the yacht privately or commercially. Insurance contracts consist of four types of terms: terms descriptive of the risk, exclusions, warranties, and conditions. Breach of warranty can release the underwriter from future liability or suspend coverage, while breach of a condition can lead to liability rejection or claims for damages. Terms descriptive of the risk define the perilscovered , and the insured must prove that the loss resulted from one of these perils. Exclusions limit the scope of coverage and suspend cover during the excluded circumstances. Warranties are fundamental terms that must be strictly followed, regardless of whether they are labeled as such. Conditions can be either conditions precedent (before coverage) or bare conditions (during the policy), and breach can result in different outcomes. The insured party must have an insurable interest in the matter being insured, typically the owner of the yacht. Other interested parties must be declared in the contract and can be entitled to notifications, but to claim directly, they need to be named as joint or co-insureds. Exclusions limit the scope of coverage and suspend cover during the excluded circumstances. Warranties are fundamental terms that must be strictly followed, regardless of whether they are labeled as such. Conditions can be either conditions precedent (before coverage) or bare conditions (during the policy), and breach can result in different outcomes. The insured party must have an insurable interest in the matter being insured, typically the owner of the yacht. Other interested parties must be declared in the contract and can be entitled to notifications, but to claim directly, they need to be named as joint or co-insureds. Where there's a dispute, ambiguous terms in a policy are construed in favour of the insured . Consumer protection may vary based on whether the insured uses the yacht privately or commercially. Insurance contracts consist of four types of terms: terms descriptive of the risk, exclusions, warranties, and conditions. Breach of warranty can release the underwriter from future liability or suspend coverage, while breach of a condition can lead to liability rejection or claims for damages. Terms descriptive of the risk define the perilscovered , and the insured must prove that the loss resulted from one of these perils. Insurance contracts must set out the risk, the duration of cover, the premium and the amount payable in the event of loss. That’s it. They don’t need to be set out in any particular way. And, aside from marine insurance, they don’t even need to be in writing. The policies for larger risks can be long-winded and written in rather theatrical terms. These old-fashioned words and phrases have well-known and judicially considered meanings and implications. In recent years, there has been a move towards simpler terminology – but such words may not have been considered in court. In the event of a dispute arising between insured and underwriter, unfamiliar terms can lead to doubt. If words are ambiguous, they will be construed in favour of the insured. Whilst an owner who keeps the yacht solely for private use may be given the benefit of any doubt as a consumer, where the vessel is chartered or otherwise maintained on a commercial basis for tax reasons, this consumer protection evaporates. Where words have a technical legal meaning, this definition will prevail, as will any definitions set out in the contract. Where there are rival meanings, the construction consistent with commercial common sense will triumph. The contract will also be construed in line with the purpose of the contract, such that insuring clauses are interpreted widely, and exclusions narrowly. TYPES OF TERMS Insurance contracts contain four types of terms. It’s important to know which category a term falls into, as this affects what happens where such terms aren’t complied with. The categories are: Terms descriptive of the risk; Exceptions and exclusions; Warranties; and Conditions. For those who already know a little about general contract law, the terms ‘warranty’ and ‘condition’ are used differently. In insurance law, a breach of warranty can discharge an underwriter from all future liability, or may suspend cover for the period during which the insured is in breach, rather than merely rise to a claim for damages. Breaching a condition can give the underwriter the right to reject liability – or claim damages. TERMS DESCRIPTIVE OF THE RISK These are terms that describe the risk, and so define the cover in terms of the perils insured against. The insured must prove that its loss was caused by one of these perils. EXCEPTIONS & EXCLUSIONS Exceptions and exclusions set limits on the scope of the risk. They have the effect of suspending cover while the excluded circumstances are in effect. WARRANTIES Warranties are fundamental terms and must be strictly complied with. They may or may not labelled as such, but exist where the insured declares that something will or will not be done, or that a condition has or has not been fulfilled, or that it holds a particular intention or belief. It used to be that underwriters made all kinds of terms warranties simply by including ‘basis of contract’ clauses. This is no longer allowed, but statements as to particular facts (past or present) can still be deemed to be warranties. CONDITIONS Conditions take the form of either: A ‘condition precedent’, which requires compliance by the insured before being on-cover, and which, if breached, allows the underwriter to reject liability altogether; or A ‘bare condition’, which requires compliance by the insured during the currency of the policy, and which, if breached, allows the underwriter to claim damages for any loss suffered as a result of a breach. Examples of a condition precedent might be the payment of the premium, or compliance with claim notification requirements, while a bare condition might take the form of an obligation to give prompt notice to the underwriter of any circumstance likely to give rise to a claim, or a requirement to co-operate with the underwriter in respect to a claim. Either way, the underwriter bears the burden of proving that a condition has been breached. And labelling a condition as such is not conclusive as to its status. INSURABLE INTEREST It may sound obvious, but the party taking out the insurance must be the owner of the yacht – not the beneficial owner. Otherwise, in law, the beneficial owner would merely be taking a bet. The insured is said to need to have an ‘insurable interest’ in the matter being insured. Other parties may have an interest which is insurable, and this must be declared in the contract. The noted party can be entitled to notification by the underwriter of changes to cover, cancellation or non-renewal. If such parties want to be able to claim directly from the underwriter, however, they need to be named either as joint or co-insureds in the policy. Joint insureds each have a contractual right to indemnity, perhaps because they both jointly own a yacht. But the wrongdoing of one joint insured can preclude a claim by the other (innocent) joint insured. A co-insured, such as a mortgagor bank, is not precluded from claiming under such circumstances. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Providing Information Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Providing Information

It’s important to understand the yacht insurance claims process, in advance of an incident, to make sure that underwriters have no excuses when it comes to the crunch. If you’re an owner reading this because your yacht has just been involved in an incident, then you should contact us right away to make sure that you’re taking the appropriate advice. Home Handbook Insuring / / Making A Claim 18 May 2023 Last revised minutes 4 Reading time It’s important to understand the claims process, in advance of an incident, to make sure that underwriters have no excuses when it comes to the crunch. If you’re an owner reading this because your yacht has just been involved in an incident, then you should contact us right away to make sure that you’re taking the appropriate advice. minutes 4 Reading time 18 May 2023 Last revised It’s important to understand the claims process, in advance of an incident, to make sure that underwriters have no excuses when it comes to the crunch. If you’re an owner reading this because your yacht has just been involved in an incident, then you should contact us right away to make sure that you’re taking the appropriate advice. You must notify the underwriter, through your broker if your're using one, of a loss - and provide evidence within a specified time frame or (if none) a reasonable period. You should take reasonable steps to minimize the loss in the event of an incident. You are responsible for proving the amount and scope of the loss and that it was caused by a covered peril. Both you and the underwriter have obligations of cooperation during the claims process. Underwriters must pay valid claims within a reasonable timeframe, and delays may result in additional damages payable to you. Subrogation allows the underwriter to recover money paid to the insured from the third party responsible for the loss. Settlements reached with the underwriter can be invalidated if fraudulent misrepresentation by the insured is later discovered. Double insurance can occur when both the yacht and its tender are insured separately, requiring coordination between insurers. Independent advice may be necessary, as your interests anf those of the underwriter are not aligned. You must not jeopardize the underwriter's subrogation rights by settling or abandoning a claim against a third party. Subrogation allows the underwriter to recover money paid to the insured from the third party responsible for the loss. Settlements reached with the underwriter can be invalidated if fraudulent misrepresentation by the insured is later discovered. Double insurance can occur when both the yacht and its tender are insured separately, requiring coordination between insurers. Independent advice may be necessary, as your interests anf those of the underwriter are not aligned. You must not jeopardize the underwriter's subrogation rights by settling or abandoning a claim against a third party. You must notify the underwriter, through your broker if your're using one, of a loss - and provide evidence within a specified time frame or (if none) a reasonable period. You should take reasonable steps to minimize the loss in the event of an incident. You are responsible for proving the amount and scope of the loss and that it was caused by a covered peril. Both you and the underwriter have obligations of cooperation during the claims process. Underwriters must pay valid claims within a reasonable timeframe, and delays may result in additional damages payable to you. In order to receive payment or obtain the benefit(s) specified in the contract, the insured must inform the underwriter that it has experienced a loss that it believes is covered by the contract, and provide evidence demonstrating that their claim is indeed covered by the contract. A specific claims procedure may be set out in the contract. Written notice may be required – which may need to be in a particular form. Notice must be given within any specified time frame, or otherwise within a reasonable period. If the notice provision is considered a condition precedent, the underwriter may be able to deny liability. CAUSATION The insured is normally responsible for proving, on a balance of probabilities: The amount and scope of their loss; and That their loss was ‘proximately caused’ by a peril covered by the policy, unless the policy states that the loss may be ‘directly or indirectly’ caused by such a peril (or similar). Quite often, losses involve a chain of events, one or more of which are excluded from coverage. Generally, if there are two proximate causes of loss, one covered and one not covered, the underwriter will be on the hook for that loss. But if the insured cannot establish which peril (covered or not covered) caused the loss, or if none of the causes appear inherently likely, there will be no coverage. DUTY TO CO-OPERATE The insurance contract normally obligations of cooperation for both the insured and the underwriter when a claim is filed. In the case of a liability policy, the underwriter is generally required to negotiate with third party claimants in good faith, taking into account the insured's best interests – and, if necessary, assume responsibility for defending against a third party claim. The insured, meanwhile, must not admit liability without the underwriter's consent – and must obtain the underwriter's approval before settling a third party claim. PAYING CLAIMS Underwriters must pay valid claims within a ‘reasonable’ timeframe. If there is a delay or failure to pay, the insured can sue for damages for any additional losses suffered. It’s up to the insured to establish that the payment was only made after an unreasonable delay. Where the underwriter has reasonable grounds to dispute the claim, the manner in which it handles the claim can be a relevant factor in determining whether the implied term of timely payment was breached. SUBROGATION When an underwriter pays out money to an insured under an indemnity policy, such as Hull & Machinery , the rules of ‘subrogation’ allow the underwriter to recover all or part of that money from the third party who caused the loss. Subrogation means that the underwriter can step into the insured's shoes and pursue the third party itself, seeking to recover what it’s just paid out. The underwriter can not only claim the rights of the insured but also any benefits awarded by a court, such as interest on judgment debts and costs. The right of subrogation can be explicitly stated in the insurance contract, but it is also a pre-existing legal right. As set out above, it is essential for the insured not to jeopardize the underwriter's subrogation rights by settling or abandoning the claim against the third party, as this could lead to the underwriter seeking damages from the insured. FRAUDULENT CLAIMS Underwriters are always alive to the possibility of fraud. They’re seen it all before. Even where a settlement has been reached between underwriter and insured, this can be invalidated where it’s later shown that there was a fraudulent misrepresentation by the insured. Underwriters have the option to terminate the insurance contract from the date of the fraudulent act - without refunding any premiums. This means that the underwriter can refuse liability for genuine losses or claims made after the fraudulent act. Claims made before the fraudulent act will be unaffected. DOUBLE INSURANCE Recent years have seen a rise the use of support yachts, carrying large tenders and helicopters. If close attention isn’t paid to the policies of both yacht and tender (itself often a large motor yacht), it is possible to end up in a situation where the tender is ‘double insured’. In the event of a loss, the insured generally has the freedom to choose under which policy to claim payment. However, this is subject to the terms and conditions of each insurance contract, and some policies may prevent the making of a claim if there is other insurance covering the same risk. Double insurance does not provide additional protection to the insured. Instead, it may complicate the claims process and require coordination between multiple insurers. If an underwriter pays out a claim under an insurance policy, it may have the right to seek a contribution from another underwriter that provided coverage for the same loss. CONCLUSION Should any incident ever arise, potentially involving damage to the yacht or liability to a third party, sitting back is not an option. The insured is usually under an express obligation to notify the underwriter, and do everything reasonable to minimise the loss. The advice of the underwriter or broker, at the initial stages of an incident, is therefore vital, but the interests of underwriter and insured not being one and the same, and it will be prudent for you to take independent advice, right away. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Who's Who Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Who's Who

Unavailable at present Latest Position Superyachts'R'Us Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 62 m Length Italia srl Builder 2002 Build year 612 Gross tonnage British Virgin Islands Registry Particulars Sample

Unavailable at present Latest Position Rapid Brokers Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 27 m Length Finest Craft Builder 1999 Build year 240 Gross tonnage United Kingdom Registry Particulars Forerunner

The Owners Club's Members' details are held in confidence by our General Secretary, and aren’t revealed to any third party, or other Members. The better part of valour being discretion isn’t just the Club’s guiding ethos. It’s a binding legal obligation. Home About Discretion / / The Soul of Discretion THE LAST GREAT LUXURY Privacy Policy Privacy is the last great luxury of our times. Highly prized by owners, it’s usually a contributing factor in buying a yacht. In an age where data has become a commodity, Members are glad to know that our discretion is absolute. Members' details are held in confidence by the Club’s General Secretary, and aren’t revealed to any third party, or other Members. The better part of valour being discretion isn’t just the Club’s guiding ethos. It’s a binding legal obligation. Some in the yachting industry can be fairly indiscrete. If we, as owners, are going to come together as a club, then we need to safeguard our privacy. This has been achieved. OWNER, 35M MY DISCRETION IS OUR DUTY Learn More Our General Secretary is an English lawyer, for whom discretion isn’t just a promise but a regulated professional requirement. Used to maintaining client confidentiality, he is a Partner at a leading international firm, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority and the London Stock Exchange. The Club’s management company is registered with the United Kingdom Information Commissioner’s Office pursuant to the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. By law, the data the Club holds must be held securely and protected against unlawful processing and accidental loss.

Superyacht owners have a collective worth greater than the annual GDP of Sweden. They are influencers in the truest sense. And now you can reach out to them and their gatekeepers through a platform which is independent and respected. Home About Advertise / / A Wealth of Opportunity The global fleet over 30 metres in length consisted of 5,396 superyachts in operation at the start of 2022 ... The total average final asking price for all used yachts sold, went up in 2021 to €11.8 million. The State of Yachting 2022 REACH THE GLOBAL ELITE Get In Touch Our Members are, by definition, some of the wealthiest people in the world. Working on the widely-accepted Ten Percent Rule, large yacht owners are together worth €637bn.* Which is slightly more than the annual GDP of, say, Sweden.* They are influencers in the truest sense. And now you can reach out to them and their gatekeepers through a platform which is independent and respected. *Sources: SuperYacht Times, The State of Yachting 2022, €(11.8m average value x 10 x 5,396 units), International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook Database, April 2024 No Conflicts of Interest Contact Us Transparency and impartiality being central to the Club’s ethos and success, we will welcome advertising and sponsorship in this, our new website. We are not, however, a yachting media outlet and do not rely on advertising revenue. There are plenty of such platforms, and they do a great job. But we’re exclusively on the side of owners. In order to avoid any conflicts of interest, we cannot carry advertising in respect of yachts, or yachting products or services. If you’d like to explore promoting your non-marine business, please get in touch.

Answers to questions often asked about The Owners Club, the worldwide association of superyacht owners. By pooling expertise and experience, we’re making ownership easier, more transparent and better value. Home About FAQs / / Any Questions? Have a question? Just contact us . Some regularly asked questions are set out below. Contact Us How do I become a member? Membership so far has been on an informal basis. To meet the needs of today’s rapidly growing numbers of owners and their representatives, we are now working towards online onboarding. This will allow immediate access to the Club’s suite of standard documents and specialist guidance. How long has the Club been in existence? The idea of creating the Club was first floated back in 2008. Only recently, with the return to pre-global financial crisis levels of building, and increasing public scrutiny of large yacht ownership, have Members sought to formalise their association. Which yacht broker do you recommend? While brokers play a vital role in the yacht market, we cannot recommend particular brokers. Each brokerage, and each individual broker, has its, his and her advantages and disadvantages in terms of contacts, experience and location. For the sake of simplicity and ease of completion, we would urge would-be buyers to ensure that they are dealing with central sales agents. Can we advertise with you? Yes – as long as your business isn’t selling yachts or any yachting-related goods or services. Members trust the Club to provide information and assistance without fear or favour. As we provide object owner-focused guidance, allowing yachting businesses to advertise might create a conflict of interest. Find out more here . Can I network with Members? If Members agree, the Club may organise social and networking events for Members and their representatives in future. Can you help find me a captain? Crew agencies, aside, our General Secretary is happy to publicise direct crew and shoreside staff vacancies. Just contact us . Can you manage my yacht? No, but Members will soon be able to use the Club’s standard yacht management agreement to contract with third party managers. Indeed, Members may consider that, using the Club’s suite of documents, there may be certain aspects of management which can be undertaken by their own family offices. Why doesn’t the Club use the term ‘superyacht’? It turns out that most of our Members don’t actually like the terms ‘superyacht’, ‘megayacht' or ‘gigayacht’. They generally feel that it isn’t helpful to be seen by authorities and the media as a special type of yacht. They feel there’s a fine line between label and target.

All the world's major yacht and superyacht shows, conferences, races and rendezvous - listed in one place. A comprehensive guide to all the world's leading yacht and superyacht shows, races, conferences and related events. Such events are a must for those looking to buy or charter a yacht, or looking to source services such as yacht builders, naval architects or interior designers. Home Insights Events / / events Calendar This page aims to list all yacht-related events which may be of interest to our Members and their representatives. Click on any listing to go straight to the organiser's website. You can also see a map here . The Club has no commercial relationships with any organisers. Listings are not endorsements. Events can be subject to change or cancellation without notice, and may not take place every year. Please check with the organisers directly before making any arrangements. Have we missed an event? Please tell us .

Connect to us your way regarding any aspect of The Owners Club - by email, WhatsApp or through LinkedIn. Feel free to run anything past us regarding buying or building a yacht or superyacht, or any aspect of owning, managing or selling. Plus anything to do with superyacht crew recruitment and employment. Home / Contact Reach Out CONNECT YOUR WAY Feel free to drop us a line gensec@theownersclub.org Connect with the General Secretary on LinkedIn here Chat directly with the General Secretary on WhatsApp here Follow our LinkedIn page here

The Owners Club is the worldwide association for the owners of large, permanently-crewed yachts - often known as superyachts. We're pooling our knowledge and resources, to help each other and those looking to build or buy a superyacht. Home Welcome To The Club THE CONFLUENCE OF AFFLUENCE & INFLUENCE How it Started We are the worldwide association for the owners of large, permanently-crewed yachts often known as superyachts. The Club is fearlessly independent and has no connections with particular yacht builders, brokers, managers or suppliers. By pooling expertise and experience, we’re making ownership easier, more transparent and better value. The Club's a wonderful idea and long overdue. I've had teeth for years but that doesn't make me a dentist. I've had yachts for years, but I'm still glad of the opportunity to share knowledge and best practice, and help make ownership less opaque. OWNER, 42M MY GAINING KNOWLEDGE SHARING PASSION Secretariat As owners, we’re asking the same questions, to the same advisers, again and again. Or we’re asking our captains and managers, whose well-intentioned understanding can be out-of-date or based on hearsay. Members are free to consult the Club’s General Secretary about any aspect of ownership, from purchase, through crew employment and regulatory requirements, to a successful sale and on to bigger and better. About time! I can’t always justify taking advice on operational matters. If we can come together to share both expense and experience then that has got to be a good thing. OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE, 35m SY GUIDANCE ON MATTERS WHICH MATTER With the relevant Members’ permission, we’ve summarised some of the guidance provided previously by our General Secretary, in the form of a handbook, for the benefit of other Members and the wider community. The information may not apply to your circumstances. If you need help in respect of specific situation, please contact us. Contact Us

The unique Regulations Radar sets out the minimum documentation owners are obliged to maintain for yachts and superyachts registered in the United Kingdom and carrying no more than 12 guests. Other ship registries have similar obligations. This page aims to set out the minimum documentation owners are obliged to maintain for yachts registered in the United Kingdom and carrying no more than 12 guests. Other flags have similar obligations. Non-compliance can lead to port detention and/or fines, and can have implications for insurance cover. Most documents will be needed by the next owner, so if you're looking to sell check that all necessary paperwork is present before your yacht is placed on the market. Don't leave it until a sale has been agreed. M-Notices and Notes are useful guides but not authoritative statements of law, and are regularly withdrawn. Home Handbook Regulation / / Regulations Radar This page aims to set out the minimum documentation owners are obliged to maintain for yachts registered in the United Kingdom and carrying no more than 12 guests. Other flags have similar obligations. Non-compliance can lead to port detention and/or fines, and can have implications for insurance cover . Most documents will be needed by the next owner, so if you're looking to sell check that all necessary paperwork is present before your yacht is placed on the market. Don't leave it until a sale has been agreed. M-Notices and Notes are useful guides but not authoritative statements of law, and are regularly withdrawn. BOTH ≥400 GT or >15 persons BOTH ≥400 GT BOTH ≥150 GT BOTH ≥24 m LOA to <400 GT BOTH ≥100 GT or >15 persons BOTH >130 kW engine(s) after 1 Jan 2000 COMMERCIAL ≥24 m LOA or ≥150 GT before 21 July 1968 COMMERCIAL ≥24 m LLL or ≥150 GT before 21 July 1968 BOTH ≥300 GT COMMERCIAL ≥300 GT BOTH all sizes COMMERCIAL all sizes PRIVATE all sizes BOTH >1000 GT COMMERCIAL ≥500 GT BOTH ≥24 m LOA PLEASE SELECT THE RELEVANT SIZE(S) TO SEE WHICH DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED AND WHY. SELECT ALL RELEVANT CATEGORIES INCLUDING SMALLER SIZES. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR 499GT SEE ≥400GT, ≥300GT, ETC WHILE GT AND USAGE CAN BE FOUND ON YOUR VESSEL'S CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION, IT IS THE ACTUAL USE TO WHICH YOUR VESSEL IS PUT WHICH IS KEY. THIS GUIDE IS NOT UPDATED AUTOMATICALLY. CHECK THAT M-NOTICES/NOTES, REGULATIONS AND ACTS ARE STILL IN FORCE. CONTACT US FOR ASSISTANCE. THIS GUIDE IS NOT UPDATED AUTOMATICALLY. CHECK THAT M-NOTICES/NOTES, REGULATIONS AND ACTS ARE STILL IN FORCE. CONTACT US FOR ASSISTANCE. WHILE GT AND USAGE CAN BE FOUND ON YOUR VESSEL'S CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION, IT IS THE ACTUAL USE TO WHICH YOUR VESSEL IS PUT WHICH IS KEY SELECT ALL RELEVANT CATEGORIES INCLUDING SMALLER SIZES. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR 499GT SEE ≥400GT, ≥300GT, ETC PLEASE SELECT THE RELEVANT SIZE(S) TO SEE WHICH DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED AND WHY PRIVATE all sizes COMMERCIAL ≥24 m LLL or ≥150 GT before 21 July 1968 COMMERCIAL ≥24 m LOA or ≥150 GT before 21 July 1968 COMMERCIAL all sizes COMMERCIAL ≥300 GT COMMERCIAL ≥500 GT BOTH all sizes BOTH >130 kW engine(s) after 1 Jan 2000 BOTH ≥24 m LOA BOTH ≥24 m LOA to <400 GT BOTH ≥100 GT or >15 persons BOTH ≥150 GT BOTH ≥300 GT BOTH ≥400 GT BOTH ≥400 GT or >15 persons BOTH >1000 GT This page aims to set out the minimum documentation owners are obliged to maintain for yachts registered in the United Kingdom and carrying no more than 12 guests. Other flags have similar obligations. Non-compliance can lead to port detention and/or fines, and can have implications for insurance cover. Most documents will be needed by the next owner, so if you're looking to sell check that all necessary paperwork is present before your yacht is placed on the market. Don't leave it until a sale has been agreed. M-Notices and Notes are useful guides but not authoritative statements of law, and are regularly withdrawn.

Unavailable at present Latest Position Superyachts'R'Us Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 33 m Length DMS & Co Builder 2017 Build year 350 Gross tonnage Malta Registry Particulars Display

Unavailable at present Latest Position Yachts & More Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 62 m Length Thompson Yachts Builder 2005 Build year 670 Gross tonnage Malta Registry Particulars Guide

Unavailable at present Latest Position Wright A Way & Co Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 22 m Length Italia srl Builder 1994 Build year 45 Gross tonnage Jersey Registry Particulars Sunray

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Piracy raises a matrix of legal issues, just at the time when the consideration of these will be the last thing on anyone’s mind. This reinforces the desirability of taking advice in advance and, if necessary, placing a trained and equipped security team on board. For those with real concerns about security, compared with highways, houses and offices, yachts will always be – by far – the most secure location. Home Handbook Managing / / Piracy & Protection 16 April 2010 Last revised minutes 4 Reading time Piracy raises a matrix of legal issues, just at the time when the consideration of these will be the last thing on anyone’s mind. This reinforces the desirability of taking advice in advance and, if necessary, placing a trained and equipped security team on board. For those with real concerns about security, compared with highways, houses and offices, yachts will always be – by far – the most secure location. minutes 4 Reading time 16 April 2010 Last revised Piracy raises a matrix of legal issues, just at the time when the consideration of these will be the last thing on anyone’s mind. This reinforces the desirability of taking advice in advance and, if necessary, placing a trained and equipped security team on board. For those with real concerns about security, compared with highways, houses and offices, yachts will always be – by far – the most secure location. Piracy is defined as any illegal act of violence, detention, or destruction committed by the crew or passengers of a private vessel against another vessel or persons/property on board, outside any country's territorial waters. Hotspots for piracy include the coasts of Indonesia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and some South American countries. Insurance coverage for yachts usually has restrictions on cruising areas, and breaching these restrictions may void coverage . Insurers have a broader definition of piracy than the legal definition, as attacks are more likely to occur within territorial waters. Obtaining up-to-date information on current piracy hotspots is crucial, and insurers and maritime security firms can provide assistance. Maintaining vigilance and employing defence measures such as acoustic defence systems and strong-rooms are recommended for yachts in high-risk areas. The legality of carrying weapons depends on the laws of the flag state (where the yacht is registered) and the port state (where the yacht is located). Some countries allow firearms on board as part of the yacht's equipment, while others prohibit certain weapons entirely. Legal consequences and the use of firearms in self-defence can vary depending on the laws of the flag state, port state, and international criminal law. Recognizing pirates can be challenging, and preemptive action may have legal implications. Self-defence and defence of others must be reasonable and proportional to the perceived threat. Maintaining vigilance and employing defence measures such as acoustic defence systems and strong-rooms are recommended for yachts in high-risk areas. The legality of carrying weapons depends on the laws of the flag state (where the yacht is registered) and the port state (where the yacht is located). Some countries allow firearms on board as part of the yacht's equipment, while others prohibit certain weapons entirely. Legal consequences and the use of firearms in self-defence can vary depending on the laws of the flag state, port state, and international criminal law. Recognizing pirates can be challenging, and preemptive action may have legal implications. Self-defence and defence of others must be reasonable and proportional to the perceived threat. Piracy is defined as any illegal act of violence, detention, or destruction committed by the crew or passengers of a private vessel against another vessel or persons/property on board, outside any country's territorial waters. Hotspots for piracy include the coasts of Indonesia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and some South American countries. Insurance coverage for yachts usually has restrictions on cruising areas, and breaching these restrictions may void coverage . Insurers have a broader definition of piracy than the legal definition, as attacks are more likely to occur within territorial waters. Obtaining up-to-date information on current piracy hotspots is crucial, and insurers and maritime security firms can provide assistance. Piracy is defined internationally by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Articles 101–103. Although local laws may add to this definition, the crime essentially consists of: Any illegal act of violence, detention, or destruction, Committed for private ends, By the crew or passengers of a private vessel, Against another vessel or against persons or property on board another vessel, Which is outside any country’s territorial waters; or Any act of inciting or intentionally facilitating such an act. HOTSPOTS Attacks are logged on the website of Commercial Crime Services (CCS), a division of the International Chamber of Commerce. Currently, while the principal hotspots are to be found off the coasts of Indonesia, Somalia, Bangladesh and Nigeria, acts have been committed off the coasts of various South American countries and even in the Caribbean. INSURANCE Insurers are usually very strict about where yachts can and cannot cruise while remaining covered. Any breach of these restrictions will allow them to escape paying out in the event of a claim for absolutely anything. Once the owner has decided where he or she wishes to cruise, this must be disclosed to the insurer if it is outside the area permitted in the policy, and additional cover negotiated – the cost of which will reflect any perceived increase in risk. In common with the IMB, the definition of ‘piracy’ used by insurers is generally much wider than that given above. This is fortunate since, statistically, attacks are more likely to occur within a state’s own territorial waters – i.e. within 12 nautical miles of the adjacent shoreline. Although piracy risks are specifically covered by the standard ‘Institute Yacht Clauses (1/11/85)’, which are the most commonly-used first-party insurance terms, the risks should still be discussed with the broker anyway. Where, unusually, the policy is not subject to English law, then it may be prudent to take independent legal advice. INFORMATION Patterns of worldwide piracy fluctuate with the political stability and, to a lesser extent, the economic fortunes of adjacent states. It is imperative to obtain up-to-date advice on where the current trouble spots are. Insurers can help with this, although specialist maritime security firms can often provide more detailed information. It should be noted that the security industry is not well regulated in some countries, and firms’ services vary in quality. DEFENCE Although the advice to all yachts travelling in high-risk areas is to maintain particular vigilance, and defences such as acoustic defence systems, satellite-alert systems and strong-rooms are options, the question most commonly raised is whether weapons are, legally, an option. To decide what’s legal and what’s not, it’s necessary to know which countries’ laws apply to any given situation. One needs to consider both the ‘Flag State’ law and the ‘Port State’ law. The Flag State law is the law of the country where the yacht is registered: it governs what happens on board the yacht, wherever in the world the yacht is located, as if the yacht was a small, floating piece of that country. The Port State law is that of the country in whose territorial waters the yacht is located – not just in or around any particular port. EQUIPMENT To take the example of one of the most popular Flag States, the United Kingdom, weapons may kept on board, but not all types. Under the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, firearms (including shotguns) and associated ammunition normally require a licence for purchase and possession. A firearm and ammunition, however, can be possessed on board a yacht, if it forms part of that yacht’s ‘equipment’, without the need for such a licence. A police permit is still needed to bring the firearm to and from the yacht, and a licence required to purchase the firearm in the first place. Section 5 of the same Act still outlaws some weapons altogether for the general public, including: Automatic and semi-automatic weapons, Pump-action weapons, Pistols, other than flare guns, Rocket launchers, other than those used for line-throwing or signalling, Air guns using gas cartridges, and Pepper sprays, TASER®s, etc. Port States will have their own laws relating to possession and disclosure. Researching and complying with these can be difficult and expert advice is a must. ACTION Clearly, there is no point in having weapons on board unless someone is prepared to use them. Introducing them into the equation might change a confrontation into a shoot-out. Guns in untrained hands are not an option. It is also very difficult to work out in advance what the legal consequences of firing shots might be. Thankfully, this choice can be neatly sidestepped by placing a specialist security team on board just for the necessary passages. Shooting at someone whilst they are on another vessel potentially constitutes an act of violence committed on both vessels. The shooter will therefore be subject to the laws of both Flag States, plus that of the Port State if the shooting occurs within 12 nautical miles of the coast (although this limit may not be respected in all countries). Looking by way of example at the UK criminal law, which is followed in much of the world, the raising of a weapon at a suspected pirate, who in fact wasn’t, could constitute an ‘assault’, i.e. putting someone in fear of violence. Shooting a pirate (or otherwise harming him) could lead to charges of grievous bodily harm, where serious injury is caused. Where the pirate is unintentionally or intentionally killed, manslaughter or murder charges could follow. Obviously, a number of defences could be put forward in response, the most useful of which would be self-defence or the defence of another. The accused would not need to have retreated as far as possible before the act of self-defence. Indeed, an act of self-defence or the defence of another may be pre-emptive, given reasonable apprehension. If the threat of force would have been enough, it may be unreasonable to go ahead and use force. If one person on a yacht is threatened, all are can be seen as having been threatened. The force used in self-defence or in the defence of another must be ‘reasonable’ in the circumstances as the accused saw it. What is reasonable would be up to the jury and difficult to predict. The main practical problem is recognising whether or not the yacht is faced with pirates. Until they raise a weapon in your direction or commit any act of violence against anyone, they are just other seafarers. Attack first, and you risk becoming the pirate. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Going Dark Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Going Dark

Many of our Members will already be familiar with the reasoning behind corporate ownership and the use of trusts. If that’s you, then feel free to skip to the next step of building your team. Too many buyers, however, still purchase in their own names. As well as raising privacy concerns, legal owners can be held liable for accidents and regulatory non-compliance. Corporate services aren’t cheap, but it’s a sensible choice when building and owning a large yacht. Home Handbook Building / / A Firm Foundation 10 May 2023 Last revised minutes 5 Reading time Many of our Members will already be familiar with the reasoning behind corporate ownership and the use of trusts. If that’s you, then feel free to skip to the next step of building your team . Too many buyers, however, still purchase in their own names. As well as raising privacy concerns, legal owners can be held liable for accidents and regulatory non-compliance. Corporate services aren’t cheap, but it’s a sensible choice when building and owning a large yacht. minutes 5 Reading time 10 May 2023 Last revised Many of our Members will already be familiar with the reasoning behind corporate ownership and the use of trusts. If that’s you, then feel free to skip to the next step of building your team . Too many buyers, however, still purchase in their own names. As well as raising privacy concerns, legal owners can be held liable for accidents and regulatory non-compliance. Corporate services aren’t cheap, but it’s a sensible choice when building and owning a large yacht. Companies have a seperate legal personality, which allows companies to buy and sell goods and services like people. Trusts are arrangements where property is held by a trustee for the benefit of a beneficiary, sometimes with the same person as the settlor and beneficiary. Companies and trusts can be used to protect assets, reduce tax exposure, and shield personal wealth. Yachts can be owned through companies to ring-fence liability and protect other assets of the owner. Yachts can still be arrested in cases of accidents, pollution allegations, or unpaid debts. Releasing a yacht release from arrest requires payment of the claim or providing acceptable security, often requiring a personal guarantee from the beneficial owner. Lifting the corporate veil may expose individuals involved in fraudulent or tax evasion. The use of nominees can help to protect the identity of real directors and shareholders. Privacy is not guaranteed, as international treaties and conventions may override privacy laws, and trusts aren't always recognized. Offshore jurisdictions offer tax-efficient and legal ways for multinational companies and yacht owners, but careful consideration of jurisdiction is essential for reputation, integrity, costs, rule of law, political stability, and practicalities of winding-up corporate structures. Lifting the corporate veil may expose individuals involved in fraudulent or tax evasion. The use of nominees can help to protect the identity of real directors and shareholders. Privacy is not guaranteed, as international treaties and conventions may override privacy laws, and trusts aren't always recognized. Offshore jurisdictions offer tax-efficient and legal ways for multinational companies and yacht owners, but careful consideration of jurisdiction is essential for reputation, integrity, costs, rule of law, political stability, and practicalities of winding-up corporate structures. Companies have a seperate legal personality, which allows companies to buy and sell goods and services like people. Trusts are arrangements where property is held by a trustee for the benefit of a beneficiary, sometimes with the same person as the settlor and beneficiary. Companies and trusts can be used to protect assets, reduce tax exposure, and shield personal wealth. Yachts can be owned through companies to ring-fence liability and protect other assets of the owner. Yachts can still be arrested in cases of accidents, pollution allegations, or unpaid debts. Releasing a yacht release from arrest requires payment of the claim or providing acceptable security, often requiring a personal guarantee from the beneficial owner. Companies are said by lawyers to have their own ‘legal personality’. This colourful phrase just means that they are able to buy and sell goods and services in just the same way as a human being. Although corporations were developed as a means to allow entrepreneurs to raise money and conduct business without risking their personal wealth, companies can also be used for non-commercial purposes – as vehicles for asset ownership. TRUSTS Trusts are a rather different concept. They have no such personality. They are simply an arrangement whereby property is handed over by one party (the ‘settlor’) to another (the ‘trustee’) for the benefit of another (the ‘beneficiary’), on the basis that the property will be held and used as the trustee wishes. The settlor and beneficiary can be the same person. Although legal title is actually transferred from the settlor to the trustee, the beneficiary’s rights are recognisable and enforceable by the courts. As with companies, the use of trusts has come along way since their invention: they were first used to protect the property of medieval knights while away on crusade. BENEFITS Now and then, yachts are involved in accidents. Liability could easily exceed the value of the yacht, and, should the owner be held liable, his or her other assets are at risk. More sensible, then, to ring-fence any such source of liability by owning the yacht through a company. Companies and trusts can also be used, quite lawfully, to reduce an individual’s apparent wealth and personal tax exposure, and to protect assets from creditors where the beneficial owner is asked to provide personal guarantees in respect of the financing of his or her commercial activities. With very limited exceptions, yachts must, by law, be registered somewhere. In some cases, including during the build stage. Shipping registers being open to inspection by the public, details of a yacht’s owner are readily available. Most owners just don’t like the idea of journalists – or perhaps even former spouses – knowing what they own. Although the identity of company directors and shareholders is often a matter of public record, many jurisdictions allow directorships and shares to be held in the name of nominees. LIMITATIONS No amount of corporate structing can prevent the arrest of the yacht itself. Where this happens, the yacht is legally prevented from leaving her mooring. Typically, police or customs officers present the yacht with the court papers – this is the process which used to involve the nailing of a writ to the mast. Yachts are often arrested following a collision, an allegation of pollution, or where a good or service has been provided to the yacht without the provider (including crew) having been paid. There is no need for judgment to have been given and there may be little or no warning before the yacht is arrested – potentially leaving the owner in an awkward and embarrassing position in the middle of a busy charter season. The only way to release the yacht from arrest is either to pay the claim or to provide security. Such security may only be acceptable if provided or supported by a large bank. In turn, the bank will require a personal guarantee from the yacht’s beneficial owner. On occasion it may be possible to look behind the company at the individuals involved. This is known as lifting the corporate veil. The laws of certain jurisdictions, for example, state that where it appears that, in the course of winding-up a bankrupt company, transactions have been carried out with the intent to defraud creditors, a court may declare the individuals involved liable. Criminal sanctions can also apply. Creditors here only includes those owed money at the time the transfer was made, excluding future creditors. The burden of proving the necessary intent lies with the creditors. The same principle applies where it looks as if a company was set up to frustrate a court order to freeze assets. The use of nominees only prevents the true identity of directors and shareholders being made available to the public. It is not normally possible to offload liability onto the nominees, and there is likely to be a clause in the agreement to set up the company, obliging the actual directors and shareholders to indemnify the nominees. Privacy cannot be entirely guaranteed in any event. Not unreasonably, international treaties on the exchange of information relating to criminal activities, including tax evasion, can allow require even the strongest privacy laws to be brushed aside. Further, although trusts are usually recognised in common law jurisdictions, and some countries are party to an international convention on the recognition of trusts, known as the Hague Trust Convention, trusts aren’t always recognised. One final drawback of buying through a company is that the laws which automatically protect consumers only applies to people - not to companies. Such laws are of limited value where a bespoke yacht is being built, but consumers will have ambiguous build contract provisions interpreted in their favour. CHOICE OF JURISDICTION Offshore jurisdictions still have a reputation as being sunny places for shady people. In fact, virtually all the world’s leading multinationals use offshore companies and trusts to undertake business in a private, tax-efficient yet entirely legal way. ‘Offshore’ simply means a jurisdiction other the one someone is already resident or domiciled. They certainly don’t need to be far-flung islands – although many are as it can form a lucrative boost to otherwise tourist-dependent economies. In fact, a good example of an offshore centre is the United Kingdom – which was becoming increasingly popular long before Brexit. For yacht owners, the principal advantage of using a respectable, well-known offshore jurisdiction is that there is rarely the need to reinvent the wheel: they are geared up to provide yacht owning structures. As these activities often provide a sizeable proportion of foreign income, their governments make it a priority to make matters simple for those looking for this type of service. It is important to choose the jurisdiction(s) with care, however. No two are the same. There are bad apples in the barrel, especially with regards the integrity of local practitioners. With companies, but more particularly with trusts – where legal title is transferred to a local trustee who may have discretionary powers – there exists opportunities to extract more from their clients than had been expected. Other factors to consider include initial and ongoing costs (including local taxes), international reputation, and the strength of their rule of law – in other words how tough their courts are. Political stability is another important factor, as is the time zone, the exchange controls, and any escape provisions – which allow companies to change jurisdictions while maintaining their legal personality and trusts to be transferred without needing to be rewritten. Finally, the most overlooked aspect is the ease, timeframe and expense of winding-up a corporate structure when it’s no longer needed. Working with a local branch of an international legal or accounting group may provide reassurance, but on the other hand one may end up being steered towards just those places where they happen to have an office. Ideally, guidance in the earliest stages should be sought from an independent, trusted source, capable of providing an impartial, global overview. Reach out to our General Secretary if you need a steer. With the correct ownership structure in place, it's time to build your team . Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Build Your Team Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Build Your Team

Unavailable at present Latest Position Wright A Way & Co Listing Email WhatsApp +44 7773 246 246 Central Agent 105 m Length Builder & Co Builder 2022 Build year 1980 Gross tonnage Panama Registry Particulars Role Model

A map of all the world's major yacht and superyacht shows, conferences, races and rendezvous. A comprehensive guide to all the world's leading yacht and superyacht shows, races, conferences and related events. Such events are a must for those looking to buy or charter a yacht, or looking to source services such as yacht builders, naval architects or interior designers. Home Insights Events / / Events Map This page aims to map all yacht-related events which may be of interest to our Members and their representatives. You can also see a list of events, in date order, here . The Club has no commercial relationships with any organisers. Listings are not endorsements. Events can be subject to change or cancellation without notice, and may not take place every year. Please check with the organisers directly before making any arrangements. Map locations are approximate. Have we missed an event? Please tell us .

It is possible that political protests targeted at yachts and yachting infrastructure become more common. But such outcries are based on a complete ignorance about the nature and scope of the societal benefits flowing from ownership. It is up to us owners to inform and educate, as and when this is needed, and undertake research to support axiomatic assertions. Home Handbook White Papers / / A Flood Not a Trickle By far the majority of large, permanently-crewed yachts in existence today have only been launched since 2000. They’re new, and their positive impact is poorly understood by the general public, pressure groups and authorities alike. Yachts are increasingly becoming the targets of conflated environmental and political protests. As well as causing inconvenience in the short term, politicians may, in the long term be more reluctant to allow more marina developments, for example. After all, a small numbers of owners can only wield a small number of votes. It’s clear that yachting’s positive impact is woefully underestimated and misunderstood. Being confrontational will be counterproductive. As owners, we don’t want yachts to be on the political agenda. They exist, after all, for quiet enjoyment. But it’s as well to be prepared, with facts and figures at the ready, to respond to false accusations. And we may need to educate stakeholders and agitators quietly behind the scenes. PORTALS FOR THE REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH The most fundamental error is to consider a yacht purely as an asset – rather than a place of employment and worker accommodation. They are communities of individuals, most of whom are very well paid, and many of them are also entrusted to spend significant amounts of their employer’s hard-earned money. Whatever one’s views on the technical efficacy of trickle-down economics as part of a macroeconomic strategy, the boost to coastal economies is difficult to ignore. And this isn’t money being paid to an élite of lawyers and investment managers: it’s being paid directly into the accounts of waterside retailers and suppliers. Who, in turn, buy stock, employ staff and pay tax, leading to a significant quasi-Keynesian multiplier effect. BUYERS ALREADY PAY A PREMIUM Yachts are easy targets, because they are perceived – rightly – as being luxurious. But luxury isn’t just about opulence. Luxury is the combination of desirability and scarcity. Taking this to an extreme to illustrate the point, consider an expensive 50 year-old single malt Scotch whiskey. It’s matured in white oak barrels which – very slowly – allow some of the liquid to evaporate. There’s less and less of it as the years pass. So if this is what your heart desires you’ll pay more for it. The whiskey may or may not be any better than a 10 year-old dram, but it’s subjectively more desirable and objectively much scarcer. A yacht’s component parts are made in small numbers and/to an unusual specification. Producing them can be risky and unattractive for suppliers so they will demand higher prices. And precious few yards have the experience or equipment to craft the vessels themselves. All of this means that buyers pay significant premiums for yachts. As Mark Twain put it in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876): " Tom … had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it – namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. " MODEST CREW BACKGROUNDS Long gone are the days when crewmembers came from privileged backgrounds – perhaps the children of the owner’s friends, or just sporty types whose leisure and social lives centred around prestigious yacht clubs. Like owners today, crew come from a wide variety of backgrounds – maybe having grown up in workaday towns situated far from the sea. They also come from all over the world, and must adapt quickly to a life afloat. The Owners Club is actively looking into ways to widen further the appeal of a career working on yachts – helping to make the industry as professional and meritocratic as possible. STATE-OWNED HARBOURS Mooring fees – together with harbour dues and associated services costs – form a significant outgoing for many yachts. While most marinas operate on a concession basis, it is usually the government or local municipal authority which owns the facility, and to whom the operator pays significant sums. These boost local coffers which are used to pay for vital local services which the whole community benefit from. REDUCING DEMAND FOR PROPERTY Recent decades have seen demand for property rise steeply. And as, in the most part, they stopped making land years ago, prices have risen accordingly. Starting in European capitals, a ripple effect then affects all parts of the relevant country. The result is property which is too expensive for most first-time buyers. They end up without a physical stake in society. Their lives are more transient, less settled and less secure. At the top of the property-owning tree, the world’s wealthiest can own multiple residences, each of which is perhaps only occupied for part of the year. Reducing a property portfolio in favour of a yacht purchase reduces demand at the highest end of the market, which should – eventually – reduce inflationary pressures at the bottom. Not by much, one suspects, but every little helps. HIGHLIGHTING MARINE POLLUTION The more time one spends afloat, the more one is aware of the amount of pollution entering the sea and the food chain – especially in the form of plastics. The owners of large yachts are better placed than anyone to actually address the issues beyond making changes to their own habits. They are likely to own companies which can introduce behavioural changes on a massive scale. Or they may own media outlets which bang the drum of change. Or they may know politicians who can enact change. It is impossible not to be moved by the beauty of the marine environment, or outraged at seeing it compromised. Owners are in the position to act. YACHTS INSPIRE SOCIETY French philosopher Roland Barthes wrote in Mythologies (1957): “ I think that cars today are almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals; I mean the supreme creation of an era, conceived with passion by unknown artists, and consumed in image if not in usage by a whole population which appropriates them as a purely magical object. ” In today’s context, this description applies to yachts far more than cars. And such sentiment is nothing new. Economist and key Enlightenment figure Adam Smith opined in his 1759 book The Theory of Moral Sentiments : “ The pleasures of wealth and greatness … strike the imagination as something grand and beautiful and noble, of which the attainment is well worth all the toil and anxiety which we are so apt to bestow upon it .” And so it is that, by symbolising wealth and success, yachts serve to inspire entrepreneurs to redouble their efforts. They encourage everyone inclined to do so, to work hard, take risks and use their imaginations. OWNERS INSPIRE CREWMEMBERS Owners’ energy, work ethic and meritocratic outlook often rubs off on the crewmembers who work for them. As crew usually do not have to pay income tax, and have little in the way of daily outgoings, when the time comes for them to come ashore they often do so with sufficient capital set aside to fund a new business. Many such enterprises will be related to yachting, but some will have nothing to do with their previous seagoing careers. Either way, yet more of the owners’ capital will be injected into economies far and wide. CONCLUSION Since the detention of certain Russian-owned yachts in early 2022, it looks at last as if large yachts can be rehabilitated from being seen in the popular imagination as icons of oligarchy to that which they were in previous times: symbols of success and the rewards for hard work and entrepreneurial élan. The possibility of future minority kickback shouldn’t be ignored. The benefits of yacht ownership are manifold for society generally. It is incumbent us owners to ensure, by supporting the Club and its aims, that all stakeholders understand the scope and extent of such benefits. The good news will be developed and deployed as needed. Other than that, let’s just get on enjoying the fruits of our labours and investments. To quote Eleanor Roosevelt: “ The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear, for newer and richer experience .” Return to top Thank you to all our Members who provided perspectives for this white paper. It is possible that political protests targeted at yachts and yachting infrastructure become more common. But such outcries are based on a complete ignorance about the nature and scope of the societal benefits flowing from ownership. It is up to us owners to inform and educate, as and when this is needed, and undertake research to support axiomatic assertions. 15 November 2022 Last revised minutes 6 Reading time minutes 6 Reading time 15 November 2022 Last revised It is possible that political protests targeted at yachts and yachting infrastructure become more common. But such outcries are based on a complete ignorance about the nature and scope of the societal benefits flowing from ownership. It is up to us owners to inform and educate, as and when this is needed, and undertake research to support axiomatic assertions. Large, permanently-crewed yachts face misconceptions and challenges related to their environmental impact and public perception. It is important for us, as owners, to understand and communicate the positive aspects of yachting to counter this. Yachts are not just assets; they are floating communities, providing employment and contributing massively to local economies. Crewing provides employment for indivuals from all backgrounds. Yacht purchases can also reduce demand for expensive property and inspire society as symbols of success. We are in a position to drive environmental change through our businesses. Yachts can also inspire crewmembers to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. Ownership should be seen as a positive contribution to society, and we have a responsibility to promote and educate others about its benefits. You can also read about Blue is the New Green Questions or comments? Please contact us Join the discussion over in the Club's group You can also read about Blue is the New Green Questions or comments? Please contact us

The media is full of data about the carbon footprint of large yachts. This data is taken as gospel by campaign groups. After all, the journalists refer to published, peer-reviewed academic papers. And these are clever people, right? Well it appears not. Or least their political jaundice means that they’re not fussed about fact-checking. If we’re not careful, policy makers may regard such research as correct and unchallengeable. Home Handbook White Papers / / Damn Lies & Statistics Imagine the scene. It’s November 2022. You’re a high-ranking governmental delegate at the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh. You represent a Mediterranean nation, and answer directly to the Minister of State. Within broad pre-set limits, you have free reign to negotiate and agree to tabled proposals. Over your morning cappuccino at a harbourside café, you peruse a report prepared by a diligent civil servant. Incredibly, it seems as if ‘superyachts’ are responsible for more greenhouse gases even than private jets. Who knew? And there are tens of thousands of such jets around the world. Something must be done. The civil servant points to a report by Oxfam, a highly respect international NGO, entitled Carbon billionaires The investment emissions of the world’s richest people . It states: “ Another study drew on public records to estimate that in 2018 emissions from the private yachts, planes, helicopters and mansions of 20 billionaires generated on average about 8,194 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2e). ” FURTHER REINFORCEMENT Oxfam’s report credits an academic paper as its source: “ B. Barros and R. Wilk. (2021). The outsized carbon footprints of the super-rich ”. Ever diligent, your civil servant has already found this paper online. It’s by Professor Richard Wilk and PhD candidate Beatriz Barros, no less. They claim “ Among the many possessions of billionaires, large “superyachts” are by far the largest producers of greenhouse gases. Three-quarters of the billionaires in our sample owned a yacht with an average length of 276 feet (84 meters), and their average carbon equivalent emissions were 7,018 tons per year. ” Wow – these superyachts are huge, with a carbon footprint to match. You ask the civil servant how many billionaires there are in the world. She taps away on her laptop and replies that Forbes’ 36th Annual World’s Billionaires List: Facts And Figures 2022 states that there are now 2,668 billionaires in the world. Oh my goodness – if that’s the output from just 20, how much CO2 are 2,668 yachts going to produce? I mean, they must nearly all have one – right? But how respected is Barros & Wilk’s paper? The civil servant Googles. She finds a Financial Times article entitled Superyachts aim to go green – but at what cost? in which it’s says “ Research by anthropologists Beatriz Barros and Richard Wilk of Indiana University into the carbon footprints of the super-rich found that yachts contributed an outsized share of the carbon emissions of the billionaires who own them — far more than their private jets or mansions .” The FT. Well that’s that then. As politicians, we must act – and fast. We must tax these superyachts out of existence. You finish your cappuccino and head over to the conference venue with a purposeful stride. REALITY CHECK But dig a little deeper, and you’ll also find that Wilk & Barros’s sample comprised just twenty billionaires. That’s right. Twenty. They even admit that, “ This is not in any way a representative sample of billionaires. ” Indeed not. Moreover, their “average” yacht with a length of 84 metres is likely to have a gross tonnage of, say 2,500. In fact, the actual average gross tonnage of all 30+ metres yachts sold in 2021 was just 440 (source: SuperYacht Times, The State of Yachting 2022 ). As it was outside the scope of their studies, Wilk & Barros calculated fuel consumption using a 2018 paper by Luisa Menano de Figueiredo, The Yacht of 2030 – which looked, according to Wilk & Barros, at the cruising records of just ten yachts. Wilk & Barros do not explain their methodology. Had they looked more closely at de Figueiredo’s paper, in fact just eight yachts (not ten) were tracked, for a 90-day period, while in the Caribbean – as this was all the AIS data available. And de Figueiredo’s paper only concerned motor vessels – not sailing yachts. MORE NONSENSE Indeed, a misleading body of academic literature is starting to build. Respected academics Lynch, Long, Stretesky & Barrett, from the University of South Florida, Oklahoma State University, Northumbria University and Eastern Michigan University respectively stated in their 2019 academic paper Measuring the Ecological Impact of the Wealthy: Excessive Consumption, Ecological Disorganization, Green Crime, and Justice that “ Specifically, we draw attention to assessing aspects of ecological footprints of super yachts, super homes, luxury vehicles, and private jets. Taken together, the construction and use of these items in the United States alone is likely to create a CO2 footprint that exceeds those from entire nations. These results are not necessarily surprising but suggest that excessive consumption practices of the wealthy may need to be reinterpreted as criminal when they disrupt the normal regeneration and reproduction of ecosystems by generating excessive ecological disorganization. ” Strong stuff. Specifically, this paper states “ From available data, we estimated that an average (71 meter) SY uses about 107,000 gallons gasoline/year and produces 2.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually .” As set out above, 71 metres is, of course, way above average. And specific data sources aren’t given – as one might expect. Instead, there’s a list of references at the end. The only one relating to yachts is given as “ Mathew, Jerin. 2015. “True Cost of Owning a Super Yacht.” International Business Times, May 15. Retrieved April 19, 2019 (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/true-cost-owning-super-yacht-1498302). ” This is a short report publicising a fun, marketing infographic produced by an insurance company. That infographic states that a 71-metre yacht will consume (exactly) 500 litres of diesel per hour, and the owner will spend precisely $400,000 on fuel. Not a cent more and not a cent less. Etc. General sources are listed at the bottom of the infographic, including Wikipedia and superyachtfan.com. A fun piece of marketing, but hardly data to form a foundation for erudite scholarship. More recently, a paper by Wang, Maidment, Boccolini and Wright, of Solent University in the UK, stated in their paper Life cycle assessment of alternative marine fuels for super yacht that, " There is little argument that, with an estimated average cost of US$275 million only the wealthiest individuals in the world can afford to purchase and operate a superyacht (Alicia, 2015). " An estimate which is inaccurate by a factor of, say, ten - at least - by which has been recycled without question or fact-checking. CONCLUSION It’s easy to dismiss such works as politically motivated tirades by joyless, virtue-signalling lecturers, with a jaundiced worldview. Yet the figures generated are taken at face-value not only by climate activists but by respected journalists. As owners, we need to collect accurate data, and present it clearly, alongside information about our many and various yacht-based climate research and conservation initiatives. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who provided perspectives for this white paper. The media is full of data about the carbon footprint of large yachts. This data is taken as gospel by campaign groups. After all, the journalists refer to published, peer-reviewed academic papers. And these are clever people, right? Well it appears not. Or least their political jaundice means that they’re not fussed about fact-checking. If we’re not careful, policy makers may regard such research as correct and unchallengeable. 23 November 2022 Last revised minutes 5 Reading time minutes 5 Reading time 23 November 2022 Last revised The media is full of data about the carbon footprint of large yachts. This data is taken as gospel by campaign groups. After all, the journalists refer to published, peer-reviewed academic papers. And these are clever people, right? Well it appears not. Or least their political jaundice means that they’re not fussed about fact-checking. If we’re not careful, policy makers may regard such research as correct and unchallengeable. There is a growing body of misleading academic literature on the ecological impact of luxury items. Yet the figures generated by such studies are taken at face value by climate activists and journalists. A recent academic report suggests that 'superyachts' emit more greenhouse gases than private jets, concluding with a call for action. The report, in turn, refers to a study by academics Barros and Wilk, claiming that superyachts owned by billionaires have significant carbon footprints. However, the sample size of the study is small and not representative, and the average yacht size mentioned is much larger than reality, and fuel consumption calculations are based on limited data. We, as onwers, need to be collecting accurate data and provide clear information about yacht-based climate impact. You can also read about Speaking Volumes Questions or comments? Please contact us Join the discussion over in the Club's group You can also read about Speaking Volumes Questions or comments? Please contact us

While discussion about building a new British royal yacht ebbs and flows, it is often forgotten that a significant number of the world’s superyacht fleet already consists of royal and presidential yachts. These vessels occupy a particular place in international maritime law – often acting as floating embassies and extending extravagant hospitality and prestige. And just as diplomats hold special privileges in foreign countries, so do state vessels. Home Handbook Managing / / State Yachts 28 June 2010 Last revised minutes 5 Reading time While discussion about building a new British royal yacht ebbs and flows, it is often forgotten that a significant number of the world’s superyacht fleet already consists of royal and presidential yachts. These vessels occupy a particular place in international maritime law – often acting as floating embassies and extending extravagant hospitality and prestige. And just as diplomats hold special privileges in foreign countries, so do state vessels. minutes 5 Reading time 28 June 2010 Last revised While discussion about building a new British royal yacht ebbs and flows, it is often forgotten that a significant number of the world’s superyacht fleet already consists of royal and presidential yachts. These vessels occupy a particular place in international maritime law – often acting as floating embassies and extending extravagant hospitality and prestige. And just as diplomats hold special privileges in foreign countries, so do state vessels. Diplomatic privileges grant state yachts immunity from seizure and delay. Immunity is based on negotiated reciprocal agreements and has a legal and political foundation. State yachts represent a nation and seizing them could be seen as a diplomatic insult. Different countries have varying laws regarding immunity for state yachts. The privilege is often restrictive, requiring proof that the yacht is a state yacht and the circumstances justify the immunity. Immunity protects owners from disputes such as unpaid bills. Arrests of state yachts are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction where the yacht is located. Arrests serve to detain the yacht until financial security is provided. The International Convention on Salvage may not apply to state yachts entitled to immunity. Action can be taken against individuals responsible for negligence, even if the yacht is immune. Immunity protects owners from disputes such as unpaid bills. Arrests of state yachts are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction where the yacht is located. Arrests serve to detain the yacht until financial security is provided. The International Convention on Salvage may not apply to state yachts entitled to immunity. Action can be taken against individuals responsible for negligence, even if the yacht is immune. Diplomatic privileges grant state yachts immunity from seizure and delay. Immunity is based on negotiated reciprocal agreements and has a legal and political foundation. State yachts represent a nation and seizing them could be seen as a diplomatic insult. Different countries have varying laws regarding immunity for state yachts. The privilege is often restrictive, requiring proof that the yacht is a state yacht and the circumstances justify the immunity. For yachts, these diplomatic privileges take the form of immunity from seizure and delay. But such immunity is not automatic: it arises only because in the past various governments have reached negotiated, reciprocal agreements. This is important because it means that the immunity has a legal as well as a political foundation. So it is therefore possible to state precisely what the extent of the privilege is in any given set of circumstances. So why have such immunity anyway? The answer is that, like warships, state yachts are the floating embodiment of a particular nation, and to try to ensnare such vessels in foreign legal proceedings could be seen as a slap in the face of a foreign country, and diplomatically embarrassing. To make sure such faux pas do not happen, the treatment of state yachts is enshrined in the national laws of most states. It is a similar concept to the legal sanctity of foreign embassies. LIMITS But a line has to be drawn somewhere with regard to foreign sovereign immunities, to prevent them being taken advantage of. So a distinction is drawn between activities undertaken using vessels which are commercial in nature, and those of a governmental or public nature. For yachts, ‘commercial’ means simply being chartered. While this tenet was enshrined in 1926 in the Brussels Convention on Immunity of State Owned Vessels and later in the 1972 European Convention on State Immunity and the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, these conventions must still have been enacted into particular countries’ domestic law to have any effect: which means that the commercial/non-commercial principle is not uniformly applied. In the UK, the State Immunity Act 1978 strips immunity even where there is just an intention that the yacht be chartered – therefore encompassing charter positioning passages. In the US, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act 1976 allows for state yachts to be seized not only when being used commercially but also to enforce a mortgage on the vessel. In France, the courts have held that a vessel may be seized simply when it is not performing a public act of state – which in reality is most of the time. In most parts of the world, the privilege is what lawyers call ‘restrictive’ in nature – in other words, if you are seeking to rely on the privilege it’s up to you to demonstrate that your yacht is indeed a state yacht and the circumstances justify what you’re seeking to rely on. ARREST Being immune from seizure and delay is, almost literally, a ‘get out of jail free’ card for an owner who disputes a bill, for example. Seizing a yacht is a dramatic and effective method for recovering debts. There is nothing like it in land-based law. Normally, if you were to supply goods or services to a yacht, and weren’t paid, you could only sue the person or company with whom you agreed to deliver the supplies or do the work. Liens cut through contractual matrices. Arrests are governed by the law of the jurisdiction in which the yacht is situated at the time. The yacht’s flag and the nationality of the individual or company seeking redress usually makes no difference. The arresting court can also become the trial court, making it possible to ‘forum shop’ for a country with favourable laws. Bringing an action against a ship is a remedy which has been around since ancient times. It exists because, traditionally, ships were owned by their captains and if anyone who had supplied goods or services to the ship was left unpaid, the captain could sail off, never to be seen again. Some see arrest as a punishment in itself; it isn’t – it’s just a way of detaining the yacht in order to force the owner to provide financial security, which could be in the form of a cash deposit or bank guarantee. Then the yacht is free to leave. Contrary to popular belief, at no time is the yacht actually chained to the dock. The order is served on the yacht and if the captain attempts to leave he or she will be in contempt of court and criminally liable. In the UK, a warrant of arrest will not be issued against a state yacht where, by any convention or treaty, the UK has undertaken to minimise the possibility of arrest until notice has been served on a consular officer of that state. Many countries have made similar ad hoc bilateral agreements not to arrest each other’s state vessels, in spite of any immunity laws allowing for arrest where they are being used commercially. SALVAGE If a state yacht is found to be in need of salvage assistance, the International Convention on Salvage 1989 will not apply if the vessel is entitled to immunity. This means that, unless the state owner consents, it may be impossible to arrest a salvaged yacht if financial security is wanted pending the litigation or arbitration of any salvage claim. COLLISION Where a state yacht has been sailed negligently, perhaps causing a collision, it remains possible to bring an action against the officer in charge at the time personally for negligence, just as it would be in any other situation: individuals cannot normally shelter from immunity afforded to the yacht. CONTRACTS So what can a supplier of goods and services do to ensure that the vital right to arrest is retained? Contracts should always include a ‘law and jurisdiction’ clause, although it is surprising how often this is omitted, even by sophisticated suppliers. It is a simple matter to include an extension to such a clause so that the yacht’s owning company is not entitled to claim any immunity in relation to itself (or any of its assets) under any law or in any jurisdiction in connection with any legal proceedings relating to the agreement. The owner should also be asked to irrevocably agree not to claim – and waive – such immunity. As it is always open to the owner to claim that national laws providing immunity will trump whatever is written in the contract, there is no guarantee that such a clause will be effective, but it is the most any supplier can realistically do. ROYAL YACHTS To be clear, not all yachts owned by royalty will be royal yachts in the context of international law. In those jurisdictions where the royal family is part and parcel of the state itself, it will usually be clear whether or not a royal yacht is a state yacht. The situation becomes less lucid where the royal family has a purely symbolic role: some royal households, while subject to widespread popular support and approval, are in fact constitutionally separate from the states they ‘reign’. COMPANY OWNED Further, some state yachts are owned by private owning companies, perhaps based in popular offshore jurisdictions, usually just to ring-fence the yacht as a source of potential legal liability. Where this is the case, the legal owner will be the owning company, not the royal personality or state, so any immunity would fall away. Given this, it would be preferable for state yachts which are to be chartered to be owned within the traditional company owning structure. When ownership is through such a company, the normal rules regarding whether it is possible to view the individual ‘beneficial’ owner as the actual legal owner will apply. This is known as ‘lifting the corporate veil’. It is usually only possible to reveal the beneficial owner where there has been tax evasion or an intent to defraud creditors – which is hardly likely in the case of state yachts. CONCLUSION While it is worth bearing in mind the immunity that state yachts enjoy, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that their owners are more likely to remain solvent, and will certainly behave after an incident in a manner which could be described, quite literally, as diplomatic. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Engaging a Manager Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Engaging a Manager

As Members know, yachts aren’t run on shoestring budgets. And most of the money is spent not by them in person, but by their captains and other trusted third parties. In highly competitive marketplaces, there is an incentive to buy business with formal ‘commissions’, extravagant ‘thank you’s – or perhaps just a good old brown envelope. Home Handbook Employing / / Commission or Kickback? 2 November 2013 Last revised minutes 3 Reading time As Members know, yachts aren’t run on shoestring budgets. And most of the money is spent not by them in person, but by their captains and other trusted third parties. In highly competitive marketplaces, there is an incentive to buy business with formal ‘commissions’, extravagant ‘thank you’s – or perhaps just a good old brown envelope. minutes 3 Reading time 2 November 2013 Last revised As Members know, yachts aren’t run on shoestring budgets. And most of the money is spent not by them in person, but by their captains and other trusted third parties. In highly competitive marketplaces, there is an incentive to buy business with formal ‘commissions’, extravagant ‘thank you’s – or perhaps just a good old brown envelope. T he Bribery Act 2010 in th e UK is considered one of the toughest anti-bribery laws globally, with similar principles found in the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The Act applies extraterritorially, meaning that a crime can be committed even if the transaction occurs outside of the UK. There are four key offences under the Act: bribing, receiving a bribe, bribing a foreign public official, and failing to prevent bribery. Bribing involves offering or promising a financial or other advantage in exchange for improper performance of a function or activity, while receiving a bribe includes requesting or accepting such an advantage. Local practices should be disregarded when determining improperness, unless they are part of the written local law. Hospitality can be considered bribery if it is disproportionately generous, especially in industries focused on luxury. The offence of failing to prevent bribery applies to all commercial organizations, including companies and partnerships operating in the UK. Bribery crimes committed outside the UK can be investigated and prosecuted if there is a "close connection" to the UK, such as being a UK passport holder or ordinarily resident. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the UK handles corruption allegations involving UK nationals or incorporated bodies overseas, and there is international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting bribery and corruption. The United States' Foreign Corrupt Practices Act allows payments to foreign public officials to expedite their duties, even if it violates local laws. Civil actions can also be taken against individuals involved in bribery, and a criminal conviction serves as proof of civil liability. The offence of failing to prevent bribery applies to all commercial organizations, including companies and partnerships operating in the UK. Bribery crimes committed outside the UK can be investigated and prosecuted if there is a "close connection" to the UK, such as being a UK passport holder or ordinarily resident. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the UK handles corruption allegations involving UK nationals or incorporated bodies overseas, and there is international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting bribery and corruption. The United States' Foreign Corrupt Practices Act allows payments to foreign public officials to expedite their duties, even if it violates local laws. Civil actions can also be taken against individuals involved in bribery, and a criminal conviction serves as proof of civil liability. T he Bribery Act 2010 in th e UK is considered one of the toughest anti-bribery laws globally, with similar principles found in the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The Act applies extraterritorially, meaning that a crime can be committed even if the transaction occurs outside of the UK. There are four key offences under the Act: bribing, receiving a bribe, bribing a foreign public official, and failing to prevent bribery. Bribing involves offering or promising a financial or other advantage in exchange for improper performance of a function or activity, while receiving a bribe includes requesting or accepting such an advantage. Local practices should be disregarded when determining improperness, unless they are part of the written local law. Hospitality can be considered bribery if it is disproportionately generous, especially in industries focused on luxury. In the United Kingdom, giving incentives and rewards may be a criminal offence – or not – according to whether it falls foul of the Bribery Act 2010 . This law is widely recognised as the toughest of its kind in the world, but its principles are much the same in the rest of the world, including the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Significantly, under the Bribery Act, a crime may be committed even if the transaction takes place outside of the UK. This was already the effect of a small and little-known piece of anti-terror legislation introduced in 2001, but the globe-trotting aspects of the 2010 Act are clearer and more coherent. COMMISSIONS To be clear, a lot of commission arrangements are perfectly legal – but it’s easy to overstep the mark, and there can be a false assumption that formality means legality. The penalties for getting it wrong include an unusually long prison sentence and unlimited fines. OFFENCES There are four key offences: Bribing Receiving a bribe Bribing a foreign public official, and Failing to prevent bribery Bribing occurs when a person offers, gives, or promises to give, a financial or other advantage to someone else in exchange for ‘improperly’ performing a function or activity. Receiving a bribe is defined as requesting, accepting or agreeing to accept such an advantage. An activity will be ‘improperly’ performed when any expectation of good faith or impartiality has been breached, or when the function has been performed in a way not expected of a person in a position of trust. Helpful, this now clarifies what is expected when a commission is an overt element of any business model – even where this may lead to a reduced commission. GREASING PALMS So what about those instances where greasing palms to get things to happen is just the way things work? The Act states that local practises should be disregarded when deciding on improperness – unless they form part of the written local law. While the UK authorities are alive to the necessity of ‘facilitation payments’, official tolerance relates only to small payments, made by companies with the right bribery policies and procedures in place. HOSPITALITY Hospitality can constitute bribery if it is disproportionately generous. In an industry devoted to luxury, it can be easy for crewmembers to confuse the lifestyle of their wealthy employers with their own – and not think twice about receiving hospitality which, seen from afar, is completely over the top. PREVENTION The offence of failing to prevent bribery applies only to ‘commercial organisations’, but this includes any company or partnership carrying on any business in the UK. Conceivably, this could yacht owning companies managed from the UK. With regard to the first three offences, while crimes committed outside the UK (except on board UK-flagged vessels) are normally beyond the jurisdiction of the courts, this is not the case with bribery. Given its seriousness, it’s one of a unique group of crimes (along with terrorism and war crimes) that the authorities can and will investigate worldwide. All that’s needed is a ‘close connection’ with the UK – including just being a passport-holder or ordinarily resident. INVESTIGATION The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) acts as the focal point for any allegations of corruption by UK nationals or incorporated bodies overseas, while the City of London Police has an Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit with the specific function of supporting overseas corruption investigations undertaken by the SFO. The idea that prosecuting authorities have tentacles that can reach worldwide is not limited to the UK. As with many areas of the criminal law, most countries’ laws are broadly similar, and both European Union and United Nations conventions provide for international co-operation with regard to both the investigation and prosecution of bribery and corruption. UNITED STATES While the reach of law enforcers in the United States is equally global in nature, however, a slight difference can be seen in their approach, as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 allows payments to be made to foreign public officials to facilitate or expedite their performance of the duties they’re already bound to perform, even if this still violates local laws. So making a payment to an official to speed up a visa application, for example, would be acceptable. CIVIL ACTION In addition to the threat of prosecution, an owner may sue an employee or other agent for any loss – and, while a criminal conviction is not necessary for a civil action, it would be undeniable proof of civil liability. The owner may also be able to withdraw from the contract agreed to by the agent, whether or not he or she brings an action against the agent, and this option may be useful if, for example, the owner has managed to find a better deal elsewhere. CONCLUSION While it might seem that the authorities are coming down rather hard on corruption, it’s not because they are trying to spearhead some kind of moral crusade but simply because corruption distorts rational product and service choices, which can ultimately prevent the cream of the industry from rising to the top, distort markets and threaten economic growth. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Harassment Prevention Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about Harassment Prevention

The Owners Club started with a chance meeting between two owners racing in the Superyacht Cup. They wondered if yacht owners, could speak with one voice, and share best practice, when buying, building, owning and selling. They also thought to pool their considerable buying power to negotiate discounts for insurance, finance and lawyers fees. Home About Genesis / / A Fresh Start COMMON SENSE FOR UNCOMMON WEALTH FAQs Why is it that, while we can innovate, build strong businesses and drive economies forward, our voice as yacht owners remains so quiet? Sure, our brokers, managers and captains have our backs, but they’ve got their hands full. Who’s there to take a high-level view of ownership? Who’s there to provide guidance so we’re not each taking advice and reinventing the wheel? Who’s drafting the agreements and documents we have to have in place? Shouldn’t we be working together? Yes. It’s common sense. I can’t believe we’re all taking advice on pretty much the same things – crew employment, taxes, etc. It’s great to see owners and their reps come together like this. CAPTAIN 72m MY FROM COMPETITION TO COOPERATION Contact Us It all started with a chance meeting between two owners. Sitting on the rail of a Superyacht Cup competitor, they wondered why yachts were subject to so much regulation. Protecting seafarers on large ships, many of the complex rules are arbitrary and inconsistent when applied to smaller vessels. Could this be put right? Yes, if only we, the owners, could speak with one voice. And if coming together, let's share best practice, rather than seek expensive advice at every turn. And why not pool our considerable buying power to negotiate discounts?

Most yacht builders have their own ‘just sign here’ standard build terms. They vary enormously in length and complexity. Such agreements often miss out important aspects and can be subject to local law and jurisdiction - whose courts may not be impartial and where you may struggle to find competent, specialist lawyers. Don’t sign them. Contact us for guidance. Given the amount of money at stake, such contracts should only be viewed as an opening to contractual negotiations. Home Handbook Building / / The Build Agreement 10 May 2023 Last revised minutes 10 Reading time Most builders have their own ‘just sign here’ standard build terms. They vary enormously in length and complexity. Such agreements often miss out important aspects and can be subject to local law and jurisdiction - whose courts may not be impartial and where you may struggle to find competent, specialist lawyers. Don’t sign them. Contact us for guidance. Given the amount of money at stake, such contracts should only be viewed as an opening to contractual negotiations. minutes 10 Reading time 10 May 2023 Last revised Most builders have their own ‘just sign here’ standard build terms. They vary enormously in length and complexity. Such agreements often miss out important aspects and can be subject to local law and jurisdiction - whose courts may not be impartial and where you may struggle to find competent, specialist lawyers. Don’t sign them. Contact us for guidance. Given the amount of money at stake, such contracts should only be viewed as an opening to contractual negotiations. Privacy concerns and the need for NDAs should be addressed early on with the engagement of an experienced lawyer. Payments should be made upon completion of build milestones, with independent surveyor signoff, and account for material costs, transport, and exchange rates. Security measures should be in place to protect against builder insolvency, including ownership transfer and guarantees from the builder's bank. Consider local legal requirements for ownership transfer and potential statutory liens by unpaid subcontractors. Clearly define the triggering events and duration of guarantees to ensure protection in case of builder insolvency or yacht issues. Establish clear and rigid procedures for change orders to avoid cost overruns and delays. Subcontractors should be carefully vetted, and the builder should remain liable for their mistakes. Materials should not be subject to title retention. Specify insurance requirements for the part-built project and ensure the wording is adequate and obtained from reputable insurers. Address force majeure events, their effect on the delivery date, and the need for a cap. Clarify buyer-ordered modifications' impact on delays. Ensure all correct legal documents for the yacht's registration are presented before final payment and agree on the place of legal delivery. Allow access for tests, inspections, and reasonable rectification of faults before delivery. Define criteria for acceptance or rejection of the yacht. Formal testing at sea is necessary to verify performance against specifications, and a margin of tolerance with incremental compensation may be agreed upon. Establish the buyer's right to refuse delivery if faults are not rectified, and differentiate between minor non-conformities and deliverable condition requirements. Warranty period should be agreed upon for materials and workmanship, and provisions for rectifying defects and compensation should be addressed. Dispute resolution mechanisms should include independent technical experts for technical matters and arbitration or litigation for non-technical or high-value disputes. Consider enforceability and confidentiality aspects when choosing between arbitration and litigation. Ensure all correct legal documents for the yacht's registration are presented before final payment and agree on the place of legal delivery. Allow access for tests, inspections, and reasonable rectification of faults before delivery. Define criteria for acceptance or rejection of the yacht. Formal testing at sea is necessary to verify performance against specifications, and a margin of tolerance with incremental compensation may be agreed upon. Establish the buyer's right to refuse delivery if faults are not rectified, and differentiate between minor non-conformities and deliverable condition requirements. Warranty period should be agreed upon for materials and workmanship, and provisions for rectifying defects and compensation should be addressed. Dispute resolution mechanisms should include independent technical experts for technical matters and arbitration or litigation for non-technical or high-value disputes. Consider enforceability and confidentiality aspects when choosing between arbitration and litigation. Privacy concerns and the need for NDAs should be addressed early on with the engagement of an experienced lawyer. Payments should be made upon completion of build milestones, with independent surveyor signoff, and account for material costs, transport, and exchange rates. Security measures should be in place to protect against builder insolvency, including ownership transfer and guarantees from the builder's bank. Consider local legal requirements for ownership transfer and potential statutory liens by unpaid subcontractors. Clearly define the triggering events and duration of guarantees to ensure protection in case of builder insolvency or yacht issues. Establish clear and rigid procedures for change orders to avoid cost overruns and delays. Subcontractors should be carefully vetted, and the builder should remain liable for their mistakes. Materials should not be subject to title retention. Specify insurance requirements for the part-built project and ensure the wording is adequate and obtained from reputable insurers. Address force majeure events, their effect on the delivery date, and the need for a cap. Clarify buyer-ordered modifications' impact on delays. An immediate concern usually not covered is privacy, which may, of course, be one of the reasons you’re looking to have a yacht built in the first place. An experienced lawyer must be engaged at the outset – not brought in at the last minute to cast an eye over what everyone else considers to be a done deal. And his or her priority will be to get NDAs in place with the builder. SPECIFICATION & COST There’s no point finding designers who pen the perfect yacht, which the builder then interprets in its own (possibly cost-cutting) way. Moreover, modifying a yacht retrospectively can be particularly time-consuming and expensive. An incorrectly interpreted specification might prevent a yacht being chartered out . So the design and specification, in compliance with specific Flag State regulations and classification society Rules (if applicable) must be set out in exquisite detail, and agreed – in principle – with the builder, along with the build cost. With this settled, attention can be turned to the principal elements of the build agreement. PAYMENTS It’s customary for payments to be made upon the completion of certain build milestones. This way, your exposure is minimised while the builder has sufficient cashflow. Whether or not a stage has been satisfactorily completed is a technical question, needing signoff from an independent surveyor instructed by you – not the builder. The first payment is made by way of a deposit before construction starts. With large projects taking years to complete, account should be made for fluctuations in materials costs and transport, and exchange rates. Placing the builder under real financial strain will be to no one’s advantage. SECURITY Consideration must be given to the consequence of the builder folding mid-build. It happens. Without agreement otherwise, the builder would be left with both instalments and an incomplete yacht as assets, with you standing at the end of a long line of creditors. So your security takes two forms. Firstly, ownership of the yacht is transferred to the buyer as it is built. Secondly, the builder supplies the buyer with guarantees, issued by the builder’s bank, for the refund of pre-delivery instalments, against which the buyer pays each such instalment. Such guarantee can also take the form of an insurance-backed Advance Payment Bond (remembering that banks can, on occasion, themselves go bust). Keep in mind that any transfer of ownership may be subject to formalities under local law – regardless of the build agreement’s law and jurisdiction – so it’s important to take local legal advice. If the worst does happen, in spite of all the financial due diligence you undertook, then you will still need to have the project moved elsewhere for completion, so check that, under local law, unpaid subcontractors aren’t automatically entitled to a statutory lien over the yacht and materials, which may prevent removal. It is vital to state in the contract that only ownership, and not risk (which may otherwise also automatically be transferred at the same time), is being transferred. If the yacht is being financed, it may also be possible to register a mortgage over the incomplete project in favour of the lender. As to the specific small print of the guarantee, the most important element is what triggers the ability of the buyer to make a demand for payment under it. The most favourable option is for the buyer to have the ability to make a demand by stating that there has been a default on the part of the builder, under the terms of the build agreement, which therefore merits payment. The builder or bank may wish instead to expressly state the particular events which could lead to payment. By far the most important triggering event which must be described in the guarantee is the builder’s insolvency. It will not be good enough, for example, for the guarantee to become payable only when a receiver has been appointed, or any dispute between buyer and builder is settled, as these may take many months or even years in some jurisdictions. Far better for the guarantee to become payable as soon as it can be shown that the builder is in financial difficulties. Moreover, the procedure for presenting the bank with a demand for payment should be simple and straightforward. And there’s no point in having a guarantee which offers high protection, but which expires too soon. Where a guarantor will only pay after the matter has been litigated (in the absence of settlement) the guarantee must last for a period of years to take account of lethargic court processes. A number of owners have, in the past, enjoyed using their own business acumen to diagnose mismanagement and their own capital to save it. But this takes time and may not lead to a solution. Moreover, if the builder survives until completion of the yacht, there may still be issues with the delivered yacht for which the buyer wants significant compensation, and may still need the protection of the guarantee. If it expires immediately upon delivery and sea trial, for example, then there will be virtually no time in which to decide whether or not demand payment, and calculate the appropriate figure. CHANGE ORDERS It may well be that it’s only when you see your yacht start to take shape that realise that the layout or specification could be improved. While there’s a temptation to discuss modifications orally – for convenience – cost overruns and disproportionate delays may result. Modification procedures must be clear, and rigidly adhered to. As large numbers of changes may also start to affect the builder’s other projects, the builder may want terms in the contract to the effect that such modifications will only take effect if the builder agrees to the proposed adjustment to the contractual price and delivery date. The builder may also want to reserve a right of refusal if other projects would be affected. Additional payments may also be required. Clearly, the builder could be put in an overly dominant position if such a clause was not well drafted. In the case of very large projects taking many years, you may also want to leave gaps in the specification to allow for last-minute choices of high-tech equipment. SUBCONTRACTORS It’s common to subcontract significant elements of the builds, but you must make sure that only approved third parties can be brought in. If there’s any doubt, ask your project manager to visit the subcontractors and their previous projects to assess quality. To avoid confusion, the builder should still be expressly liable for any of its suppliers' or subcontractors' mistakes. Further, the builder must be obliged to pay suppliers promptly, and the materials provided must not be allowed to be subject to any form of title retention – to prevent anything being reclaimed later. DAMAGE While the builder should be obliged to insure the part-built project, the quality and wording of that insurance must also be clearly specified if it’s to be worth more than the paper it’s written on. The Institute Clauses for Builders’ Risks policy wording is adequate, and security obtained on the Lloyd’s of London insurance market (or equivalent) should be insisted upon. The builder and buyer should be named as joint assured, with any claims payable to the builder and buyer as a reflection of their interests at the time of the claim. There will also be other matters to be considered in the event of the project being damaged. You should have the option of either cancelling the contract and being refunded payments made up to that point, or requiring the builder to use its insurance pay-out to carry on with the build, in spite of the enormous delays involved. Where the damage causes the project to be scrapped rather than just delayed, builders will normally be reluctant to agree to compensate buyers for the loss of their slot, and for any premium a speculative buyer hoped to make on the build. It is still open to buyers to seek separate insurance for this loss. A new delivery schedule will need to be agreed. FORCE MAJEURE Events beyond the control of the builder are known as ‘force majeure’ events. These may or may not be defined by law. Where they are not, the parties need to ensure that all possibilities are covered, and what their effect will be. Typically, the contractual delivery date will be extended, but the parties will need to clarify whether this is by reference to the number of days the force majeure event continued or the effect on the project’s critical path. Even where delay is caused by a force majeure, such latitude should be subject to a cap – so that the point where enough is enough is clear. The exception to this will be delays due to modifications ordered by the buyer. DELIVERY Sorting matters out with a builder after the final instalment has been paid can be especially difficult. It is crucial that all the correct documents relating to legal title are presented before payment is made. Otherwise the new yacht cannot be registered and will not be allowed to sail anywhere. The place of legal delivery may also have tax implications, and must be agreed. At the point of delivery, the yacht should not only function and appear as envisaged, but it should meet all the classification society and Flag State regulations, especially if it is going to be chartered. Build agreements should allow not only access to the builder for the buyer’s representative, but reasonable tests and inspections, including those to be undertaken at subcontractors’ and suppliers’ premises. The representative should be allowed to require the builder to rectify evident faults immediately. TESTING The newly completed yacht will have to be formally tested, at sea, to make sure that the performance matches the specification. This is the buyer’s opportunity to determine whether the yacht has been built in conformity with the agreed contractual specifications and meets the contractual performance criteria. The owner’s representative, Class and Flag State surveyors will attend these trials and sign off the individual test protocols. As no two yachts are ever identical, their performance in terms of displacement, speed, noise levels, vibration and range, are difficult to predict even whilst using the latest computer-aided design techniques, FEA (finite element analysis), CFD (computational fluid dynamics), tank testing and wind tunnel testing. A practical solution is to agree a small margin of tolerance followed by incremental compensation which the builder must pay if the performance criteria aren’t met but still fall within certain limits. This incremental approach can only be applied to a certain extent and thereafter the right of rejection must lie with the buyer. REJECTION Ultimately, if faults are not put right, the buyer must have the right to refuse delivery. So the build agreement must make it crystal clear whether a particular requirement is to have the legal status of a condition, entitling the buyer to refuse delivery – especially as small defects are simply inevitable in any large project. The laws of most jurisdictions are vague on such matters, involving considerations of whether the yacht is of ‘satisfactory quality’ and ‘reasonably fit’ for purpose, and therefore in a ‘deliverable’ condition. This problem is made much worse by the critical importance of aesthetic elements. The standard contractual term for the small and inevitable defects is a ‘minor non-conformity’. Usually, the buyer will be forced to accept delivery with the minor non-conformity list outstanding, under the proviso that the list is taken care of by the builder as soon as possible. WARRANTY Not all of your new yacht’s inevitable little faults will come to light during the trails. Only over time will all the equipment and systems be used in varying weather conditions. The builder should guarantee materials and workmanship for a period of warranty – at least a year – after delivery. Builders will usually agree to correct defects during this period, but not to compensate. The builder may demand that otherwise pre-existing legal rights are given up, and that once the warranty period has expired no further responsibility will rest with the builder. The builder may not wish to compensate for loss of use and charter income, and a detailed notification procedure may also have to be complied with. Such demands should be considered carefully. Where significant concessions are granted by the buyer, the contract should ideally provide for the last payment instalment to be withheld until the end of the warranty period. It may be necessary to bring the yacht into dry-dock, so the buyer must be entitled to have work carried out by a yard other than that in which she was built if cruising schedules are not going to be spoiled.. DISPUTES Disputes between the buyer and builder are most likely to be technical in nature. Even the lustre of paint, for example, can be objectively measured. As courts are better at deciding points of law rather than fact, it makes sense to decide which points would be better decided by an independent expert. A representative from the classification society, for example, is typically agreed on to decide points upon which the society has created technical rules, but the use of another mutually agreed third-party expert should also be agreed for other matters. The expert should be asked to provide an independent opinion, and not act as arbitrator. Arbitrators can decide upon matters of law and evidence, and this requires the expertise of an experienced legal expert. Matters which are non-technical, or which involve large sums, should be agreed to be arbitrated according to the rules of an established arbitrators’ association, or referred to court. The choice of arbitration or litigation may depend on the enforceability or otherwise of an arbitrator’s decision, compared with a court judgment, in the home states of the parties involved. Sometimes, an arbitrators’ decision will be the more powerful of the two, and – unlike court proceedings – arbitrations are confidential in nature. To include long-term flexibility, and an acceptance that some flaws will be evident in the finished product, into a cast-iron contract, is no easy task. Time spent discussing and agreeing on this at the start will be a sound investment compared with the potential arguments which bubble-up later on. Return to top Thank you to all our Members who contributed to this article. Unless otherwise stated, this article broadly describes, by way of illustration, the situation in the United Kingdom waters in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels. This piece does not provide or replace legal advice. Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about The Build Process Join the discussion over in the Club's group Questions or comments? Please contact us You can also read about The Build Process

Our Members expect complete privacy. The Owners Club Privacy Policy establishes a fair and balanced framework which safeguards the privacy of superyacht owners and their representatives. Home / Privacy Privacy is Respect The Owners Club Privacy Policy establishes a fair and balanced framework to safeguard your privacy. Please take a moment to read this page. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Welcome to The Owners Club’s privacy policy. 1.2. The Owners Club respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy will inform you as to how we look after your personal data when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) and tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you. 1.3. This privacy policy is provided in a layered format so you can click through to the specific areas set out below. Please also use the Glossary to understand the meaning of some of the terms used in this privacy policy. 2. PURPOSE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY 2.1. This privacy policy aims to give you information on how The Owners Club collects and processes your personal data through your use of this website, including any data you may provide through this website when you purchase a product or service. 2.2. This website is not intended for children and we do not knowingly collect data relating to children. 2.3. It is important that you read this privacy policy together with any other privacy policy or fair processing policy we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal data about you so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your data. This privacy policy supplements other notices and privacy policies and is not intended to override them. 3. CONTROLLER 3.1. The Owners Club Limited is the controller and responsible for your personal data (collectively referred to as The Owners Club, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy policy). 3.2. We have appointed a data protection officer (DPO) who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy policy. If you have any questions about this privacy policy, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact the DPO using the details set out below. 4. CONTACT DETAILS 4.1. If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact our DPO by email at info@theownersclub.org . 4.2. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection issues (ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance. 5. CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY AND YOUR DUTY TO INFORM US OF CHANGES 5.1. We keep our privacy policy under regular review. This version was last updated on 1 November 2021. Historic versions can be obtained by contacting us. 5.2. It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us. 6. THIRD-PARTY LINKS 6.1. This website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit. 7. THE DATA WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU 7.1. Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data). 7.2. We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows: 7.2.1. Identity Data includes first name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, marital status, title, date of birth and gender. 7.2.2. Contact Data includes billing address, delivery address, email address and telephone numbers. 7.2.3. Financial Data includes bank account and payment card details. 7.2.4. Transaction Data includes details about payments to and from you and other details of products and services you have purchased from us. 7.2.5. Technical Data includes internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access this website. 7.2.6. Profile Data includes your username and password, purchases or orders made by you, your interests, preferences, feedback and survey responses. 7.2.7. Usage Data includes information about how you use our website, products and services. 7.2.8. Marketing and Communications Data includes your preferences in receiving marketing from us and our third parties and your communication preferences. 7.3. We also collect, use and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data could be derived from your personal data but is not considered personal data in law as this data will not directly or indirectly reveal your identity. For example, we may aggregate your Usage Data to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with your personal data so that it can directly or indirectly identify you, we treat the combined data as personal data which will be used in accordance with this privacy policy. 7.4. We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health, and genetic and biometric data). Nor do we collect any information about criminal convictions and offences. 7.5. Where we need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you, and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have or are trying to enter into with you (for example, to provide you with goods or services). In this case, we may have to cancel a product or service you have with us but we will notify you if this is the case at the time. 8. HOW IS YOUR PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED? 8.1. We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through: 8.1.1. Direct interactions. You may give us your Identity, Contact and Financial Data by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise. This includes personal data you provide when you apply for our products or services, create an account on our website, subscribe to our service or publications, request marketing to be sent to you, enter a competition, promotion or survey, or give us feedback or contact us. 8.1.2. Automated technologies or interactions. As you interact with our website, we will automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this personal data by using cookies, server logs and other similar technologies. We may also receive Technical Data about you if you visit other websites employing our cookies. 8.1.3. Third parties or publicly available sources. We will receive personal data about you from various third parties and public sources as set out: 8.1.3.1. Technical Data from the following parties: 8.1.3.2. analytics providers such as Google; 8.1.3.3. advertising networks; and 8.1.3.4. search information providers. 8.1.4. Contact, Financial and Transaction Data from providers of technical, payment and delivery services. 8.1.5. Identity and Contact Data from data brokers or aggregators. 8.1.6. Identity and Contact Data from publicly available sources. 9. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA 9.1. We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances: 9.2. Where we need to perform the contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you. 9.3. Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. 9.4. Where we need to comply with a legal obligation. 9.5. Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data although we will get your consent before sending third party direct marketing communications to you via email or text message. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time by contacting us. 10. PURPOSES FOR WHICH WE WILL USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA 10.1. We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate. 10.2. Note that we may process your personal data for more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please contact us if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data where more than one ground has been set out in the table below: Purpose/ Activity To register you as a new customer To process and deliver your order including: Manage payments, fees and charges Collect and recover money owed to us To manage our relationship with you which will include: Notifying you about changes to our terms or privacy policy Asking you to leave a review or take a survey To enable you to partake in a prize draw, competition or complete a survey To administer and protect our business and this website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, system maintenance, support, reporting and hosting of data) To deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you and measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you To use data analytics to improve our website, products/services, marketing, customer relationships and experiences To make suggestions and recommendations to you about goods or services that may be of interest to you Type of data Identity Contact Identity Contact Financial Transaction Marketing and Communications Identity Contact Profile Marketing and Communications Identity Contact Profile Usage Marketing and Communications Identity Contact Technical Identity Contact Profile Usage Marketing and Communications Technical Technical Usage Identity Contact Technical Usage Profile Marketing and Communications Lawful basis for processing including basis of legitimate interest Performance of a contract with you Performance of a contract with you Necessary for our legitimate interests (to recover debts due to us) Performance of a contract with you Necessary to comply with a legal obligation Necessary for our legitimate interests (to keep our records updated and to study how customers use our products/services) Performance of a contract with you Necessary for our legitimate interests (to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them and grow our business) Necessary for our legitimate interests (for running our business, provision of administration and IT services, network security, to prevent fraud and in the context of a business reorganisation or group restructuring exercise) Necessary to comply with a legal obligation Necessary for our legitimate interests (to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them, to grow our business and to inform our marketing strategy) Necessary for our legitimate interests (to define types of customers for our products and services, to keep our website updated and relevant, to develop our business and to inform our marketing strategy) Necessary for our legitimate interests (to develop our products/services and grow our business) 11. MARKETING 11.1. We strive to provide you with choices regarding certain personal data uses, particularly around marketing and advertising. 12. PROMOTIONAL OFFERS FROM US 12.1. We may use your Identity, Contact, Technical, Usage and Profile Data to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what may be of interest to you. This is how we decide which products, services and offers may be relevant for you (we call this marketing). 12.2. You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or purchased goods or services from us and you have not opted out of receiving that marketing. 13. THIRD-PARTY MARKETING 13.1. We will get your express opt-in consent before we share your personal data with any third party for marketing purposes. 14. OPTING OUT 14.1. You can ask us or third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by contacting us at any time by email. 14.2. Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us as a result of a product/service purchase, warranty registration, product/service experience or other transactions. 15. COOKIES 15.1. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly. 16. CHANGE OF PURPOSE 16.1. We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us. 16.2. If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so. 16.3. Please note that we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law. 17. DISCLOSURES OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA 17.1. We may share your personal data with third parties to whom we may choose to sell, transfer or merge parts of our business or our assets. Alternatively, we may seek to acquire other businesses or merge with them. If a change happens to our business, then the new owners may use your personal data in the same way as set out in this privacy policy. 17.2. We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions. 18. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS 18.1. Many of our external third parties are based outside the UK so their processing of your personal data will involve a transfer of data outside the UK. 18.2. Whenever we transfer your personal data out of the UK, we ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to it by only transferring your personal data to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data. 19. DATA SECURITY 19.1. We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. 19.2. We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so. 20. HOW LONG WILL YOU USE MY PERSONAL DATA FOR? 20.1. We will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements. We may retain your personal data for a longer period in the event of a complaint or if we reasonably believe there is a prospect of litigation in respect to our relationship with you. 20.2. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or other requirements. 20.3. We keep basic information about our customers (including Contact, Identity, Financial and Transaction Data) for six years after they cease being customers for tax and other purposes. 20.4. In some circumstances you can ask us to delete your data. 20.5. In some circumstances we will anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes, in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you. 21. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS 21.1. Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data., including: 21.1.1. Request access to your personal data. 21.1.2. Request correction of your personal data. 21.1.3. Request erasure of your personal data. 21.1.4. Object to processing of your personal data. 21.1.5. Request restriction of processing your personal data. 21.1.6. Request transfer of your personal data. 21.1.7. Right to withdraw consent. 21.2. If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us. 22. NO FEE USUALLY REQUIRED 22.1. You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we could refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances. 23. WHAT WE MAY NEED FROM YOU 23.1. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response. 24. TIME LIMIT TO RESPOND 24.1. We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it could take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated. 25. GLOSSARY 25.1. Legitimate Interest means the interest of our business in conducting and managing our business to enable us to give you the best service/product and the best and most secure experience. We make sure we consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative) and your rights before we process your personal data for our legitimate interests. We do not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law). You can obtain further information about how we assess our legitimate interests against any potential impact on you in respect of specific activities by contacting us. 25.2. Performance of Contract means processing your data where it is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract. 25.3. Comply with a legal obligation means processing your personal data where it is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation that we are subject to. 26. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS 26.1. You have the right to: 26.1.1. Request access to your personal data (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it. 26.1.2. Request correction of the personal data that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you corrected, though we may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to us. 26.1.3. Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where you have successfully exercised your right to object to processing (see below), where we may have processed your information unlawfully or where we are required to erase your personal data to comply with local law. Note, however, that we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request. 26.1.4. Object to processing of your personal data where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. In some cases, we may demonstrate that we have compelling legitimate grounds to process your information which override your rights and freedoms. 26.1.5. Request restriction of processing of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios: 26.1.5.1. If you want us to establish the data’s accuracy. 26.1.5.2. Where our use of the data is unlawful but you do not want us to erase it. 26.1.5.3. Where you need us to hold the data even if we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. 26.1.5.4. You have objected to our use of your data but we need to verify whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to use it. 26.1.6. Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party. We will provide to you, or a third party you have chosen, your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for us to use or where we used the information to perform a contract with you. 26.1.7. Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain products or services to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent. Contact Us The Owners Club Privacy Policy establishes a fair and balanced framework to safeguard your privacy. Please take a moment to read this page thoroughly. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Welcome to The Owners Club’s privacy policy. 1.2. The Owners Club respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy will inform you as to how we look after your personal data when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) and tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you. 1.3. This privacy policy is provided in a layered format so you can click through to the specific areas set out below. Please also use the Glossary to understand the meaning of some of the terms used in this privacy policy. 2. PURPOSE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY 2.1. This privacy policy aims to give you information on how The Owners Club collects and processes your personal data through your use of this website, including any data you may provide through this website when you purchase a product or service. 2.2. This website is not intended for children and we do not knowingly collect data relating to children. 2.3. It is important that you read this privacy policy together with any other privacy policy or fair processing policy we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal data about you so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your data. This privacy policy supplements other notices and privacy policies and is not intended to override them. 3. CONTROLLER 3.1. The Owners Club Limited is the controller and responsible for your personal data (collectively referred to as The Owners Club, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy policy). 3.2. We have appointed a data protection officer (DPO) who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy policy. If you have any questions about this privacy policy, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact the DPO using the details set out below. 4. CONTACT DETAILS 4.1. If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact our DPO by email at gensec@theownersclub.org . 4.2. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection issues (ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance. 5. CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY AND YOUR DUTY TO INFORM US OF CHANGES 5.1. We keep our privacy policy under regular review. This version was last updated on 1 November 2021. Historic versions can be obtained by contacting us. 5.2. It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us. 6. THIRD-PARTY LINKS 6.1. This website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit. 7. THE DATA WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU 7.1. Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data). 7.2. We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows: 7.2.1. Identity Data includes first name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, marital status, title, date of birth and gender. 7.2.2. Contact Data includes billing address, delivery address, email address and telephone numbers. 7.2.3. Financial Data includes bank account and payment card details. 7.2.4. Transaction Data includes details about payments to and from you and other details of products and services you have purchased from us. 7.2.5. Technical Data includes internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access this website. 7.2.6. Profile Data includes your username and password, purchases or orders made by you, your interests, preferences, feedback and survey responses. 7.2.7. Usage Data includes information about how you use our website, products and services. 7.2.8. Marketing and Communications Data includes your preferences in receiving marketing from us and our third parties and your communication preferences. 7.3. We also collect, use and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data could be derived from your personal data but is not considered personal data in law as this data will not directly or indirectly reveal your identity. For example, we may aggregate your Usage Data to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with your personal data so that it can directly or indirectly identify you, we treat the combined data as personal data which will be used in accordance with this privacy policy. 7.4. We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health, and genetic and biometric data). Nor do we collect any information about criminal convictions and offences. 7.5. Where we need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you, and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have or are trying to enter into with you (for example, to provide you with goods or services). In this case, we may have to cancel a product or service you have with us but we will notify you if this is the case at the time. 8. HOW IS YOUR PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED? 8.1. We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through: 8.1.1. Direct interactions. You may give us your Identity, Contact and Financial Data by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise. This includes personal data you provide when you apply for our products or services, create an account on our website, subscribe to our service or publications, request marketing to be sent to you, enter a competition, promotion or survey, or give us feedback or contact us. 8.1.2. Automated technologies or interactions. As you interact with our website, we will automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this personal data by using cookies, server logs and other similar technologies. We may also receive Technical Data about you if you visit other websites employing our cookies. 8.1.3. Third parties or publicly available sources. We will receive personal data about you from various third parties and public sources as set out: 8.1.3.1. Technical Data from the following parties: 8.1.3.2. analytics providers such as Google; 8.1.3.3. advertising networks; and 8.1.3.4. search information providers. 8.1.4. Contact, Financial and Transaction Data from providers of technical, payment and delivery services. 8.1.5. Identity and Contact Data from data brokers or aggregators. 8.1.6. Identity and Contact Data from publicly available sources. 9. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA 9.1. We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances: 9.2. Where we need to perform the contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you. 9.3. Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. 9.4. Where we need to comply with a legal obligation. 9.5. Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data although we will get your consent before sending third party direct marketing communications to you via email or text message. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time by contacting us. 10. PURPOSES FOR WHICH WE WILL USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA 10.1. We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate. 10.2. Note that we may process your personal data for more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please contact us if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data where more than one ground has been set out in the table below: Purpose/Activity To register you as a new customer To process and deliver your order including: Manage payments, fees and charges Collect and recover money owed to us To manage our relationship with you which will include: Notifying you about changes to our terms or privacy policy Asking you to leave a review or take a survey To enable you to partake in a prize draw, competition or complete a survey To administer and protect our business and this website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, system maintenance, support, reporting and hosting of data) To deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you and measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you To use data analytics to improve our website, products/services, marketing, customer relationships and experiences To make suggestions and recommendations to you about goods or services that may be of interest to you Type of data Identity Contact Identity Contact Financial Transaction Marketing and Communications Identity Contact Profile Marketing and Communications Identity Contact Profile Usage Marketing and Communications Identity Contact Technical Identity Contact Profile Usage Marketing and Communications Technical Technical Usage Identity Contact Technical Usage Profile Marketing and Communications Lawful basis for processing including basis of legitimate interest Performance of a contract with you Performance of a contract with you Necessary for our legitimate interests (to recover debts due to us) Performance of a contract with you Necessary to comply with a legal obligation Necessary for our legitimate interests (to keep our records updated and to study how customers use our products/services) Performance of a contract with you Necessary for our legitimate interests (to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them and grow our business) Necessary for our legitimate interests (for running our business, provision of administration and IT services, network security, to prevent fraud and in the context of a business reorganisation or group restructuring exercise) Necessary to comply with a legal obligation Necessary for our legitimate interests (to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them, to grow our business and to inform our marketing strategy) Necessary for our legitimate interests (to define types of customers for our products and services, to keep our website updated and relevant, to develop our business and to inform our marketing strategy) Necessary for our legitimate interests (to develop our products/services and grow our business) 11. MARKETING 11.1. We strive to provide you with choices regarding certain personal data uses, particularly around marketing and advertising. 12. PROMOTIONAL OFFERS FROM US 12.1. We may use your Identity, Contact, Technical, Usage and Profile Data to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what may be of interest to you. This is how we decide which products, services and offers may be relevant for you (we call this marketing). 12.2. You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or purchased goods or services from us and you have not opted out of receiving that marketing. 13. THIRD-PARTY MARKETING 13.1. We will get your express opt-in consent before we share your personal data with any third party for marketing purposes. 14. OPTING OUT 14.1. You can ask us or third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by contacting us at any time by email. 14.2. Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us as a result of a product/service purchase, warranty registration, product/service experience or other transactions. 15. COOKIES 15.1. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly. 16. CHANGE OF PURPOSE 16.1. We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us. 16.2. If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so. 16.3. Please note that we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law. 17. DISCLOSURES OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA 17.1. We may share your personal data with third parties to whom we may choose to sell, transfer or merge parts of our business or our assets. Alternatively, we may seek to acquire other businesses or merge with them. If a change happens to our business, then the new owners may use your personal data in the same way as set out in this privacy policy. 17.2. We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions. 18. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS 18.1. Many of our external third parties are based outside the UK so their processing of your personal data will involve a transfer of data outside the UK. 18.2. Whenever we transfer your personal data out of the UK, we ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to it by only transferring your personal data to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data. 19. DATA SECURITY 19.1. We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. 19.2. We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so. 20. HOW LONG WILL YOU USE MY PERSONAL DATA FOR? 20.1. We will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements. We may retain your personal data for a longer period in the event of a complaint or if we reasonably believe there is a prospect of litigation in respect to our relationship with you. 20.2. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or other requirements. 20.3. We keep basic information about our customers (including Contact, Identity, Financial and Transaction Data) for six years after they cease being customers for tax and other purposes. 20.4. In some circumstances you can ask us to delete your data. 20.5. In some circumstances we will anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes, in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you. 21. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS 21.1. Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data., including: 21.1.1. Request access to your personal data. 21.1.2. Request correction of your personal data. 21.1.3. Request erasure of your personal data. 21.1.4. Object to processing of your personal data. 21.1.5. Request restriction of processing your personal data. 21.1.6. Request transfer of your personal data. 21.1.7. Right to withdraw consent. 21.2. If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us. 22. NO FEE USUALLY REQUIRED 22.1. You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we could refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances. 23. WHAT WE MAY NEED FROM YOU 23.1. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response. 24. TIME LIMIT TO RESPOND 24.1. We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it could take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated. 25. GLOSSARY 25.1. Legitimate Interest means the interest of our business in conducting and managing our business to enable us to give you the best service/product and the best and most secure experience. We make sure we consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative) and your rights before we process your personal data for our legitimate interests. We do not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law). You can obtain further information about how we assess our legitimate interests against any potential impact on you in respect of specific activities by contacting us. 25.2. Performance of Contract means processing your data where it is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract. 25.3. Comply with a legal obligation means processing your personal data where it is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation that we are subject to. 26. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS 26.1. You have the right to: 26.1.1. Request access to your personal data (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it. 26.1.2. Request correction of the personal data that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you corrected, though we may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to us. 26.1.3. Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where you have successfully exercised your right to object to processing (see below), where we may have processed your information unlawfully or where we are required to erase your personal data to comply with local law. Note, however, that we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request. 26.1.4. Object to processing of your personal data where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. In some cases, we may demonstrate that we have compelling legitimate grounds to process your information which override your rights and freedoms. 26.1.5. Request restriction of processing of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios: 26.1.5.1. If you want us to establish the data’s accuracy. 26.1.5.2. Where our use of the data is unlawful but you do not want us to erase it. 26.1.5.3. Where you need us to hold the data even if we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. 26.1.5.4. You have objected to our use of your data but we need to verify whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to use it. 26.1.6. Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party. We will provide to you, or a third party you have chosen, your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for us to use or where we used the information to perform a contract with you. 26.1.7. Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain products or services to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent. Contact Us

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