SYBAss and IAMI launch Yacht Owner Representative Programme

The Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) and the International Association of Maritime Institutions (IAMI) have launched a new course for prospective yacht owner representatives: The Yacht Owner Representative Programme (YORP).

Developed by a team of experienced owner’s representatives and shipyard project managers for SYBAss, YORP is a four-course qualification programme, which will be used to create a register of certified agents for superyacht owners. The qualification is predominantly aimed at yacht captains, engineers, managers, brokers, surveyors and technical consultants.

“As yachting becomes increasingly professionalised, there has been a corresponding recognition of the importance of proper training,” said Theo Hooning, secretary general, SYBass. “This means it is the perfect time for us to launch this new initiative, as a welcome collaboration with some of the industry’s most qualified and innovative learning experts.”

SYBAss aims to create a register of certified owner’s representatives to assign agents from a qualified group to superyacht buyers. To join the register, applicants must have completed at least one of the YORP courses. The four courses are: YOR Role and Responsibility Skills, Foundations of a New Build Project, YOR Management and Compliance Obligations and YOR Specialist Project, Legal and Administrations.

The programme is fully accredited by IAMI under its Guidelines for Excellence in Superyacht Training (GUEST) Program Accreditation criteria and offers more than 200 hours of learning. It will be delivered through various learning platforms, with in-person learning at select SYBAss shipyards provided by hospitality training firm, Luxury Hospitality. Live online training will be run by crew training school, The Crew Academy’s digital learning platform.

YORP is set to launch in July this year.