International Maritime Organisation

Royale Oceanic’s General Manager attended the Ship Design and Construction sub-committee at the International Maritime Organisation in February 2019.

A paper had been put forward by New Zealand on the safety requirements needed for yachts over 300gt operating in Polar Waters. Although we welcome the proposal, it contained an unsuitable definition of commercial yachts which would mean that any yacht owned by a business or trust would be classed as commercial.

As nearly all yachts are owned by a business, MYBA requested via ICOMIA who have consultant status at IMO that an intervention was made to ask that this definition be reconsidered. The paper is now in committee and we hope that the industry standard definition of commercial yacht will be adopted.