The role yacht management companies play in the operations of super yachts was explained to members of the Italian Yacht Masters’ Association at seminar hosted by Fraser Yachts recently.
Ten yacht Captains travelled to the Columbus Hotel in Monaco were the seminar commenced with an opening statement from Fabio Ermetto, Fraser Yachts’ Chairman.
This was followed by an introduction to Yacht Management Services by the company’s Manager of Yacht Services, Jonathan Holloway, who then gave his view on what changes we might see in the yachting industry in the future.
Chris Semmens, the company’s Technical Manager provided an overview of the Project Management Department, and the role a Yacht Management company plays in assisting the Yacht Owner and Captain with new build projects and refit periods.
This included how to avoid the pitfalls of:
- Contract Negotiation
- Specification Writing
- Expense Monitoring
- Change Orders
The resources available to Fraser Yachts to assist the Owner and his team in managing New Builds and Large Refits were also discussed.
With a slight change of pace, Jason Whiting, a Charter Broker with the company discussed some of the issues faced with chartering a yacht, and how the new VAT regulations could impact the market.
Points were also raised on the relationship the broker and Captain need to keep Charter clients happy and how paying attention to small details could ensure a successful charter.
The seminar then returned to Yacht Management Services and what the roles of Technical Manager, Yacht Administrator and Crew Administrator involved. Presented in Italian, this provided an interactive discussion amongst the Captains. Alessandro D’Angelo closed off the seminar with a few words on how the Crew Network could assist with finding crew for their yachts, before all sat down for lunch.
Dario Savino, one of the founders of the Italian Yacht Masters’ Association commented, “All of the presentations were very informative and it was a great opportunity to understand how we as Captains and our Owners can benefit from working with a Yacht Management company.”
Jonathan Holloway concluded, “It was a very successful event, and particularly useful to have the occasion for our team to sit down with so many Captains and hear their points of view. We are very much looking forward to organising the next seminar in the New Year.”