Moving forward on solid foundations
MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association is proud to be celebrating its 40 year anniversary
MYBA is celebrating 40 years of continuous operation this year and this is the perfect moment to take a look at the milestones that have been achieved on this journey
but also to explore the Association’s vision for the future.
MYBA is an international organisation that was founded in 1984, in Cannes, by six visionaries aiming to professionalise the business of yachting. They were all sales brokers, so it was only natural that one of their first moves, in 1986, was to draft and distribute the first MYBA Sales & Purchase Memorandum of Agreement. This was followed by the MYBA Charter Agreement, which was originally distributed in 1988, and today both agreements are available exclusively as electronic contracts. These two agreements constitute two of the industry’s most respected and widely used contract documents, which together with their associated documents are regularly updated as regulations and the global market change.
In 1998 MYBA launched a multiple listing B2B database for professionally crewed charter yachts of 20m+, the MYBAnet. This original database of yachts was replaced in 2013 by YACHTFOLIO, on a new platform with new technology. From its first appearance to the current version, it was an online tool that changed the way luxury yacht charter professionals do business.
In 2001 MYBA took over the International Yacht Charter Meeting (held in San Remo since 1988) and organised its first Charter Show in Genoa, Italy. The MYBA Charter Show is now one of the most important events on the yachting calendar bringing together a curated fleet and a highly qualified audience. An excellent return on investment, the MYBA Charter Show paves the way to a successful charter season and provides the professional environment that is a catalyst for doing business.
MYBA has also long been actively involved in educating the future generation of yachting professionals, with existing Members contributing time and valuable expertise to ensure that their beginning is with best prospects for success. In 2004, in cooperation with the Maritime Training Academy, it created the MYBA Superyacht Brokers’ Seminar and in 2015, together with The Training Academy (part of the Maritime Services Group), it introduced the one-day intermediate seminars for experienced brokers. Keeping up to date with changes in the industry, remaining relevant and competitive, networking and discovering new opportunities are all on the agenda. As MYBA often says, never stop learning.
Over the years, MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association has adopted an increasingly influential and significant role in shaping the future of the superyacht industry. It is in continuous communication with government organisations, the International Maritime Organisation, insurance companies, lawyers, and other industry associations, in order to keep abreast of the new regulations and their possible impact on the yachting industry as well as eventually facilitate their implementation, and ensure that the industry moves towards a sustainable future.
MYBA became a member of ICOMIA in 2009 and the Maritime Skills Alliance (MSA) in 2014. It joined the PYA in 2015 and recently became a founding partner of The Superyacht Alliance for Professional Standards. Working together for the good of all is in MYBA’s DNA.
In recent years, the Association has become more communicative and certainly more social. It appears in print advertisements, generates and curates editorial content, and engages with the global online community through its accounts on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. It boasts a Social Committee that brings Members together in order to strengthen connections, catch up on developments and ultimately enjoy each other’s company. MYBA understands that people are at the very core of things.
Which brings us to what makes up MYBA. And that would be its people. The Board, Committees, Panels, MYBA HQ and the entire Membership.
MYBA consists of both Corporate and Individual Members. All its Members possess a proven track record of professional excellence, and they are involved in the majority of the sectors of the superyacht industry. MYBA is the Association that brings them together and, through the voluntary work of its Committees and Panels, encourages them to combine their skills, knowledge and resources in order to ensure that the industry continues to flourish. It is an Association with a mission. “To inspire, support and empower people in the superyacht industry to be their best: by maintaining business at the highest level of ethical conduct, committing to equality and diversity, protecting the environment, sharing knowledge and combining strengths, building strong relationships, and developing, both professionally and personally.”
