working group that developed the new Code and continues to keep it under review.


‘There’s two decades worth of experience across the Red Ensign Group when it comes to the superyacht industry,’ he said. ‘One of the things that makes the group so strong is that distribution and range of skills and also the wealth of surveyor experience that we are able to tap into.


‘Although the Cayman Islands coordinated the work, the new Code required the input from the other members of the REG. In addition to the long hours put in by the working group, we spent a considerable amount of time discussing and reviewing it at the Technical Forum, challenging the working group and making sure that the Code would keep yachts flagged with REG members compliant with the international convention requirements, such as SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW.


‘There is a balance here. It is


important that we have effective regulation for the superyacht industry just as we do for everyone who has ships on the British shipping registers of the REG. However, there also needs to be a recognition that the superyacht industry has developed


44 | The Report • June 2018 • Issue 84


considerably since the 1997 version of the codes and the new code has to meet the demands of that fast- paced development.


‘The industry needs to be regulated, and indeed a responsible industry demands regulation, but equally we need to be a consistent and reasonable regulator,’ he added.


The new Code was also extensively discussed at last year’s REG Conference held in the Cayman Islands last summer, which gave approval for the Technical Forum to continue its work to get the Code ready for its launch in mid- November 2017.


It was early November when the Forum all but signed off the Code. The Forum is made up of representatives from across the REG’s members (UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories) and works towards helping the wider REG apply consistent application of technical policy across the British fleet and also developing new technical standards for the maritime industry as a whole.


Richard said: ‘The Forum is where all the experience and expertise of the entire REG really comes to the fore. Everyone from across the REG has fed into it and all want to work


together for the good of the whole and the Yacht Code work showed that at its best.’


The REG developed the new Code to match international conventions and it is expected that Load Line, SOLAS and STCW requirements will be updated in line with those coming from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).


Dick Welsh is director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry. He said: ‘The Red Ensign Group has worked hard to make sure that it represents a quality brand. People recognise that we have high standards and continue to work to maintain them.


‘With the new Code, it was important that we did two things. One, that we produced something that was fit for purpose for the 21st Century and two, that we went out to everyone who could provide an input to help us get to that point.’


‘This kind of working together shows the successful collaboration which is what gives the REG its strength and quality.’


Part of that work involved extensive consultation across the industry and across the world. There were four working groups set up to look at specific and very separate areas – the Large Yacht Code, the Passenger


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