It is once again time for Comprehensively Yachts, HFW’s twice-yearly briefing to the yachting industry. As ever, you will find it contains a range of commentary on matters of interest and importance to the yachting industry. First, after handling a succession of acrimonious charter disputes, several of which might have been avoided, our Monaco office set out a simple, but often surprisingly ignored, list of dos and don’ts for anyone embarking on a charter, whether they be an owner or a charterer. Second, having seen a growing number of clients enquire about the possibility of operating their yacht under the Yacht Engaged in Trade (or YET) programme, we consider the limitations and potential attractions of such an operation. Third, with biofuels increasingly being considered by owners, yacht builders and others, we examine some of the decisions to be made, in conjunction with Alessio Sbraga, one of our leading experts in environmental compliance, including emissions and fuel regulations, sustainability and decarbonisation. Fourth and finally, given recent cases brought against shipyards in the UK and the EU for infringement of timber regulations, we look at the regulatory landscape for the use of exotic timbers.
