Super Yacht Americas WPB Edition 5 - 2026

The 5th Super Yacht Americas WPB 2026 is organised by Mare Forum and supported by our leading partner, the Cayman Islands Registry

Why You Can't-Miss.
This Super Yacht Mare Forum is not just a conference - it is a Forum of Ideas, and Dialogues. It is a dynamic, annual think tank. It’s where innovation meets strategy, where brilliant maritime minds converge to shape the future of global (super)yachting, through open dialogue, insight sharing, and collaboration.
It’s where the future of yachting is being discussed in depth.

No scripted monologues, no corporate boring, and predictable speeches - Just sharp, unfiltered debates and honest conversations between brilliant minds on the biggest maritime questions of our time.

Who Will Be There
It will be attended by yacht owners, yacht builders, executives from the yacht, shipping and maritime industries, lawyers, flag and port states representatives, brokerage companies, key investors in yachting, bankers, consultants and entrepreneurs, classification societies, marine and yachting equipment manufacturers, financial institutions, regulators, politicians and the media.

‍It will be inspiring. Be there. Be heard.

P R O G R A M

Canopy by Hilton West Palm Beach - Downtown

08:30 - 13:00 THE FORUM
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This prestigious gathering is to exchange views, visions and valuable information on the yachting future, making this forum another imperative and meaningful event.

09:00–09:10 | Opening remarks
Conference Chair / Moderator: Peter Southgate, Regional Director Americas of The Cayman Registry
Organizer: Georgios (Ilios) Kostoulas, Executive Director of Mare Forum

09:10–10:30 | Session 1 — A World Without Rules

- Where are the highest-friction corridors right now, and what routing mitigations actually work?
- What documentation is most often requested during “prove-it” moments, and what should always be onboard?
- What changes in port access, vendor onboarding, and payments under tighter sanctions/KYC expectations?
- How are underwriters adjusting requirements (AIS/comms, night transits, decision trails), and what triggers premium/coverage shifts?
- Who has stop-authority (captain/manager/insurer/flag/class), and how should escalation and approvals be documented?
- How should crews manage enforcement interactions and charter client expectations without escalating risk?

Panel:
Barrett Wright, President of Hill Robinson Yacht Management (Moderator)
Tony Vamvakidi, Founder & Ceo of North Star Yachting
Georgia Allen, Projects and Relationships Manager of International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN)
Louis R. Montello, Founder Montello Law
Corey Ranslem, CEO of Dryad Global
Davide Di Biasi, Business Development Manager of RINA
Kevin Frisch, Principal of Foster Garvey

10:30–11:05 | Networking break 
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‍11:05–12:25 | Session 2 — Frontier Tech in Superyachting (AI, Foils, Advanced Propulsion incl. “Nuclear” Concepts)

- AI in build/refit (proven use cases): planning/scheduling, procurement/logistics, QA/QC, commissioning, safety.
- Metrics to demand: NCRs, defect rate, rework man-hours, punch-list growth, schedule variance, change-order cost/time.
- Minimum evidence before trusting AI: validated tests, stated error rates, traceability to source data, model/data version control, human sign-off, clear “no-go” thresholds.
- Minimum onboard stack for condition-based maintenance: critical sensors + edge gateway, historian/time-series store, CMMS integration, secure ship/shore sync.
- Data quality owner: defined RACI (OEM/integrator/manager/crew) + calibration/drift checks.
- Bridge boundary (safety): decision-support (route/energy/risk advisories) vs autonomy (tightly limited ODD + fail-safes).
- Human factors: anti-automation-bias procedures + simulator training.
- Foils + advanced propulsion: operational envelopes, redundancy, inspection/maintenance burden, and how performance claims are verified (sea-trial telemetry + acceptance criteria).
- “Nuclear” concepts: focus on regulatory/class pathway, port access, safety case, insurance, and lifecycle support realism.
- Audit trails that stand up legally: tamper-evident logs of inputs/outputs, operator actions, timestamps, model/version, configuration changes, access control, retention rules.
- Contracts: responsibility for updates, monitoring, incident response, SLAs; plus data/log ownership, export rights, and continuity if a vendor fails.

Panel:
Peter Southgate, Regional Director Americas of The Cayman Registry (Moderator)
Andrea Armas, Advisor to the Board of GX Superyachts
Jake Lazarus, Co-Founder of Fenton Innovations
AJ Anderson, Ceo of Wright Maritime Group & Member of NEMO (Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization)
Mathew D'Adesky, Head of Maritime Sales of Navier Boat
Kristina Agustin, Founder & Principal AI Consultant of Southern Sky
Joep Bollerman, VP Passenger Ships of Lloyds Register

12:25–12:55 | Conclusions and recommendations‍

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13:00-14:00 | Networking Lunch hosted by Cayman Registry

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14:00-16:00 | International Superyacht Society Education Leadership Seminar Series

This engaging two-hour thought leadership session will bring together industry leaders to explore how emerging technologies and expert professional guidance are shaping the future of yachting.

Key Focus Areas Include:

AI in Yachting
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept—it is already influencing daily operations across the industry. This segment will explore:

What AI is and how it is currently being used across yachting and related sectors
Practical, real-world applications that enhance yacht management, operations, safety, and decision-making
Legal considerations, risks, limitations, and ethical concerns surrounding AI adoption
How AI can be strategically leveraged to support efficiency, compliance, and operational excellence

Future Technology & Innovation
Looking beyond today’s tools, this segment examines the innovations shaping tomorrow’s fleet:

Alternative fuels and nuclear innovation, and what they could mean for sustainability and long-term viability Breakthrough concepts redefining yacht design, engineering, and propulsion Insights from a shipyard perspective on feasibility, timelines, and real-world implementation

Committee Chairs:
Barrett Wright and Peter Southgate

14:00-16:00 | Networking Drink hosted by Wright Maritime Group (limited capacity)

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* Are you interested into partnering with us, send a message to: hello@mareforum.com