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
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:
A. Joel Walton, Ceo of The Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands (Moderator and Chairman)
Tony Vamvakidi, Founder & Ceo of North Star Yachting
Georgia Allen, Projects and Relationships Manager of International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN)
Alison Vassallo, Partner & Head of Yachting of Fenech & Fenech Advocates
Corey Ranslem, CEO of Dryad Global
More to be confirmed

10:30–11:05 | Networking break 
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‍11:05–12:25 | Session 2 — Innovation, AI, and the new digital stack in super yachting

- Where is AI already cutting rework in build/refit (planning, logistics, QA/QC, safety)—and what hard metrics prove it (NCRs, defects, schedule variance, man-hours)?
- What “minimum evidence” should owners/managers demand before trusting AI outputs (validation method, error rates, traceability, human sign-off)?
- What’s the minimum onboard data architecture needed to make condition-based maintenance real (sensors, historian, connectivity, storage), and who maintains data quality?
- On the bridge, where is the safe boundary today between decision-support and autonomy—and how do you prevent automation bias and manage human factors?
- What logging/audit trails are required for AI-assisted operational decisions to stand up to insurers, investigators, and courts (retention, access, change control)?
- In contracts, who carries responsibility across yard–integrator–manager–OEM for software updates, monitoring, incident response—and who owns the data/logs?

Panel:
Peter Southgate, Regional Director Americas of The Cayman Registry (Moderator)
Kristina Agustin, Founder & Principal AI Consultant of Southern Sky
More to be confirmed

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

The full list of panelists will be published soon. Stay tuned
* Are you interested into partnering with us, send a message to: hello@mareforum.com