The new standard for the New Build Owner’s Representative
2026 marks a new era for The Crew Academy’s Yacht Owner’s Representative Program (YORP)!
The role of the Owner’s Representative in a new build yacht project has always carried enormous responsibility. Such as:
- Overseeing multi million euro contracts
- Managing shipyard relationships
- Protecting owner interests
- Navigating technical, legal and financial complexity.
For several years, structured training for this role focused primarily on the technical and compliance side of project delivery.
The YORP to date
The Crew Academy has delivered the operational backbone of YORP, covering:
- Shipyard structures and build foundations
- Project management and change control
- Documentation, reporting and systems
- Contractual frameworks and dispute awareness
- Delivery, commissioning and warranty
This formed the technical engine behind successful yacht construction projects.
In development
But the New Build Owner’s Representative does far more than manage the process.
It is:
- Leadership.
- Sound judgement.
- The art of managing expectations on both sides of the build.
And that is why the program has evolved.
The complete program
The full YORP framework is now delivered by The Crew Academy.
Backed by SYBAss, formally accredited under the IAMI GUEST framework and developed and delivered by The Crew Academy, YORP is embedded within the Superyacht Alliance structure, providing a recognised pathway to the Yacht Owner’s Representative Registry and raising the professional bar for the New Build Owner’s Representative.
Introducing Unit 40
The newest addition to the program introduces the professional and behavioural framework of the role.
Unit 40 Role and Responsibility Skills adds the leadership layer that defines how a New Build Owner’s Representative operates within a complex shipyard ecosystem.
It focuses on:
- Professional standing within the build environment
- Communication architecture between Owner and Shipyard
- Managing UHNW and corporate stakeholders
- Translating Owner vision into structured direction
- Risk awareness before negotiation becomes exposure
Because technical expertise builds yachts. Leadership delivers them.
One Integrated Professional Framework
The YORP now integrates four core components:
- Unit 40 Role and Responsibility Skills (Newest Addition)
Leadership, authority and stakeholder alignment.
2. Unit 41 Foundations of a New Build
Shipyard structures, specifications, engineering and statutory frameworks.
3. Unit 42 Management and Compliance
Budgets, scheduling, change control, delivery and commissioning.
4. Unit 43 Legal and Administrative Knowledge
Contracts, reporting systems, documentation and dispute awareness.
Together, these elements reflect the full lifecycle of a new build yacht construction project, from yard selection and negotiation through to handover.
More than 30 shipyards, legal firms and industry specialists contribute to the program, reinforcing its position as the recognised professional benchmark for Owner’s Representatives operating within SYBAss shipyards.
Why This Matters Now
Yacht builds are larger.
Contracts are more complex.
Owners are more commercially structured.
Regulatory scrutiny is increasing.
Experience alone is no longer enough.
Structured leadership and technical mastery are now expected.
This Is the Benchmark
The New Build Owner’s Representative role now has a defined, accredited professional pathway.
The YORP delivers it.
To learn more about the Yacht Owner’s Representative Program, the different learning options, and our upcoming dates, head to yachtcrew.uk/yorp.
