What does the owner's representative actually check?
SuperyachtNews describes the job in four parts: turning the owner's way of life into a clear brief, going through the contract and specification, acting as the owner's eyes and ears at the yard on quality, schedule and budget, and staying with the project from start to finish so nothing is lost between meetings. On a refit, Wilsonhalligan says the role exists because the owner may be thousands of miles from the yard and needs someone there who spots problems early.
Hill Robinson sets out the contract side. Most build contracts make the owner approve drawings, pay stage payments and attend inspections and trials, and an owner who misses one can lose rights under the contract. Their representatives hold power of attorney to carry out these duties. They also bring owner's supply items, from tenders to artwork, to the yard on time. They start accepting the yacht long before delivery, system by system, because the contract gives very little time to accept or reject her.
Class is the minimum, not the owner's standard
Hill Robinson makes a point every good representative already knows. Class rules set minimum safety standards. They say nothing about how good the exterior paint or the teak deck should look, and those two items are among the commonest disputes on a new build. The representative holds the yard to the specification and to what the owner was promised, which is a higher bar than class. After handover the work carries on: Hill Robinson's people stay through the first year to process warranty claims against the builder and suppliers.
How is this different from the project manager?
The titles overlap, so be clear about which side of the table you sit on. Yotspot describes the yard's project manager as the builder's person who runs one build from contract to delivery, keeps the programme, budget and variations under control, and reports to the owner's representative, often weekly, with monthly progress meetings. That person works for the shipyard.
On the owner's side, management firms such as Hill Robinson call their people project managers and say they act as the owner's representative. So the real difference is who pays you and whose interest you protect. SuperyachtNews stresses independence: a representative who takes no commissions and has no ties to a yard or broker. Monaco Life quotes Volga Diaugo, an owner's representative, who says she deals directly with the owner and covers more ground than a yacht manager, from design and build through to after-sales.
How do people get the job?
There is no single licence. SuperyachtNews says the Yacht Owner's Representative Program (YORP) is aimed at captains, engineers, yacht managers, brokers, surveyors, technical consultants and existing representatives. Hill Robinson's own team is drawn from former captains, naval architects, engineers and surveyors. Yotspot notes that yard project managers sometimes move across into owner's representative consultancy. Diaugo began as a stewardess and spent nine years on 25 to 50 metre yachts before setting up her own business.
YORP was built by SYBAss with IAMI and GUEST. SuperyachtNews reports four courses and more than 200 hours of learning. You must complete one or more of the courses, depending on your experience, to join the SYBAss register of certified owner's representatives, which owners can use to choose a representative.
What you need
- Deep yacht knowledgeOwners expect you to know the yacht and the build process in detail. Firms in this field recruit former captains, engineers, naval architects and surveyors.
- Contract literacyYou need to read a build contract and know the owner's duties under it, from approving drawings and paying stage payments to accepting the yacht at delivery.
- IndependenceSuperyachtNews says the role works best when the representative takes no commissions and has no ties to a yard or broker.
- Negotiation and judgementWilsonhalligan looks for people who can negotiate for someone else, solve problems and give the owner clear advice, because they will make decisions on the owner's behalf.
- YORP (optional, growing)The Crew Academy's YORP has four units, numbered 40 to 43. Completing one or more of them is required to join the SYBAss register of owner's representatives.
How to get there
- Years at sea or ashoreBuild senior time on yachts or in a yardMost representatives come from captain, chief engineer, surveyor or yard project roles, where they learned how yachts are built and run.
- One or more projectsWork a build or refit from the owner's sideSit on a build or refit site team, or work for a management firm's project department, so you learn approvals, stage payments, inspections and acceptance.
- Before going independentTake the YORP coursesThe four YORP units cover the representative's role, new build basics, management and compliance, and legal and admin. You complete one or more of them depending on experience.
- After qualifyingApply to the SYBAss registerThe SYBAss register lets owners pick a representative from a vetted group. YORP graduates can apply to join.
- OngoingTake on representation workWork for a management firm that represents owners, or set up on your own and work directly for owners.
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Questions people ask
Who does an owner's representative answer to?
The owner. The shipyard's project manager answers to the yard and reports to the owner's representative. The representative's job is to protect the owner's interests and carry out the owner's duties under the build contract.
Is an owner's representative the same as a project manager?
Sometimes. Management firms such as Hill Robinson call their owner-side people project managers and say they act as the owner's representative. The yard also has a project manager, who works for the builder. The useful question is always who pays you.
Do you need a qualification to be an owner's representative?
No licence is required. The YORP, run by The Crew Academy and backed by SYBAss, IAMI and GUEST, is the recognised course. You need one or more YORP courses to join the SYBAss register of owner's representatives.
Can a yacht captain become an owner's representative?
Yes. SuperyachtNews names captains first among the people YORP is aimed at, along with engineers, yacht managers, brokers and surveyors. Hill Robinson's project team includes former captains.
Does the job end at delivery?
Not usually. Hill Robinson's representatives stay through the yacht's first year to process warranty claims against the builder and suppliers.
How much does an owner's representative earn?
None of the sources we read gives a reliable pay figure for this role, so we print none. Pay depends on whether you work for a management firm or for yourself, and on the size of the project.
Sources
- SuperyachtNews: broker and owner representative partnership
- Hill Robinson: protecting an owner's rights on a new build
- Hill Robinson: new build and refit project management
- Hill Robinson: new build project management
- Yotspot: yacht project manager jobs
- SuperyachtNews: YORP setting a new industry standard
- Yotspot: Yacht Owner's Representative Program course
- Superyacht Content: what is the YORP
- Monaco Life: the superyacht and the owner representative
- Wilsonhalligan: project manager on a superyacht refit
