Yachting Channel

Already completed your PSSR training? The UK’s updated requirements mean you may still need to take action before 31 March 2027.
In this episode of Forward Watch, Karine Rayson, Director of The Crew Coach, welcomes back Captain Chris O’Flaherty, Senior Technical Adviser and Head of IMO Delegation at The Nautical Institute, to explain the PSSR training update and what it means for captains, crew and yacht management.
Their conversation explores MGN 718, the prevention of violence and harassment at sea, and how the revised requirements connect with certificate revalidation, inspections and eligibility to work onboard. Chris also explains “presumed compliance”, the responsibilities of masters and managers, and whether other flag administrations could follow the UK’s approach.
Beyond the training requirements, they examine how bullying, stress and poor sleep can affect judgement and decision-making on the bridge, and why crew wellbeing belongs at the centre of maritime safety.
UK TRAINING UPDATE
Affected seafarers must complete the required additional training by 31 March 2027. The MCA’s free OneOcean module, “Prevention and Response to Violence & Harassment” (0900), takes approximately one hour.
Holders of MCA-approved PSSR certificates dated on or after 1 January 2026 do not need the supplementary module. Certain earlier qualifying training is also accepted. Check MGN 718 for the full requirements, exceptions and access instructions.
Official MCA guidance and training access:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-718-mf-2026-imo-amendment-to-pssr/mgn-718-mf-2026-imo-amendment-to-pssr

GUEST
Captain Chris O’Flaherty
Senior Technical Adviser and Head of IMO Delegation
The Nautical Institute
https://www.nautinst.org/

HOST
Karine Rayson
Director, The Crew Coach
https://thecrewcoach.com/

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https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/

Forward Watch | Yachting International Radio
Connecting the people behind the industry.

What does marine innovation look like when artificial intelligence, safer boating and environmental responsibility all meet on the same dock?
Ahead of FLIBS 2026, The Blue Economy Podcast continues its look back at companies selected as nominees for the 2025 Marine Research Hub Innovation & Sustainability Awards, revisiting the technologies that stood out a year ago while attention turns toward the fourth annual awards.
Hosted by Katherine O’Fallon, Executive Director of the Marine Research Hub, Part Two returns to three conversations recorded at FLIBS 2025.
Diogo Arreda | Sales Manager | SEA.AI
SEA.AI is bringing artificial intelligence and machine vision into marine safety. Using thermal and colour sensors together with AI, its Watchkeeper technology can detect, classify and alert boaters to vessels, floating debris, containers and marine life, helping improve situational awareness day and night.
Learn more:
https://www.sea.ai/
Keith Stanley | Senior Manager, Pleasure Craft Product Line | ZF Marine
ZF Marine steps beyond its traditional propulsion and transmission business with RampAssist, a mobile app designed to make trailered boating safer and less stressful. The platform combines information on more than 24,000 boat ramps with traffic, weather and tide data, alongside a patented trailer-loading guidance system using a phone camera, visual direction and audible alerts.
Learn more:
https://www.zf.com/products/en/marine/home/marine.html
Tristan Contas | Co-Founder | Eco Safeway
Eco Safeway approaches sustainability through cleaner marine maintenance, offering clean marina compliant, phosphate-free products designed for use around boats and waterways.
The conversation also introduces Finsulate, a recyclable antifouling fibre wrap designed to prevent marine growth without traditional biocides or chemical leaching, while helping reduce maintenance and improve hull efficiency.
Learn more:
https://ecosafeway.com/
THE 2026 INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS
The Marine Research Hub Innovation & Sustainability Awards return for their fourth year in partnership with the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, recognising companies and organisations developing practical solutions across marine sustainability, environmental conservation, renewable energy, eco-conscious products, sustainable practices and the wider Blue Economy.
FLIBS 2026 takes place October 28 to November 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
WITH THANKS TO THE AWARDS SUPPORTERS
Allini Water Filters
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust
Total Marine Solutions
Informa Markets
Marine Industries Association of South Florida
Presented by Marine Research Hub.
Host:
Katherine O’Fallon | Executive Director, Marine Research Hub
Prefer to watch? YIR YouTube.
Prefer to read? Yachting News on our website.
The Blue Economy | Yachting International Radio

In Dubai, luxury clients do not need another rooftop, another ballroom or another restaurant they have already seen ten times before. They need an experience that feels private, considered, impossible to replicate and completely seamless from the moment they arrive.
In this episode of Yachting Confidential, Sabrina van Maltha speaks with Alicia Mckay, Founder of Odyssia, about the world of luxury yacht events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where yachts become private stages for hospitality, brand experiences, corporate client entertainment and unforgettable celebrations.
Alicia shares how her background in luxury hospitality, fine dining and yacht catering led her into full-scale yacht event management, from sourcing the right vessel and planning the catering to managing staffing, entertainment, branding, production, guest flow and the tiny details that shape the entire experience.
The conversation goes behind the scenes of what Alicia calls “precision arranged chaos,” from tight setup windows and limited galley space to site visits, crew coordination, specialist service teams and the pressure of delivering flawless events for clients who expect everything to look effortless.
Sabrina and Alicia also explore why Dubai offers such a unique yacht event proposition, how corporate clients are using yachts as an alternative to traditional venues, what makes Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yacht hospitality at Yas Marina so powerful, and why Formula 1 has become one of the most exciting stages for luxury brand activations in the region.
From private dinners and corporate events to full brand takeovers and F1 yacht hospitality, this is a sharp look at how Odyssia is helping redefine what luxury yacht experiences can be.
Guest:
Alicia Mckay
Founder, Odyssia
https://odyssia.ae/

Host:
Sabrina van Maltha
Head of Charter, International Yacht Register
https://iyr.net/

Presented by International Yacht Register
International Yacht Register provides luxury yacht charter, ownership and advisory services for clients seeking trusted guidance, exceptional yachts, discreet support, market knowledge and access to the global yachting lifestyle.
https://iyr.net/

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https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/

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https://www.youtube.com/@YachtingInternationalRadio

🎙️ Yachting Confidential | Yachting International Radio

What makes a maritime flag worth choosing, and what makes owners stay?
In this edition of Maritime Legal, Malta’s Minister for Sustainable Mobility, Hon. Dr Chris Bonett MP, joins host Dr Jessica Galea, Partner and Head of Yachting at Dingli & Dingli Law Firm, for a wide-ranging conversation about the legal, regulatory and institutional framework behind one of the world’s most recognised maritime jurisdictions.
At the centre of the discussion is a simple principle: the strength of a flag depends on far more than speed, cost or the number of vessels on its register. It depends on legal certainty, regulatory integrity, professional expertise and the confidence owners can place in the jurisdiction long after registration is complete.
Dr Bonett explains how Malta’s close relationship between government, the Malta Ship Registry and the private maritime sector has helped the country respond to an evolving international industry while maintaining the standards attached to the Malta flag.
“Being very quick and very cheap attracts clients. Being serious is what keeps them.”
The conversation explores Malta’s approach to scrutiny and registration, the protection a credible flag provides to yacht and ship owners, the role of the Minister under Malta’s maritime framework, the importance of keeping the Registry within public administration, and how digitalisation and decarbonisation are shaping the next stage of Malta’s maritime development.
Guest
Hon. Dr Chris Bonett MP
Minister for Sustainable Mobility, Malta
Host
Dr Jessica Galea
Partner | Head of Yachting
Dingli & Dingli Law Firm
https://www.dingli.com.mt

Filmed on location at
D-Marin Marina di Valletta
https://marinadivalletta.com

Supported by
Malta Ship Registry
https://maltashipregistry.gov.mt

Prefer to read?
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/post/malta-s-maritime-framework-minister-dr-chris-bonett-on-the-strength-behind-the-flag

Prefer to watch?
https://youtu.be/oOVU1WXc7Ls

🎙️ Maritime Legal | Yachting International Radio

What does it really take to help deliver one of the most ambitious sailing yacht projects ever built?
In this episode of On The Bridge, Alicia Store, Chief Operating Officer at dsnm Ltd, speaks with Derek Munro of Divergent Yachting, Project Manager and Owner’s Representative for sailing yacht Black Pearl.
Black Pearl is one of the most recognisable sailing yachts in the world, but behind her profile is a much deeper story of vision, engineering, experimentation, secrecy, pressure and persistence.
Derek shares how he became involved in the project, why the yacht evolved from an original 95-metre concept into the 105-metre Black Pearl known today, and what it was like working on a build where so much had never been done before.
The conversation explores the DynaRig system, the shift from hydraulic to electric power, the extraordinary performance of Black Pearl’s regeneration system, and the research that went into solar, battery storage and future technology.
Alicia and Derek also discuss the sustainability thinking behind the yacht, including reduced fuel use, technical water treatment, heat recovery, double insulation, double-glazed windows, reduced HVAC demand and the onboard culture that grew around the owner’s vision.
There is also rare insight into the owner himself: his engineering mind, his relentless eye for detail, his personal involvement in the design and build, and the way his vision shaped everything from major systems to the smallest interior and exterior decisions.
This is a conversation about yacht building at the highest level, but it is also about people. The owner who wanted to push boundaries. The shipyard that had to make the impossible possible. The engineers, designers and crew who carried the vision forward. And the project manager trying to hold all of those moving parts together.
Black Pearl is not just famous because she is seen.
She is significant because of what happened behind the project.
Guest:
Derek Munro
Director, Divergent Yachting
Project Manager and Owner’s Representative, Sailing Yacht Black Pearl
Host:
Alicia Store
Chief Operating Officer, dsnm Ltd
Prefer to read? Head to Yachting News on the website:
https://www.yachtinginternationalradio.com/yachting-news

On The Bridge | dsnm Ltd | Yachting International Radio
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