Today is closing day at the 2010 MYBA Charter Yacht Show, and typically I would end the week with a blog post about the "belles of the show," the most-discussed motoryachts and sailing yachts that you might want to consider for charter.


I am, however, at a loss this year for choices. It's not that there aren't a lot of great charter yachts here, but instead that no single motoryacht or sailing yacht seems to have captured the minds of the brokers and press in attendance. When I ask 10 different experts for their opinions, I receive suggestions to feature 10 different yachts. The consensus that I usually find about a single yacht standing out is quite simply absent this year.


Instead, then, I'm going to end this year's coverage with what I do hear a good bit of discussion about: MYBA helping the charter industry become more proactive on an international basis. The professional organization has long worked to this end, offering things like a standard charter contract for brokers to use, but now is going a step further in an attempt to prevent future problems as the yacht charter industry continues to evolve.


Specifically, MYBA has recently gained membership with Icomia, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations. Icomia has a seat on the International Maritime Organization, which creates regulations for the shipping industry. Since these regulations regularly affect charter yachts (but are often written with large cargo ships in mind), the Icomia "lobbying" voice is important. MYBA's hope is to work through Icomia to ensure that all regulations affecting charter yachts are, in fact, appropriate for charter yachts.


This, to me, is a good thing that MYBA is doing not just to benefit the charter industry, but also readers like you who charter yachts for vacations. The less that yacht captains have to worry about paperwork and regulations that really don't make sense for personal vessels, the more time they can spend ensuring that you enjoy the vacation of your dreams.


So, as the MYBA show closes, I raise a toast to the association not only for a job well done here in Genoa, but also to the promise of many good things for the charter industry in the future.

Written by: Kim Kavin
Kim Kavin is an award-winning writer, editor and photographer who specializes in marine travel. She is the author of 10 books including Dream Cruises: The Insider’s Guide to Private Yacht Vacations, and is editor of the online yacht vacation magazine www.CharterWave.com.