what is large yacht code

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Yacht classification definitions

The merchant shipping sector is ruled by safety regulations developed since the beginning of the 20th century, and is familiar with international conventions such as SOLAS, MARPOL and Load Lines. But the application of common safety requirements to pleasure vessels is something relatively new – a continuous work in progress – and is very much dependant on the service and the flag of the yacht.

Defining the problems

Definitions do not help. How often have we read of large yachts, superyachts, megayachts, gigayachts or other bombastic adjectives? How many times have we mentioned MCA, RINA, and Lloyd’s, without having a clear idea of who’s doing what?

A good starting point for understanding the subject is to clarify the main definitions and the roles of the main players:

Large yacht

A large yacht is a pleasure vessel with a load line length equal to or over 24m. Almost all the flag administrations have adopted safety codes dedicated to large yachts and this is, therefore, the only definition having a universal meaning in the international regulatory framework of yachts.

Commercial yacht

A motor or sailing vessel in commercial use (i.e. charter) for sport and pleasure, carrying no cargo and not more than 12 passengers.

Private yacht

A pleasure vessel solely used for the recreational and leisure purpose of its owner and his guests.

Flag administration

The government of the state whose flag the yacht is entitled to fly . This administration sets the safety regulations, manning requirements and fiscal aspects relevant to the yacht registration.

Different flag administrations can inspect the safety aspects of yachts with their own inspectors (see MCA for example) or delegate this activity partially or totally to other recognised bodies such as the classification societies.

The main flag authorities in the yachting industry are: The UK-MCA, Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Italy and Luxembourg.

Classification societies

Organisations that establish and apply technical standards in relation to the design, construction and survey of ships.

Classification rules are developed to assess the structural strength and integrity of the essential parts of the hull, the reliability and function of the propulsion, steering systems, power generation and all the other features installed on board which contribute to guarantee the main essential services.

In addition to this ‘third party check’ function, class societies carry out statutory duties on behalf of the major flag administrations in accordance with specific delegation agreements signed with each government.

The main class societies involved in yachting are: American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, Lloyd’s Register, and RINA.

Large yachts: Applicable rules and certificates

Private yachts

The mandatory requirements for these boats are very light. For the majority of flag states, a registration survey and a tonnage measurement, carried out by an authorised surveyor, are sufficient.

The only mandatory international conventions are those relevant to the marine environment: MARPOL and the Anti-Fouling System Convention.

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is intended to eliminate the intentional pollution and to minimise the accidental pollution of the marine environment caused by harmful substances.

The Anti-Fouling System Convention’s purpose is to eliminate the presence of harmful substances for the marine environment contained in anti-fouling paints applied to ships.

Classification

While classification is not mandatory, building and maintaining a private yacht in class is the only evidence that the boat has been designed, constructed and operated in compliance with appropriate technical standards. It is therefore highly desirable, especially in relation to insurance and re-sale purposes.

Commercial yachts

All flag administrations require commercial yachts to be certified in accordance with a specific large yacht safety code.

The most popular of these safety codes, and the first that was developed, is the MCA Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY2) published in 2004. It replaced the Code of Practice for the Safety of Large Commercial Sailing and Motor Vessels (LY1) published in 1997.

LY2 is applied by the Red Ensign Group Flags (UK, Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Bermuda, Gibraltar, British Virgin Islands, etc.) and is recognised as a reference standard for all the yachting industry.

Other flags have developed similar codes. Luxembourg, Italy, Marshall Islands, Malta, Belize and The Netherlands are some examples.

While introducing a stricter set of rules and regulations compared to private yachts, commercial registration offers yacht owners the possibility of making a profit from the chartering activity of their boats, and allows them to take advantage of all the other benefits of a commercial operation (in particular VAT exemption on the purchase, sale, bunkering, provisions, dry-docking, and others).

Mandatory certificates

The number and type of the mandatory certificates depends on the size of the vessel; the following is an indicative list:

• International Tonnage Certificate : A measurement of the internal volumes of the yacht expressed in gross tons (GT). This measurement should not be confused with displacement tonnage, which quantifies the weight of a vessel.
• Large Yacht Code Certificate : Covers life-saving appliances, fire protection and means of escape, navigational and signalling equipment, intact and damaged stability, manning and crew accommodation.
• Class Certificate : This mainly deals with the yacht’s hull, machinery, electrical equipment and outfitting.
• International Load Line Certificate : This certifies the weather-tightness of the yacht.
• Safety Radio Certificate : This is applicable if gross tonnage exceeds 300GT This concerns the radio communication and distress installations.
• MARPOL Annex I Certificate : This is applicable if gross tonnage exceeds 400GT This deals with the disposal of oil and bilge water from machinery spaces.
• MARPOL Annex IV Certificate : This is applicable if gross tonnage exceeds 400 or the yacht is certified to carry over 15 persons. This deals with the disposal of sewage from ships.
• MARPOL Annex V : This is applicable to all ships. It covers the disposal of rubbish.
• MARPOL Annex VI : This is applicable if gross tonnage exceeds 400GT as well as to all main and auxiliary engines with a power exceeding 130kW. It concerns the emissions from main and auxiliary engines (NOx and SOx).
• Safety Construction and Safety Equipment : These are additional prescriptions on machinery, electrical parts, life-saving and navigational equipment for yachts with a gross tonnage above 500GT.
• International Safety Management Certificate : This is only applicable to yachts having a gross tonnage greater than 500GT. A certified management company is requested to carry out this service, preparing operational manuals, procedures for drills, and taking care of the maintenance of the yacht and its installations.
• International Ship and Port Security Certificate : This is only applicable to yachts having a gross tonnage greater than 500GT and deals with the anti-piracy certification. A certified management company is requested to provide the ashore assistance and establish on-board procedures and operational manuals.

The GT Factor

The gross tonnage value (GT) is a key issue, not only as a reference for the registration fees applied by the different flag administrations, but also because it determines whether an international convention, rather than a particular safety standard, applies to a yacht.

The table below summarises how the conventions and relevant certificates come into force depending on the gross tonnage of the yacht. In particular, the following values may have a critical impact:

300GT: In many codes, when you reach this value the yacht must be certified in unrestricted service (stricter requirements regarding stability, load line and life-saving appliances).

400GT: This is the threshold for almost all the environmental conventions such as MARPOL and Anti-fouling System.

500GT: This is the threshold for the application of the SOLAS Convention, meaning stricter requirements on machinery, safety systems, materials of construction, fire protection, life-saving appliances and navigational equipment. Furthermore an external certified management company is requested for the ISM and ISPS certifications.

The tonnage issue could also arise on existing yachts when undertaking major refits or modifications, in that any change to the internal volumes of the boat – such as adding enclosed deckhouses or superstructures, or modifying the hull transom or bow – will modify the tonnage value with the risk of subjecting the yacht to stricter mandatory rules.

UPDATE: Since this article was originally published, LY2 has been superseded by Large Commercial Yacht Code Revision 3 (LY3) .

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25 August 2021

How we help you navigate the REG Yacht Code

In the last two decades, the introduction of various regulations has reshaped the yachting industry and improved safety standards.

Depending on how many guests are to be carried, owners must now ensure they adhere to ISM compliance , ISPS, LY3, MLC, the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC) and the REG Yacht Code.

What is the Passenger Yacht Code?

In 2017, the Passenger Yacht Code was replaced by the Red Ensign Group Yacht Code Part B regulations.

Prior to this, the PYC was a safety standard that applied to all private and commercial pleasure yachts of any size that wished to carry 13 to 36 passengers, without cargo.

The Passenger Yacht Code was developed to address the practical difficulties of applying international Convention standards to yachts and super yachts when they were originally designed for merchant ships, particularly the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and the Load Line Convention.

The aim of the PYC was to minimise the risk to vessels, on-board personnel and the environment by introducing stringent design criteria, construction standards and other safety standards.

What is the Red Ensign Group (REG) Yacht Code?

In 2017, the Passenger Yacht Code was replaced by the Red Ensign Group (REG) Yacht Code Part B – a natural progression and improvement on the Large Yacht Code (LYC).

The LYC had previously tried to sets minimum standards for commercial yachts measuring over 24m, weighing less than 3000gt that were permitted to carry a maximum of 12 passengers.

The Red Ensign Group (REG) code Part A also superseded by the Large Yacht Code at the same time.

Why was the REG Yacht Code introduced?

Designing an aesthetically-pleasing luxury yacht that could carry 36 guests whilst adhering to all the requirements of the Passenger Yacht Code, proved to be far from easy.

In truth, this was due to the stringent SOLAS requirements which were intended for ships. Red Ensign Group developed the new Part A and Part B code so that technical, safety and operational standards could be maintained but were easier to accommodate within the design of a private vessel.

How are captains and owners affected?

Every experienced captain will have had to explain the 12-guest limit at some point, particularly on charters. This can often become a source of contention for all the parties involved.

While some guests understand the regulations better than others, it’s not unusual for people to plead for a slight ‘bending’ of the rules. Asking for small children to be discounted from the 12-guest limit is probably the most common, closely followed by requests for ‘few extra friends’ to sleep on the sofas.

To remain compliant with the Part A and B of the REG Yacht Code, it is essential that all of the rules are adhered to at ALL times.

Whilst there are several differences between Part A (12 guests maximum) and Part B (36 guests maximum), for larger vessels the measures primarily focus on steps that will help keep the additional guests safe.

Some of the safety measures that must be adopted include:

• Taking steps to reduce the spread of fire
• Increased usage of fire-retardant materials
• Better emergency floatation – watertight compartments
• Improving escape routes – more fixed ladders
• Segmented engine room

Helping you sail through Yacht Code compliance

Whether you own a luxury yacht or Superyacht, we can provide all of the ISPS and ISM compliance a vessel needs.

Depending on your other yacht management requirements, we offer this as a standalone service or as part of our full management package.

To take the stress and hassle out of cruising, you’ll be provided with a Flag State approved Safety Management System (SMS) so you’re compliant at all times.

For further reassurance, you’ll also be assigned with a Dedicated Person Ashore (DPA) to conduct annual on-board compliance audits and act as a main port of call. If new safety or security legislation is issued, we’ll take care of it.

For a friendly and informal discussion about any of these issues, please get in touch – we’ll be happy to help.

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New Red Ensign Group Yacht Code launched

Teamwork between members of the Red Ensign Group (REG) and the industry as a whole has led to the creation of a new yacht code.

The REG Yacht Code, which is being launched today (13 Nov) at the Global Superyacht Forum in Amsterdam has taken into account all the expertise gained across almost two decades of regulating the large yacht sector since the first version was published by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency in 1997.

In its new format, the Code is made up in two parts with common annexes - such as for over-side working systems, sailing vessels and helicopter landing areas. It will keep the familiar format of the existing REG codes while being more dynamic to industry change and development.

Work has been carried out across the REG to get the new code ready for its launch and also within the industry. One consultation alone brought in more than 700 comments as part of that active discussion with those involved with large yachts.

The new REG Code combines the existing Large Yacht Code 3 and the Passenger Yacht Code into one document and will come into force on 1 January 2019, to give the industry time to become familiar with it.

Sir Alan Massey, CEO of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said: 'In the superyacht sector, the Red Ensign is the flag of choice and its yacht code is the international standard for yacht construction and operation.

'This has been an excellent example of how well the Red Ensign Group works both together as a team and also with the wider industry to make sure we continue to be that. We maintain the highest maritime safety standards but also recognise that we must take into account a changing industry.

'This represents a lot of work over many months and includes many innovative measures to meet the specific needs of the Large Yacht Sector. The Red Ensign Group has made a point of listening to the industry to create this code and all of us will continue to listen to help support the industry to get ready for it as it comes into force.'

Jo Assael, senior surveyor and yacht code specialist for the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, worked with industry to help shape the new code.

He said: 'We wanted to make the code more usable and wrote in greater flexibility so that naval architects, designers and owners can get what they want out of a superyacht. It was important to make sure that we are regulating for today and not for how yachts were being built when this code first came out in 1997.

'Although the codes remain mostly the same, we want to make sure that within this prescriptive framework, we have equivalent arrangement clauses. These support innovation and point to alternative SOLAS design routes as an alternative which would be just as safe as the prescriptive one.  

Large Yacht Code version 2 and version 3

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• LY2 and LY3

Information on LY2 and LY3

We are very proud to be the originators of the Large Yacht Code, which is the internationally recognised standard for all large yachts.

The MCA first produced a Code of Practice for the Safety of Large Commercial Sailing and Motor Vessels, or 'LY1', in 1997. It provides unique and internationally recognised safety standards for construction, operation and manning of large yachts. The Code applied to vessels in commercial use for sport or pleasure, which are 24 metres in load line length and over, do not carry cargo and not more than 12 passengers.

The Code sets standards of safety and pollution prevention, which are IMO accepted equivalents to the standards set by the relevant international conventions applicable to vessels of this size.

However due to advances in technology and changes in practice it was recognised 'LY1' would need to be revised, so work commenced on 'LY2'.

Large Commercial Yacht Code (2) or 'LY2'

The Large Commercial Yacht Code, or LY2, came into effect on 24th September 2004. Chartering is a commercial use of a vessel therefore all yachts engaged in chartering activities have to comply with the Code. A significant change in LY2 was the introduction of the Short Range Yacht. LY2 was replaced by LY3 in 2013.

Large Commercial Yacht Code (3) or 'LY3'

LY3 , was launched at the 2012 Monaco Yacht Show and came into effect on 20 August 2013. It introduced equivalent requirements for large yachts to the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).

It also included updates for the requirements for masts and rigging for sailing yachts and the latest technology in radio communication equipment.

LY3 has been replaced by the Red Ensign Group yacht code which came into effect on 1 January 2019. 

By SuperyachtNews 10 May 2017

Red Ensign Group Code progress update

As the red ensign group continues to work towards the unveiling of its new code, we explore the work that has been done to date and what is yet to be done.….

In November 2016, SuperyachtNews announced that The Red Ensign Group (REG) had begun the process of developing a new regulatory framework that consolidates the Large Yacht Code (LY3) and the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC) to better regulate the needs of the superyacht community. We speak exclusively to Jo Assael, senior surveyor and yacht codes specialist for the Cayman Registry, about the code itself and the progress that has been made by the appointed working groups thus far.

“This project aims to make the code more usable. We are going to to write in greater flexibility so naval architects, designers and owners can get what they want out of a superyacht and write in standards that reflect how modern superyachts are being built,” starts Assael. “This project is also an update on consistency and terminology.”

To date, the REG has been hosting a number of working groups through which it hopes to ascertain what the industry itself hopes to see change. Various working groups have been created, spanning LY3, PYC, helicopter landing areas and passenger limits. It is important to note that the consolidation of LY3 and PYC is not a merging of the two, it simply brings them in line with one another in a more cogent format.

“The four groups have been working since January with several meetings having been held for each. We have engaged with as much of the industry as possible, taking the working groups to Pisa, Amsterdam, London ,and locally, in Southampton” continues Assael. “We are trying to ensure that we get the greatest possible output from these meetings and elsewhere from those who haven’t been able to attend.”

The consolidation of the codes has not been without its critics, especially from those who bemoan increasing regulation. “There are always those who feel we are just regulating for the sake of regulating,” explains Assael. “This is not an attempt to increase regulation, we are creating a modern platform for addressing today’s regulatory framework. This will make complying with regulations easier. If we, and other flag states, didn’t provide codes, then internationally trading vessels would need to be fully compliant with SOLAS, load line, STCW and the MLC. I doubt this is something that many people want.”

Next on the agenda for the creation of the new REG Code, if the REG hopes to meet its original deadline of the 2017 Monaco Yacht Show, is drawing the working groups to a close and analysing the proposed changes that have been explored therein. After which a special session will be called for the REG to decide which amendments are appropriate and feasible. Assael is eager to highlight that the end of the working groups does not mean an end to input. “This is by no means a closed door, we intend to take advice on issues for as long as we may,” he says.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Every Cayman Islands Ship shall carry insurance cover against risks of loss or damage to third parties. All vessels with a gross tonnage of 1000 or greater are additionally required to carry third party (Protection and Indemnity (P&I)) insurance to meet their liabilities under the Bunkers Convention and evidenced by a Certificate issued by the CISR. Please see Shipping Notice: CISN 01/2012 (Rev 1.1) regarding Insurance Requirements for Cayman Islands Vessels.

If the vessel maintains a Certificate of Code Compliance (LY2/LY3) the vessel should maintain the manning levels as indicated in the Minimum Safe Manning Document. If it is privately operated the yacht can replace the Certificate of Code Compliance with a Statement of Compliance if it does not wish to comply with the manning requirements. Please also see Shipping Notice 02/21012 regarding Manning for yachts carrying 12 passengers or less on the commercial part of the register as "Commercial Vessels" or which are engaged in trade.

Yes. See MLC Guidance Letter

Yes, the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG), prescribes safe measures for visibility, navigation and sound signalling to ensure safe navigation for all users of the world’s oceans.

Yes, MARPOL applies to all vessels, commercial and pleasure, however only yachts over 400 GT are required to be certificated.

Yes. However, a yacht can only be issued with one Certificate of Registry at a time. In order for the yacht to be registered as a commercial vessel it must be in possession of valid certificates appropriate to its size. For yachts over 500 GT, this includes, but is not limited to, a Safety Management Certificate, an International Ship Security Certificate, a Continuous Synopsis Record, Maritime Labour Certificate (when applicable) and a Minimum Safe Manning Document. These Certificates must remain valid for the duration of the period that the yacht remains registered as a commercial vessel. The Certificate of Registry which is not in current use must be returned to Cayman but can then be re-issued on application.

No, Cayman does not require that the yacht engage in trade.

No, the vessel may remain on the Pleasure Yacht Register, but the yacht must have valid Large Commercial Yacht Certificates appropriate to the size of the vessel and be manned in accordance with Cayman Manning Regulations and LY3 requirements.

The periodic inspections can be carried out within 3 months either side of the anniversary date, which corresponds to the expiry date of the certificate otherwise the certificate becomes invalid.

Large Commercial Yacht Certificates are valid for a maximum of 5 years subject to periodic inspections followed by a renewal survey at the end of the 5 years.

See Matrix of International Conventions Applicable to Yachts.

Yes, many owners will build to the Code or bring their yachts into the Code, for a number of reasons, including the peace of mind of knowing their yacht complies with an internationally recognised safety standard. Other reasons include vessel resale value maximisation and risk management issues such as risk mitigation.

When the yacht is engaged in trade/commercial activities, such as chartering-out. Further details are available in Shipping Notice CISN 14a/2004 (2010 Version) - Large Private and Commercial Yachts Compliance with Regulations

LY1 is the abbreviated term used to refer to the original Large Commercial Yacht Code which came into effect in December 1998. LY2 is the abbreviated term for the revised Code, which came into effect in September 2004. LY3 is the abbreviated term for the revised Code, which came (or comes, depending on the time of the web-site update) into effect in August 2013.

This Code of Practice was introduced in 1998 (as an equivalent approach) to address the requirements of SOLAS, International Load Line Convention (LL 66) and the STCW Convention in a yacht-specific manner. IMO Circular letter 1966 dated 27th July 1997 gave effect to the Code as equivalence on an international basis.

Billionaires are getting ready for summer with wildly spectacular superyachts

• Superyachts, the most expensive asset  a billionaire can own, are pushing the boundaries of luxury.
• The boats, which cost eight or nine figures, are getting larger and include more features than ever.
• From massage rooms to basketball courts, here's what the world's richest want on board.

For many wealthy boat owners, a private spa is a must-have on board. A sauna is a nice touch. A Jet Ski or two makes days at sea way more fun. And if you don't have someone on board who can whip up a Michelin-star-worthy meal , you might as well stay on land.

In the world of massive yachts , there's no such thing as too much. After all, if someone spends eight or nine figures to design the vessel of their dreams — or at least $500,000 a week to charter one — more is more.

"Yachting. It's not rational; it's emotional," Ralph Dazert, the head of intelligence at SuperYacht Times, told Business Insider at the Palm Beach International Boat Show, where dozens of superyachts — often defined as vessels over 30 meters in length — were on display.

And while there are certain classic features, such as jacuzzis and bars, what superyacht owners want is evolving, insiders at the show said. That might mean more crew members, more space for helicopters, or more water toys, but might also include manicure salons and putting greens.

"The bar of what is the baseline expectation has increased exponentially just over the last four or five years," Anders Kurtén, the CEO of brokerage Fraser Yachts, said. Clients are "spending more time on the boat and really wanting to extend the lifestyle they lead on the shore."

A lot of this can be chalked up to the pandemic. Superyacht purchases and charters spiked as life and luxury travel on land screeched to a halt. While the market has moderated slightly, the number of superyachts on order — 1,166 as of September, according to Boat International's Global Order Book — is still above pre-pandemic norms.

"What the pandemic really showed is that the appetite for being out there at sea, sort of living the marine lifestyle, is still as valid as ever," Kurtén said.

That means there's a lot of money on the water. The total value of the 203 superyachts over 30 meters delivered last year was $6.4 billion, according to data from SuperYacht Times. New custom builds from the world's most prestigious shipyards — Lurssen, Feadship, Oceanco , Benetti — can run into the hundreds of millions. Even used superyachts at the Palm Beach show cost as much as $75 million.

And it's not just traditional buyers like retired wealthy couples looking for a place to relax or celebrities looking for a place to party away from the paparazzi. New clients are often younger and have families, so want areas to work and watch movies . They also want pricey water toys, access to fitness equipment, or even pizza ovens for picky eaters.

"This would've never happened in the nineties," said Giovanna Vitelli, the vice president of the Azimut Benetti Group, the world's biggest producer of superyachts. "You would go with your beautiful woman, Champagne — the idea of yachting was much more showing off with your jacuzzi and things like that."

Pure opulence has made room for function.

When Benetti's Nabila set sail in 1980, its 50-person crew, gold-and-diamond-encrusted interiors, and lavish parties captured headlines and even inspired the Queen song "Kashoggi's Ship."(Seven years later, Donald Trump bought Nabila for $30 million , renaming her the Trump Princess.)

"Life on board was considered very formal — big formal dining rooms, boats were high on the water, you would be segregated from the rest of the world," Vitelli said, remembering another client who insisted on a replica of the Sistine Chapel above the dining table.

But the ostentatious, palatial-like interiors that used to be highlighted in yacht brochures have made way for lists of more functional features .

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Rather than esoteric novelties like an extra-large safe for rifles that one builder had to construct per a Russian yacht owner's request , the superyachts on display at the Palm Beach show featured basketball courts, saunas, and ice baths.

Owners want elevators and luxury gyms. Pampering options, be it a massage room, manicure station, or a professional-grade facial machine, are a dime a dozen. Some bathrooms have fancy Toto toilets, which can cost around $20,000.

Sterns (that's the back of the boat) used to be built high to guard guests' privacy. Now, they're built as "beach clubs" — an open swim platform.

And what good is a massage room if no one on board can give one? Many superyachts can hold twice as many crew members as guests, if not more. One broker, representing a boat that didn't have a masseuse, said it could be quite a "tricky" issue because if a charter wants one, they have to find someone who can massage guests and "pull their weight with the crew."

"It's not uncommon to look for a deckhand who can also mix a martini, play an instrument, maybe entertain the guests with singing, and ideally even give a massage," Kurtén said.

Of course, a crew comes at a cost . Most are considered full-time employees, requiring salaries and benefits like health insurance. Captains, first mates, and chief engineers often make six figures a year. That's without tips; a charter guest will typically spend six figures on gratuities for the crew who worked during a weeklong vacation.

For the superrich, there must be room for toys.

It's not just the onboard amenities that count. What's known as "toys" in the industry — water slides, eFoils, Jet Skis, and underwater scuba diving jets — are popular, and costs range from merely hundreds of dollars (banana boats) to millions ( submersibles , which are still popular despite the recent tragedy).

" Tenders and toys, the sky seems to be the limit," Kurtén said. "More is more."

If you can't fit all those toys in the yacht's storage space, you can just use another boat. Jeff Bezos' support yacht is a superyacht in itself, measuring 75 meters and costing tens of millions of dollars. (His main yacht, Koru , cost a reported $500 million.)

Support yachts are also faster, meaning the crew can get to a destination first and set up the Jet Skis, seapools, and the like, Dazert said. "By the time the owner arrives on the main yacht, everything's set up, and he can go and have fun."

Even tenders, the smaller vessel that brings guests from the ship to the shore, are getting glow-ups. The Nero, a 90-meter beauty available to charter for about $500,000 a week and modeled after J.P. Morgan's 1930s ship, has custom-built tenders to match the design. The most expensive ones often cost seven figures. Nero has three.

"It used to be a tender was a tender," Jeffrey Beneville, who handles yacht insurance at NFP, told BI. "Now they're called limousine tenders. Think of an incredibly luxurious gondola that's got a hard top so nobody's hair gets mussed when they're being dropped off at the Monaco Yacht Club ."

One thing that clearly hasn't changed in superyachting: showing off. If the boat next door at the marina has an indoor-outdoor cinema, it's natural to want one too. Ditto a wine cellar or helipad.

"It's a bit of a celebration of your success in life, of wealth," Vitelli, whose company is behind the Lana yacht Bill Gates chartered for a birthday party three years ago, said. "You push it a little more."

And that's a boon for yacht makers and brokers catering to the superrich.

"Our job is to make clients' dreams come true," Kurtén said.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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Lawsuit naming Sean 'Diddy' Combs as co-defendant alleges his son sexually assaulted woman on yacht

A lawsuit that names Sean “Diddy” Combs as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father

LOS ANGELES -- A lawsuit that names Sean “Diddy” Combs as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father.

The suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. It’s the latest in a series of lawsuits accusing the producer and music mogul of sexual misconduct, and it comes amid a federal sex trafficking investigation that led Homeland Security agents to raid his homes in Los Angeles and Miami last week.

Grace O'Marcaigh, who worked as a crew member and a bartender on the boat, says that in late December 2022, Christian Combs pressured her to drink tequila that she believes was spiked with other drugs. He groped her breasts and genitals and attempted to force her to perform oral sex, the suit alleges.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as O’Marcaigh has done. She also consented to being named through her attorneys.

Aaron Dyer, an attorney for Sean and Christian Combs, called the lawsuit “lewd and meritless.”

"We will be filing a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim," Dyer said in a statement.

Dyer called the investigation that brought last week's raids "nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

Sean Combs, who chartered the yacht throughout the holidays in 2022, “had full control of the staff and premises” and created circumstances where her assault was not only tolerated but encouraged.

O’Marcaigh, who was 25 at the time, said when Christian Combs, then 24, came aboard late one night, he appeared heavily intoxicated and began giving her inappropriate attention.

She said the two were in a music studio on board the ship, where producer Rodney Jones, who filed his own lawsuit in February, was told to be available around the clock for Sean Combs to work on his next album.

O’Marcaigh said in the suit that Christian Combs was insistent that she take shots of tequila, and she drank out of obligation.

The suit alleges he became increasingly aggressive with her, violently grabbing her arm as she tried to get out of the situation then groping her. The drinks made everything blurry, unusually quickly, the suit says.

Microphones in the studio, where Jones was told to capture everything, recorded their exchange, and the lawsuit includes a transcript where O’Marcaigh demands that Christian Combs stop touching her.

The suit alleges that he later continued the assault in the ship's movie theater, which was used as a spare sleeping area and where she was attempting to find a place to spend the night because the rooms were all taken, before another crew member appeared and he stopped.

O’Marcaigh told the yacht's captain about the assault the following morning, but she alleges that after Combs gave him a large amount of cash the same day, the captain failed to meaningfully investigate or take any action.

The suit says O'Marcaigh was eventually fired in retaliation and has since been unable to find work in the music industry where she had planned to build a career. It says since 2022, she has suffered severe emotional trauma.

The lawsuit seeks damages to be determined at trial.

Christian Combs is also a musical artist whose song “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” with Kodak Black topped Billboard’s Mainstream R & B Hip-Hop charts in 2022. He was at his father's Los Angeles home during last week's searches, during which he and his brother were handcuffed but not arrested.

The producer Jones’ federal lawsuit, filed in February by Tyrone Blackburn, the same attorney as O’Marcaigh's suit, includes allegations that Sean Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

Dyer's statement said the newest lawsuit is “filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts we’ve come to expect from Blackburn.”

He pointed out that U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote criticized Blackburn in a separate lawsuit on Wednesday and referred him to a disciplinary committee for a “pattern of behavior" where he “improperly files cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly.”

Blackburn responded in an email that “a referral is not a sanction” and the statement from Combs' lawyer was an attempt to “deflect and distract.”

“Christian Combs sexually assaulted Ms. O’Marcaigh, and we have it on tape," Blackburn said.

Several lawsuits have brought public scrutiny to the music and business mogul, beginning with a November suit from his former protege and girlfriend, the R & B singer Cassie, which alleged years of sexual abuse, including rape. It was settled the following day.

Combs and his attorneys have denied all of the lawsuits' allegations.

Combs, a three-time Grammy winner and the founder of Bad Boy Records, is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. He turned his hip-hop empire into a broader business empire that includes private-label spirits, fashion, and a TV network.

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Lawsuit naming Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as co-defendant alleges his son sexually assaulted woman on yacht

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lawsuit that names  Sean “Diddy” Combs  as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father.

The suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. It’s the latest in a  series of lawsuits  accusing the producer and music mogul of sexual misconduct, and it comes amid a federal sex trafficking investigation that led Homeland Security agents to  raid his homes in Los Angeles and Miami  last week.

Grace O’Marcaigh, who worked as a crew member and a bartender on the boat, says that in late December 2022, Christian Combs pressured her to drink tequila that she believes was spiked with other drugs. He groped her breasts and genitals and attempted to force her to perform oral sex, the suit alleges.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as O’Marcaigh has done. She also consented to being named through her attorneys.

Aaron Dyer, an attorney for Sean and Christian Combs, called the lawsuit “lewd and meritless.”

“We will be filing a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim,” Dyer said in a statement.

Dyer called the investigation that brought  last week’s raids  “nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

Sean Combs, who chartered the yacht throughout the holidays in 2022, “had full control of the staff and premises” and created circumstances where her assault was not only tolerated but encouraged.

O’Marcaigh, who was 25 at the time, said when Christian Combs, then 24, came aboard late one night, he appeared heavily intoxicated and began giving her inappropriate attention.

She said the two were in a music studio on board the ship, where producer  Rodney Jones, who filed his own lawsuit  in February, was told to be available around the clock for Sean Combs to work on his next album.

O’Marcaigh said in the suit that Christian Combs was insistent that she take shots of tequila, and she drank out of obligation.

The suit alleges he became increasingly aggressive with her, violently grabbing her arm as she tried to get out of the situation then groping her. The drinks made everything blurry, unusually quickly, the suit says.

Microphones in the studio, where Jones was told to capture everything, recorded their exchange, and the lawsuit includes a transcript where O’Marcaigh demands that Christian Combs stop touching her.

The suit alleges that he later continued the assault in the ship’s movie theater, which was used as a spare sleeping area and where she was attempting to find a place to spend the night because the rooms were all taken, before another crew member appeared and he stopped.

O’Marcaigh told the yacht’s captain about the assault the following morning, but she alleges that after Combs gave him a large amount of cash the same day, the captain failed to meaningfully investigate or take any action.

The suit says O’Marcaigh was eventually fired in retaliation and has since been unable to find work in the music industry where she had planned to build a career. It says since 2022, she has suffered severe emotional trauma.

The lawsuit seeks damages to be determined at trial.

Christian Combs is also a musical artist whose song “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” with Kodak Black topped Billboard’s Mainstream R&B Hip-Hop charts in 2022. He was at his father’s Los Angeles home during last week’s searches, during which he and his brother were handcuffed but not arrested.

The producer Jones’ federal lawsuit, filed in February by Tyrone Blackburn, the same attorney as O’Marcaigh’s suit, includes allegations that Sean Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

Dyer’s statement said the newest lawsuit is “filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts we’ve come to expect from Blackburn.”

He pointed out that U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote criticized Blackburn in a separate lawsuit on Wednesday and referred him to a disciplinary committee for a “pattern of behavior” where he “improperly files cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly.”

Blackburn responded in an email that “a referral is not a sanction” and the statement from Combs’ lawyer was an attempt to “deflect and distract.”

“Christian Combs sexually assaulted Ms. O’Marcaigh, and we have it on tape,” Blackburn said.

Several lawsuits  have brought public scrutiny to the music and business mogul, beginning with a November suit from his former protégé and girlfriend, the  R&B singer Cassie , which alleged years of sexual abuse, including rape. It was  settled the following day .

Combs and his attorneys have denied all of the lawsuits’ allegations.

Combs, a three-time Grammy winner and the founder of Bad Boy Records, is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. He turned his hip-hop empire into a broader business empire that includes  private-label spirits , fashion, and a  TV network .

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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If the sportsbooks have their way, NC State will be sent home packing Saturday.

The betting public is all over the Wolfpack as big underdogs against Purdue, having received 93 percent of the betting handle on the moneyline at BetMGM Sportsbook ahead of their Final Four clash .

Odds have stayed stationary at +350 throughout despite the public interest, which is likely to end up being quite a liability for DraftKings.

There has also been plenty of interest in NC State +9.5, with 74 percent of the handle coming in on the Wolfpack against the spread.

Despite all of this love for NC State, BetMGM also tells The Post that Zach Edey accounts for their two most bet-on player props: over 13.5 rebounds (-140) and over 25.5 points (-135).

The third-most bet-on player prop for the game is DJ Burns Jr. over 14.5 points (-135).

None of the lines have really moved, though, as NC State comes in at -120 vs. the -110 it was at the opening, a negligible difference considering the 74 percent handle that is on the spread.

Bandwagon fans have been loving watching Burns and his Wolfpack cash as big underdogs.

If you had rolled over $100 throughout the nine-game win streak that NC State is riding, they would be up $666,090.88, according to DraftKings.

NC State won five games just to earn a berth in the tournament and has won four straight games as a No. 11 seed, including Sunday’s win over No. 4 seed Duke in the Elite Eight.

Betting on March Madness 2024?

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Another bettor has a $500 futures ticket that would payout $90,000 if the Wolfpack win two more games, and the bettor does not intend on cashing that bet out anytime soon.

The winner of NC State vs. Purdue meets the victor from UConn vs. Alabama.

“Never cashing out, never cashing out, never cashing out,” the bettor Christopher Brown said in a video on social media.

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Ukraine’s Arms Industry Is Growing, but Is It Growing Fast Enough?

Kyiv is aiming to build its own weapons to bring the fight to Russia. But it will take time Ukraine might not have.

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By Lara Jakes

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

Ukraine’s military had only one Bohdana artillery cannon in its arsenal when Russia invaded the country two years ago. Yet that single weapon, built in Ukraine in 2018 and able to shoot NATO-caliber rounds, proved so effective in the earliest days of the war that it was trucked to battlefields across the country, from the northeastern city of Kharkiv to the southwestern coast along the Black Sea and points in between.

Now, Ukraine’s arms industry is building eight of the self-propelled Bohdana artillery systems each month, and although officials will not say how many they’ve made in total, the increased output signals a potential boom in the country’s domestic weapons production.

The ramp-up comes at a pivotal moment. Russia’s war machine is already quadrupling weapons production in round-the-clock operations. Ukraine’s forces are losing territory in some key areas, including the strategic eastern town of Avdiivka, from which they withdrew in February . A U.S. aid package is still hung up in Congress. And while European defense firms are gingerly opening operations in Ukraine, major American weapons producers have yet to commit to setting up shop in the middle of a war.

It is widely agreed that Ukraine needs to rebuild its domestic defense industry so that its military will not have to rely for years to come on the West, which has at times hesitated to send sophisticated weapons systems — including air defenses, tanks and long-range missiles. Whether that can be done in time to alter the trajectory of a war that would be all the more tenuous without more U.S. military aid remains to be seen.

But Ukraine’s military engineers have already shown surprising skill in jury-rigging older weapons systems with more modern firepower . And over the last year alone, Ukraine’s defense companies have built three times as many armored vehicles as they were making before the war and have quadrupled production of anti-tank missiles, according to Ukrainian government documents reviewed by The New York Times.

Funding for research and development is forecast to increase by eight times this year — to $1.3 billion from $162 million — according to an analysis of Ukraine’s military budget through 2030 by Janes, a defense intelligence firm. Military procurement jumped to a projected 20-year high of nearly $10 billion in 2023, compared with a prewar figure of about $1 billion a year.

“We say that death to the enemy starts with us,” Alexander Kamyshin, Ukraine’s Strategic Industries minister, said in an interview last month in his office in a nondescript brick building in Kyiv tucked away among restaurants and apartment blocks.

“It’s about showing that we don’t sit and wait until you come help us,” Mr. Kamyshin said. “It’s about trying to make things ourselves.”

Some weapons are proving harder to produce in Ukraine than others. They include 155-millimeter artillery shells, which are in dire need on the battlefield but depend on imported raw materials and licensing rights from Western manufacturers or governments. Mr. Kamyshin said domestic production of 155-millimeter shells was “on the way,” but would not say when.

Once a main supplier of the Soviet Union, Ukraine’s defense industry shrank over three decades of budget cuts after the country declared independence in 1991. The government in Kyiv now plans to spend about $6 billion this year on weapons made in Ukraine, including one million drones, but, Mr. Kamyshin said, “we can produce more than we’ve got funds available.”

The long period of decline may be hard to overcome. To restart production of the 2S22 Bohdana artillery cannon, for example, officials had to track down the weapon’s original designers and engineers, some of whom had been assigned to menial military tasks across Ukraine.

By June 2022, Ukrainian forces were using the Bohdana’s 30-mile range to target and destroy Russian air defenses in the successful battle for Snake Island in the Black Sea.

“It was a very big surprise for the Russians,” said Maj. Myroslav Hai, a Ukrainian Army officer who helped liberate the island. “They couldn’t understand how somebody could use artillery for this distance.”

In Europe, political leaders who worry about eroding American support and business executives who see new market opportunities are promoting military production ventures in Ukraine, even if it may be several years before any of those weapons or materiel reach the battlefield.

The German arms giant Rheinmetall and the Turkish drone-maker Baykar are in the process of building manufacturing plants in Ukraine. France’s defense minister said in March that three French companies that produce drones and land warfare equipment were nearing similar agreements. Last month, Germany and France announced a joint venture through the defense conglomerate KNDS to build parts for tanks and howitzers in Ukraine and, eventually, whole weapons systems.

Experts said Ukraine’s military has positioned air defense systems around some of its most critical weapons factories. It’s likely that foreign-backed plants will largely be built in the country’s west, far from the front lines but also protected by air defenses.

Christian Seear, the Ukraine operations director for the Britain-based military contractor BAE Systems, said even the nascent moves by foreign producers send “a critical message — that you can go into Ukraine and set things up.”

While BAE Systems looks to manufacture weapons in Ukraine in the future, Mr. Seear said, the company is currently focused on a “fix it forward” approach, to repair battle-damaged weapons at factories in Ukraine to get them back to the front lines faster. Many of the weapons in Ukraine’s ground war — including M777 and Archer howitzers, Bradley and CV90 combat vehicles and Challenger 2 tanks — are manufactured by BAE Systems.

“We want to keep those things fighting, and it’s becoming quite clear that you can’t keep maintaining those assets in neighboring countries,” Mr. Seear said. “It’s not acceptable for a long-term war of attrition to have hundreds of high quality, reliable howitzers having to travel hundreds of miles.”

To date, Ukrainian and U.S. officials said, no major American weapons manufacturer has announced plans to open production lines in Ukraine. However, some senior executives have visited Kyiv in recent weeks to meet with Mr. Kamyshin and other officials, and the Biden administration hosted meetings in December to bring together Ukrainian leaders and U.S. military contractors.

Helping Ukraine rebuild its defense industry has become even more vital as Republicans in Congress have blocked $60 billion in military and financial aid to Ukraine. (However, Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, recently signaled that he is looking for politically palatable ways to bring the aid package to a vote.)

But a web of bureaucracy in Kyiv threatens to slow at least some investors as they seek to push proposals through three ministries, Defense, Digital Transformation and Mr. Kamyshin’s Strategic Industries.

“We’re trying to get a sense of how this all fit together, and how they work together,” said William B. Taylor, a former ambassador to Kyiv who is leading an effort by the U.S. Institute of Peace to help link up American and Ukrainian defense firms.

“American firms have got a lot of opportunities to invest in other places around the world,” Mr. Taylor said. “This is one where U.S. national interests are at stake, so it’s why we would take an extra step to help make these connections.”

Since 155-millimeter caliber artillery rounds are desperately needed, Mr. Taylor suggested that an initial joint venture between Ukrainian and American firms could focus on ramping up their production.

European producers are already venturing into that market.

“If the Europeans will be involved in its development in the volumes they promise, I think we will solve the problem of ‘shell hunger’ over time,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s armed forces commander, told Ukraine state media in an interview published on Friday .

Although Ukraine’s manufacturers are prohibited from exporting weapons until the war is over, Mr. Kamyshin sounds eager to compete with foreign arms producers.

A forceful speaker with a goatee and a topknot hair style traditionally worn by Ukrainian Cossacks , Mr. Kamyshin is one of what Mr. Taylor described as a new generation of leaders in Ukraine — at age 39, a young gun who has ascended rapidly through the government ranks.

After his appointment as minister, in March 2023, Mr. Kamyshin visited almost every weapons factory in Ukraine and said he found an industry badly in need of an overhaul. Workers were laboring in damaged factories in some places; in others, rockets were being built by hand.

Though he said production is moving more smoothly now, he still receives daily updates on critical assembly lines to rapidly identify breakdowns and get them fixed quickly.

“We are moving things faster and cheaper, and they work,” Mr. Kamyshin said in an interview that was as much a sales pitch for domestically built weapons as it was a discussion of foreign investments.

“We will join you and NATO one day,” he said confidently. “So if you procure from us, you’re building up abilities, and that will become part of the joint capabilities one day. So why not invest in your joint capabilities?”

Vladyslav Golovin and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn contributed reporting.

Lara Jakes , based in Rome, reports on diplomatic and military efforts by the West to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. She has been a journalist for nearly 30 years. More about Lara Jakes

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has signed into law three measures aimed at replenishing the ranks of his country’s depleted army, including lowering the draft age to 25 .

With continued American aid to Ukraine stalled and against the looming prospect of a second Trump presidency, NATO officials are looking to take more control of directing military support from Ukraine’s allies  — a role that the United States has played for the past two years.

Exploding drones hit an oil refinery and munitions factory far to the east of Moscow, in what Ukrainian media and military experts said was among the longest-range strikes with Ukrainian drones so far in the war .

Conditional Support: Ukraine wants a formal invitation to join NATO, but NATO has no appetite for taking on a new member  that, because of the alliance’s covenant of collective security, would draw it into the biggest land war in Europe since 1945.

“Shell Hunger”: A desperate shortage of munitions in Ukraine  is warping tactics and the types of weapons employed. What few munitions remain are often mismatched with battlefield needs as the country’s forces prepare for an expected Russian offensive this summer.

Turning to Marketing: Ukraine’s troop-starved brigades have started their own recruitment campaigns  to fill ranks depleted in the war with Russia.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

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Red Ensign Group yacht code

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MSF1100 REG Division of responsibilities

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Computer Science > Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Title: are we on the right way for evaluating large vision-language models.

Abstract: Large vision-language models (LVLMs) have recently achieved rapid progress, sparking numerous studies to evaluate their multi-modal capabilities. However, we dig into current evaluation works and identify two primary issues: 1) Visual content is unnecessary for many samples. The answers can be directly inferred from the questions and options, or the world knowledge embedded in LLMs. This phenomenon is prevalent across current benchmarks. For instance, GeminiPro achieves 42.9% on the MMMU benchmark without any visual input, and outperforms the random choice baseline across six benchmarks over 20% on average. 2) Unintentional data leakage exists in LLM and LVLM training. LLM and LVLM could still answer some visual-necessary questions without visual content, indicating the memorizing of these samples within large-scale training data. For example, Sphinx-X-MoE gets 43.6% on MMMU without accessing images, surpassing its LLM backbone with 17.9%. Both problems lead to misjudgments of actual multi-modal gains and potentially misguide the study of LVLM. To this end, we present MMStar, an elite vision-indispensable multi-modal benchmark comprising 1,500 samples meticulously selected by humans. MMStar benchmarks 6 core capabilities and 18 detailed axes, aiming to evaluate LVLMs' multi-modal capacities with carefully balanced and purified samples. These samples are first roughly selected from current benchmarks with an automated pipeline, human review is then involved to ensure each curated sample exhibits visual dependency, minimal data leakage, and requires advanced multi-modal capabilities. Moreover, two metrics are developed to measure data leakage and actual performance gain in multi-modal training. We evaluate 16 leading LVLMs on MMStar to assess their multi-modal capabilities, and on 7 benchmarks with the proposed metrics to investigate their data leakage and actual multi-modal gain.

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