Superyacht owners, businesses and yacht support services have formed the SuperYacht Aid Coalition (SAC) in an effort to provide a united force to aid the Caribbean islands in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria and YachtAid Global (YAG) has been deployed, ensuring that essential relief gets through to the islands that need it.
The SuperYacht Aid Commission deploys Yacht Aid Global to the Caribbean islands
The role of the SuperYacht Aid Coalition is to collect the resources of as many yachting partners and individuals as possible, with the aim to:
- Call for urgent action
- lead fundraising, and
- Provide PR and communication
“During the Monaco Yacht Show, a work group consisting of many important industry groups gathered together to organize a comprehensive response to the unfathomable Caribbean disaster which has so severely impacted many islands which have hosted and fostered our industry and businesses for many decades,” says Norma Trease, founding member of SAC. “New interest and financial support increases each day. During MYS, the following organizations showed their support by giving time, expertise and financial aid: MYBA, IYBA, LYBRA, BWA/ARK, PYA, AYSS, ACREW, ISS and many yacht support services companies such as YachtNeeds, Freedom Maritime, Riviera Yacht Support, Melita Marine, National Marine, and several yachts,” she adds.
“The contributions and assistance coming from the yachting industry in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria are unprecedented,” says Mark Drewelow, YAG’s founder. “By managing SuperYacht Aid Coalition under YAG’s proven logistical dexterity, we are able to harness these efforts. We believe the response of our owners and industry is capable of being as unprecedented as the events themselves.”
Founded in 2006, YachtAid Global is a generous group of individuals including superyacht owners, captains, crew and industry professionals who voluntarily help communities in need of assistance the world over.
In addition to organizing and deploying resources to the Caribbean, YAG is also involved in communication, public relations, and fundraising for SuperYacht Aid Coalition.
“Of utmost importance is the creation of a sole source ‘click to give’ instrument capable of both receiving crowd-funding while also providing a fundraising platform for individual yachts, crew and businesses,” says Tim Forderer, managing director. “Today, we have re-launched www.yachtaidglobal.org. It’s simple to use, donate and create custom stakeholder funding campaigns.”
Fiona Maureso, MYBA President, comments, “This is a unique opportunity to channel the compassion of yacht owners and all those who work in our industry, supporting these amazing places, helping restore their basic infrastructure and enabling them to rebuild their lives and their economies. SAC is determined to harness participation from every facet of the yachting business: owners, crew, businesses and resource providers alike. Along with YAG, we also commit to providing updates to our industry as progress is made.”
