Owner Representation · Shipyard Project Management · Independent Consultancy
Independent counsel for the largest decision, most owners will ever make.
International Yacht Services represents owners through new build construction, manages build programmes for shipyards, and resolves disputes between both, without commission from either side.
Our Business Model
Three services. One standard of conduct.
Owner's Representation
Appointed by the owner to protect their interest across contract, specification, budget, schedule and delivery, for super, mega and giga yacht new builds.
How it worksShipyard Project Management
Engaged by the yard to plan, sequence and coordinate the build programme, absorbing owner and broker communication without disrupting production.
How it worksIndependent Consultancy
Engaged by either party, or jointly, where a dispute or project misalignment calls for a neutral, technically credible second opinion.
How it worksWhy Independence Matters
We are not paid to let your budget grow.
Most owner's representatives are paid a percentage of the build cost, which means the fee grows every time the budget does. IYS's primary fee structure is a fixed monthly retainer, agreed before work begins and unrelated to what the yard spends. Where a client prefers a percentage structure, we cap it in writing.
The same principle governs our consultancy work: no commission from the shipyard, no referral fee from the broker. Our only client is whoever signed our engagement letter.
Read our governing principles- Fixed fee retainer, agreed in advance, unrelated to build spend
- No shipyard commission, no brokerage referral fee
- Every report shared with the client in full, on a fixed cadence
- A vetted specialist network held to the same conduct standard
- Conflicts of interest disclosed in writing before engagement
Services
Three ways to engage IYS, each with a clear line of accountability.
Every engagement begins with the same question: who are we protecting? The answer determines who appoints us, who we report to, and how we're paid.
Owner's Representation
Engaged directly by the owner or their family office to safeguard a new build from initial shipyard selection through to sea trials, commissioning and delivery. We sit on the owner's side of the table at every stage, reviewing what the yard proposes, not producing it.
What's included
- — Shipyard evaluation and contract review before signature
- — General arrangement and technical specification scrutiny
- — Budget and milestone payment tracking against verified progress
- — Design and change order liaison with interior/exterior teams
- — Independent quality liaison at the yard, separate from the yard's own QC
- — Sea trials, commissioning and delivery sign off on the owner's behalf
- — Warranty period support once the yacht is delivered
Fee Structure
Fixed monthly retainer, scaled to vessel size and build complexity. A capped percentage alternative is available on request.
Final terms confirmed in a written engagement letter. See our full pricing methodology on request.
Request a QuoteFee Structure
Structured as a percentage of build cost, in line with standard superyacht industry practice.
Scoped against the build contract at signature; billed on agreed milestones through the programme.
Request a QuoteShipyard Project Management
Engaged by the shipyard to plan, sequence and run the build programme on its behalf, integrating naval architecture, interior fit-out, systems and outfitting into a single master schedule, and absorbing the volume of owner and broker communication so the yard's own production teams can stay focused on the build.
What's included
- — Master schedule integration across every trade and discipline
- — Subcontractor and trade sequencing to avoid costly rework
- — Long lead procurement and owner supplied equipment coordination
- — Structured change order process with cost and schedule impact
- — A single, professional communication channel to the owner's team
- — Documentation and handover packages built for a clean delivery
Independent Consultancy & Dispute Resolution
Engaged by either party, or jointly, where technical disagreement, delay, or project misalignment calls for a neutral, credentialed second opinion. We do not represent either side going in, our obligation is to the facts and to the standard the contract set out.
What's included
- — Structured, evidence based technical mediation
- — Project misalignment audits against contract, schedule and budget
- — Specification and classification society contract interpretation
- — Second opinion surveys and independent inspection reports
- — Expert technical reporting suitable for arbitration or litigation support
Fee Structure
Day-rate or fixed-scope, depending on the engagement.
Day rates vary by seniority and scope; audits are quoted as a fixed sum before any work begins. Call +44 7710 793283 or use the enquiry form below for a written quotation.
Request a QuoteHow an Engagement Runs
Four phases, one point of accountability.
Owner's Representation follows the build from first shipyard contact to warranty close out. What we do, and what we report, changes by phase but who we answer to never does.
Contract & Selection
- — Shipyard evaluation and comparative due diligence
- — Contract and technical specification review before signature
- — Budget structuring and milestone payment framework
Design & Engineering
- — General arrangement and specification scrutiny
- — Design and change order liaison with interior/exterior teams
- — Coordination with the owner's legal, financial and crew advisors
Construction
- — Milestone payment tracking against verified progress
- — Independent quality liaison at the yard, separate from the yard's own QC
- — Fixed-cadence progress reporting to the owner
Delivery & Warranty
- — Sea trials, commissioning and delivery sign off on the owner's behalf
- — Warranty period support once the yacht is delivered
Specialist Network
Eight disciplines. One point of coordination.
Every specialist in the IYS network is engaged under the same code of conduct and reporting standard we hold ourselves to, deployed individually, or as a full team matched to the scope of the project.
Projects
Representative engagements across new build categories.
Superyacht new builds are governed by strict confidentiality. The examples below illustrate the scale and scope of engagement IYS is built to handle, full case studies with named vessels are shared with prospective clients under NDA as our project history is published.
Our Partners
Who we work with.
IYS is built to sit inside the existing structure of the industry, as a partner to the brokerage houses and shipyards which owners already trust, not a replacement for them.
Brokerage Houses
- — IYS works very closely, over a number of years, with the top five industry brokerage and management companies
- — Other leading houses, by introduction, and private family offices
Shipyards
- — European custom and semi-custom yards
- — Turkish new build yards
- — Refit and repair facilities
- — Classification societies and flag states — ABS, BV, DNV, LR (Lloyd's Register), RINA and others
Owners & Family Offices
- — Private owners, first time and repeat
- — Family office asset managers
- — Yacht management companies
- — Captains and senior crew
Brokerage houses and shipyards are named here as representative counterparties IYS is structured to work alongside. Listing does not imply a current contractual relationship, endorsement, or referral arrangement with any named company.
Insights
Notes from inside the build process.
Plain language explainers for owners, brokers and yards: no marketing gloss, written by the people doing the work.
About & Governance
Built on transparency, professionalism and integrity.
International Yacht Services (IYS) is an independent owner representation, project management and consultancy house for the superyacht, megayacht and giga yacht sector.
IYS was created to close a structural gap in the new build process: owners rarely have independent, on the ground technical oversight of their own investment and shipyards need a coordinated professional counterpart who won't disrupt production, and brokerage houses want a trusted partner to hand clients to post sale without taking on technical liability themselves. IYS sits between all three: independent of shipyard commission, independent of brokerage margin, accountable to the standard the contract set out.
Transparency
Every recommendation is documented, every conflict of interest disclosed, every report shared with the client in full, not summarised for convenience.
Professionalism
A vetted network of naval architects, engineers and inspectors, each held to the same standard of conduct and reporting we hold ourselves to.
Integrity
We are not paid on commission by shipyards or brokers. Our fee structure is fixed to the client's interest, not the size or speed of the deal.
Governance
A WHL Group Company
IYS operates as a subsidiary of WHL Group, which provides financial stability and bonding capacity for large scale engagements, shared legal, insurance, HR and finance infrastructure, and the backing of an established group reputation for a new brand entering a conservative, relationship driven industry.
Leadership
Leadership and specialist network profiles are published as engagements are confirmed and the team is formally announced. In the interim, all enquiries are handled directly by the founding team.
Contact
Tell us who you are, and what you're building.
Every enquiry is reviewed personally. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you, and point you to someone who is.