Attention Captains & Owners!

Join us for this panel discussion with the latest changes & compliance updates from the Flag States – IRI/The Marshall Islands Registry, Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, Malta Transport, The Bahamas Maritime Authority, Jamaican Ship Registry and the US Flag/Alley, Maass, Rogers & Lindsey, PA.

The USSA “Ask the Flag” Panel: Navigating Regulatory Waters with Expertise combines panelist input and audience participation covering valuable topics to ensure the seamless operation of superyachts worldwide including maritime regulations, compliance, safety standards, and the regulatory landscape.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

3:30 pm

Bahia Mar Hotel – 2nd Floor  

Meet the Panel:

Peter Southgate, Cayman Islands Registry

Peter is a shipbuilder, naval architect and marine surveyor with nearly 40 years in the maritime industry and is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. Starting his career at UK shipbuilder Vosper Thornycroft as an apprentice shipwright/metalworker and later as a naval architect in the ship design department.

After a period with Lloyd’s Register specializing in yachts and passenger ships, Peter worked with the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency where he was involved in the implementation and expansion of the large yacht code and directly responsible for the development of LY2. He joined the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry as a marine surveyor where he was instrumental in developing the Register as the world leader in large yacht registration and more recently has played a lead role in the development of the REG Passenger Yacht Code, first published in November 2011.

Peter is a regular panelist at innumerous maritime events and regularly contributes to articles on regulatory matters in industry publications. He is a well-respected authority on matters related to the construction and regulation of ships and large yachts.

Peter has a Law Degree from the University of London and completed the LPC with the University of Law and has subsequently been involved in the development of legislation and providing advice on international maritime regulatory matters.

Peter founded Southgate Maritime Inc in 2018 and is currently serving a Regional Director, Americas  for the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands and is responsible for the Authority’s technical operations in the region.

Mark Farrugia, Malta Transport

Mark Farrugia – Assistant Registrar of Ships within the Merchant Shipping Directorate of Transport Malta.  I am responsible for the Registration of Merchant Ships and Super Yachts under the Malta Flag. 

This is my 22nd year at Transport Malta and I have seen the Super Yacht Registration sector develop from a couple of yachts in 2008 to over 1100 Super Yachts up till September 2023.  I look forward to develop my expertise in Super Yachts in the coming years. 

Attending Yacht Shows all over the world and seeing lots of yachts bearing the Malta Flag is definitely something which makes me proud and gives me motivation to keep striving to see Malta maintain its position as one of the leading Flag States for Super Yacht Registrations.

Laura B. Knoll, Alley, Maas, Rogers & Lindsay, P.A.

Laura B. Knoll is a partner at Alley, Maass, Rogers & Lindsay, P.A., in Palm Beach, where her practice focuses on yacht transactions. Laura represents clients who are buying, selling, building, and chartering yachts and advises on related matters, including regulations, registration, finance, insurance, taxes, and crew.

She is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and received her law degree with a Certificate in Admiralty Law from Tulane University Law School.

Laura previously litigated cases involving collisions and allisions of vessels, barge breakaways, seaman personal injuries, and pollution, and served as in-house civilian counsel for the U.S. Coast Guard Eighth District Waterway Management Division.