11/05/2026
Hosted by Bluewater and with IAMI as Platinum Sponsor, the IASST Maritime Safety Seminar took place on Tuesday, 28th April 2026.
The event welcomed both members and non-members, bringing together leading professionals from the superyacht, maritime and safety sectors for a full day of insightful discussions.
Training Director and IAMI Board Member John Wyborn moderated the sessions, which opened with a welcome speech by IASST Chair Samantha Montes.
Speakers shared valuable expertise on key topics, including:
• Lithium-Ion battery safety (David O’Neil, AKU Palma)
• Latest updates on maritime education and regulation (Nick Phillips, MCA)
• Building a culture of safety (Mark Stagg, Vice Chair IAMI)
• Lessons learned from incident reporting (Adam Parnell, CHIRP Maritime)
• Physiological responses to extreme environments (Professor Mike Tipton MBE)
• Safety of yachts in polar regions (Wibbo Hoffman, Maritime Institute)
The standout moment was the keynote by Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Chief Fire Officer. Her presentation on psychological resilience, decision-making under pressure and leadership in emergencies was both inspiring and highly practical.
The day reinforced the strong synergies between our sectors and the real value of collaboration. Improving safety culture, preparedness and response remains a shared priority across the entire maritime industry.
A big thank you to all speakers, attendees, our partners at IAMI and IASST, sponsors and the Bluewater Spain team for delivering such a valuable event.
Safety is at the heart of what we do - together, we keep raising the bar.
PYA
The Yacht AVIT
Estela Shipping
AkuPalma
AccusafeBox
Institute Willem Barentsz
