Creating sea change in the superyacht industry

Yacht brokerage Edmiston has undergone many changes since Jamie Edmiston took over the business from his father in 2014. Not only has the company and the market grown beyond recognition, but the introduction of the Edmiston Foundation in 2020 has helped seed a culture of giving. 

“People used to ask for sponsorship but it wasn’t very focused or joined up,” explains Jamie. “The foundation was created to focus on two things; environmental initiatives and social mobility.” Today, the Foundation partners with both youth maritime charity UKSA (United Kingdom Sailing Academy) and UK environmental charity, Conservation Collective to help it achieve its goals. 

Creating opportunities on the water 

“With UKSA, based in Cowes, the principal goal is to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds experience being on the water,” says Jamie. “It might be that we get them on the water for the very first time or it could be helping them to build a career in yachting. The yacht business can be a bit of a bubble and I think it’s good to give access to people who might not otherwise have had the opportunity.” 

The Sea Change Foundation is one of the UKSA initiatives that the foundation supports, offering a fully-funded five-day residential course for 14 to 18 year-olds. As well as practical sailing and watersports taster sessions, there is also an introduction to future maritime careers. “I’m mindful that not everybody has the access to even know where to begin working on a boat,” explains Jamie. “If I can use our resources and assets to help other people get into yachting then I think that’s a nice thing to do.” They also offer a maritime Foundation Course for school leavers and a Superyacht Crew Training Programme, created by UKSA and delivered for Edmiston. It mirrors the standard Crew Training Course but introduces modules such as cultural integration and industry familiarisation. 

To date, the Edmiston Foundation has enabled 419 children and young people from a diverse range of backgrounds to attend UKSA courses and supported 260 students into employment. “We partner with UKSA because they have the infrastructure in place,” says Jamie. “We deliver financial and brand firepower and we can engage people. If you’re in a position of influence I think it’s important to leverage it if you can.” 

A passion for protecting the environment 

Meanwhile the company’s partnership with the Conservation Collective began in 2021. Launched in 2008 by lifelong nature lover Ben Goldsmith, the charity comprises a global network of local environment foundations rooted in their communities working to protect the environment, restore nature and safeguard against climate change.

“We were brought together through mutual contacts who knew about our shared interest in the protection of marine spaces,” explains Francesca Hicks, Communications Manager. “Together, we have built a bespoke portfolio of marine projects in the Balearics, Greece, and the Caribbean, made of five outstanding projects focused on the protection and conservation of the marine environment.”

Multiple milestones have been achieved since the partnership began. In St Vincent and the Grenadines, after two years of work, the turtle monitoring project supported by Edmiston Foundation built up an established team of monitors who patrol a growing number of designated nesting beaches, ensuring these endangered creatures can lay their eggs in nests which are undisturbed and protected.

Meanwhile, in Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, the foundation supported Calant Xarxes (‘Nets for Fair Fishing’ in Catalan), to train fishers on sustainable fishing practices and champion responsible seafood sourcing across the Balearic Islands. The work included training sessions and workshops for fishers, engagement with restaurants, and a Surveillance Study, assessing all the illegal fishing incidents recorded in the Balearics. 

“The Cyclades Preservation Fund too,” adds Francesca, “created a Yachting & Environment Guide in the first two years of the Edmiston partnership, which has been widely disseminated amongst the yachting communities and Greek authorities.”

So far, so impressive – and Jamie has plans to scale up the Foundation now that it’s found its sea legs. “Covid wasn’t a great time to start,” he says, “ but gradually we’ve got more momentum and it’s become better. It’s something I am very proud of.”