On November 12, 2026, representatives of Yasido met once again with Dr. Friedrich Schöchl, founder of Yacht-Pool, one of the pioneers of yacht insurance and widely regarded as the creator of Skipper Liability Insurance.
With more than 50 years of experience in the industry, Dr. Schöchl has made significant contributions to the development of specialized insurance solutions for yachting and yacht charter operations.
The meeting was an opportunity to revisit an interesting story that began in 2023, when Yasido co-founder Stefan Varadinov and his colleague Stefan Kalaydzhiyski visited Salzburg at Dr. Schöchl's personal invitation.
During that visit, they discussed the need for an annual insurance policy specifically designed for professional skippers, covering both their liability and charter security deposits while working on different yachts throughout the season.
At the time, such a product was practically unavailable on the market. Insurers were reluctant to accept the risks involved, primarily due to concerns about potential fraud and misuse of insurance coverage. Even convincing Dr. Schöchl himself, despite his extensive experience and innovative approach, proved to be a considerable challenge.
Eventually, those efforts paid off, and the idea became a real insurance product.
Today, Stefan Varadinov is already in his third consecutive year of holding this insurance and is among the first professional skippers to have benefited from this opportunity.
For the Yasido team, it is particularly rewarding to know that the discussions back in 2023 contributed to the development of a product that is now available to other professional captains as well.
This story highlights the importance of dialogue and cooperation within the yachting industry. Dr. Schöchl continues to set an example by remaining open to new ideas and solutions, even after five decades of professional experience.
We would like to thank Dr. Schöchl for his trust and another productive meeting!
