California Yacht Brokers Association

What California Yacht Brokers Association does

The California Yacht Brokers Association (CYBA) is a non-profit professional trade association founded in 1975 that represents licensed yacht and ship brokers operating in California. The organization was established alongside California's pioneering statutory requirement that all yacht brokers and sales personnel be licensed and bonded — the first such framework of any U.S. state — and CYBA has worked to uphold and extend that regulatory regime through advocacy with the California Division of Boating and Waterways. CYBA is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, with Mark P. White serving as Executive Director; headquarters mailing address is in Oceanside, California, and the organization employs 1–10 people.

CYBA's core offerings are institutional rather than technological. Members receive access to the CYBA Forms Suite (state-approved listing and sale templates), a Code of Ethics recognized nationwide as the industry standard, mandatory arbitration procedures administered through a formal Grievance and Arbitration Committee, and a quarterly newsletter (CYBA News). The association runs four classes of membership — Master Members (Yacht and Ship Brokers), Broker Members, Salesperson Members, and Affiliate Members (banks, escrow companies, surveyors, and adjacent service providers) — plus a four-tier sponsorship program (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) that funds events, legal seminars, and advocacy. The group also runs the GEO (Growth, Expansion, and Outreach) committee, the Women of the Waterfront Award program, and co-hosts the Annual California Boating Congress with the Marine Recreation Association.

CYBA generates revenue primarily through recurring membership dues and initiation fees (set by the Board, not publicly disclosed), supplemented by a $30 reinstatement fee and sponsorship contributions from legal, marina, insurance, and marine-marketplace partners. Geographic scope is restricted to the State of California, with territorial jurisdiction defined in the By-Laws. The operational technology stack is limited to a WordPress website (cyba.info), email newsletters, and event registration; CYBA does not offer a software product, API, or digital platform, and reported no AI or machine-learning capabilities in the source material.

Name

California Yacht Brokers Association

Legal name

California Yacht Brokers Association

Website

https://cyba.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The California Yacht Brokers Association is a 1975-founded non-profit trade association serving California-licensed yacht and ship brokers with standardized transaction forms, a Code of Ethics, arbitration services, advocacy, and continuing-education programming funded by membership dues and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association Services

NAICS

Boat Dealers (441222)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew) (THAJALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine & Boat Finance (FSAKADAH)

Keywords

• Yacht brokerage association
• Professional trade association
• Broker dispute arbitration
• Marine industry licensing
• Boating professional standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Martinez

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Fees: CYBA generates revenue through membership dues, initiation fees, and assessments for special projects as established by the Board of Directors. The association offers four classes of membership: Master Members (Yacht and Ship Brokers), Broker Members, Salesperson Members, and Affiliate Members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

California Yacht Brokers Association is a non-profit professional trade association founded in 1975 that represents California's licensed yacht and ship brokers, salespersons, and affiliated marine service providers. CYBA delivers membership benefits including the state-approved CYBA Forms Suite for listing and sale transactions, a mandated arbitration program for dispute resolution, an industry-recognized Code of Ethics, annual legal and best-practices seminars, the quarterly CYBA News newsletter, networking and boat show events, and legislative advocacy in coordination with the California Division of Boating and Waterways.

Product overview

The California Yacht Brokers Association (CYBA) is a professional trade association for yacht brokers in California, not a technology product company. CYBA provides membership services including access to state-approved listing and sales forms (CYBA Forms Suite), arbitration services for dispute resolution, educational seminars (Annual Legal Seminar, Best-Practice Seminars), networking events (Annual Dinner, boat shows), a quarterly newsletter (CYBA News), buyer resources (Buy Smart guide, Yacht Buyer Alert), and advocacy/legislative representation. CYBA does not offer a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CYBA Membership Annual membership in California's non-profit yacht brokers trade association available in four classes (Master Members who are Yacht and Ship Brokers, Broker Members who are working brokers, Salesperson Members who are licensed salespersons, and Affiliate Members who are banks, escrow companies, fiduciary institutions, yacht and ship surveyors, and marine industry-related businesses). Membership requires endorsement from existing broker members and provides access to CYBA Forms Suite, arbitration services, Code of Ethics standing, legislative advocacy, networking events, and the quarterly CYBA News newsletter. Territorial jurisdiction is the State of California.
• CYBA Forms Suite State-approved standardized set of listing, sale, and co-brokerage transaction forms provided exclusively to CYBA members for use in yacht and ship brokerage transactions, with mandated arbitration as the sole remedy for disputes arising from the forms. The forms are available via the members-only portal.
• Dispute Resolution Arbitration Services Formal grievance and arbitration procedures administered by a Grievance and Arbitration Committee to resolve disputes between consumers and brokers. Arbitration is the contractually mandated sole remedy in CYBA Forms Suite transactions.
• Annual CYBA Legal & Best Practices Seminar Annual one-day seminar providing continuing legal education on regulatory changes, brokerage best practices, and ethics for CYBA members and licensed yacht brokers, typically held in Newport Beach, CA. The 2026 seminar is scheduled for November 18, 2026.
• CYBA News Newsletter Quarterly newsletter distributed to CYBA members covering industry updates, regulatory changes, upcoming events (Annual Dinner, Legal Seminar, boat shows), and association activities. Recent issues include Summer/Fall 2025 and Spring 2025 with archives dating back to 2017.
• Affiliate Sponsorship Program Tiered sponsorship program for marine industry service providers (marinas, insurance firms, lenders, marine marketplaces, appraisers, legal counsel, broadcasters) offering brand visibility and networking access to CYBA members in exchange for sponsorship fees. Tiers include Platinum (C.M. Brainard and Associates; Wenthur Law Group LLP), Gold (nine sponsors including The Boats Group, CRC Marinas, Global Yacht Exchange, Harbor Island West Marina, Oversea Yacht Insurance, SeaKeepers Society, Safe Harbor Marina, Suntex Marinas), Silver, and Bronze.

Quantifiable outcome

• State-licensed brokers and sales personnel operating under CYBA's Code of Ethics with mandatory arbitration for disputes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered platinum sponsor, gold sponsor and core partner.

• C.M. Brainard and Associatesplatinum sponsorOthersLegal services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Platinum Partner.
• Wenthur Law Group LLPplatinum sponsorOthersLegal services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Platinum Partner.
• The Boats Groupgold sponsorOthersMarine marketplace partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• CRC Marinasgold sponsorOthersMarina services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• Global Yacht Exchangegold sponsorOthersYacht exchange services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• Harbor Island West Marinagold sponsorOthersMarina services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• Oversea Yacht Insurancegold sponsorOthersYacht insurance services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• The International SeaKeepers Societygold sponsorOthersMarine conservation organization partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• Safe Harbor Marinagold sponsorOthersMarina services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• Suntex Marinasgold sponsorOthersMarina services partner providing sponsorship support to CYBA as a Gold Affiliate.
• Marine Recreation Associationcore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCYBA co-hosts the Annual California Boating Congress with the Marine Recreation Association and other marine industry organizations. More than 75 industry leaders attend the annual policy conference.
• California Division of Boating and Waterwayscore partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCYBA works with the Division of Boating & Waterways to monitor business practices and ensure professionalism through guidance and education for California yacht brokers.
• Certified Professional Yacht Brokers (CPYB)core partnerOthersCYBA supports and promotes CPYB certification. Several CYBA members including Dean West were among the first Certified Professional Yacht Brokers in California.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC): Standards-development organization for the marine industry, covering boat design, construction, and repair. While not a broker association, it sits in the same marine professional-standards ecosystem.
• Boating Industry Association: A broader marine industry trade association representing boating businesses including dealers, brokers, and marinas. Overlaps with CYBA's dealer/broker membership but covers a wider industry scope.
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): The largest U.S. marine industry trade association representing boat manufacturers, engine makers, and accessory companies. Adjacent to CYBA's ecosystem but focused on manufacturing rather than brokerage.
• Certified Professional Yacht Brokers (CPYB): National yacht broker certification body whose program CYBA promotes. Overlapping in mission (professionalizing yacht brokerage) but operates as a credentialing authority rather than a broad trade association.

Direct peers

• Marine Recreation Association: California marine industry association that CYBA co-hosts the Annual California Boating Congress with. Comparable advocacy and event-driven association model serving California's recreational boating community.
• Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA): The national trade association for yacht brokers in the United States. YBAA is the most direct functional peer to CYBA, offering similar membership, ethics, and professional standards frameworks but at the national level.

Regional players

• Southern California Yacht Brokers Association: Smaller regional yacht broker association operating in Southern California. Direct competition for CYBA's membership in a sub-region of its territory, comparable in mission but smaller in scale.
• Florida Yacht Brokers Association: State-level yacht broker trade association serving Florida, the largest U.S. yacht brokerage market. Comparable in structure and mission to CYBA but operating in a different geography.
• Northwest Yacht Brokers Association: Regional yacht broker association serving the Pacific Northwest. Comparable professional trade association model to CYBA, focused on a different coastal region.

Emerging players

• The Boats Group: A marine marketplace and digital platform company serving yacht brokers and dealers, currently a CYBA Gold sponsor. Comparable in serving the yacht broker ecosystem but as a technology/marketplace provider rather than a trade association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Yacht Brokers Association