What happens when shipowners and sub-charterers become insolvent?
That was the question at the heart of a packed Propeller Club Geneva evening on 3rd March 2026.
It was fantastic to have Skuld back in Geneva for our first partnered event of the year. Over 100 members and friends registered to hear from experts Nikolai Ivanov and Ganna Feldman, who guided the room through the insolvency of shipowners and charterers.
It is always great to have experts speak to the community about issues that affect them, especially in times like we are seeing at the moment, where contracts are being tested, businesses are being impacted, and insolvency is a critical issue.
Unsurprisingly, the topic sparked a lively discussion among a diverse Geneva crowd of insurers, shipowners, charterers, traders, brokers and lawyers.
As our President, Michael Buisset, reflected:
“When I was a young lawyer in Singapore in 2008, freight rates collapsed from $100k a day to just $10k. Charterparties were broken and insolvencies followed. As Nick Ivanov pointed out, in those situations, the devil is always in the detail. The contractual terms of the charter chains involved need to be carefully checked because the existence or not of relevant clauses can turn exposure into recovery.”
A serious topic, but also a great evening of exchange within the community, finishing with a spirited quiz. Congratulations to Richard Keigwin from TOTSA for taking first place (with Michael claiming a respectable second place).
We are very grateful to have the partnership of such a prestigious P&I club as Skuld. Many thanks to the Skuld team for their support and expertise, to our committee for helping bring the event together, and, of course, to all who joined us.
If your organisation is interested in partnering with the Propeller Club Port of Geneva to host an event, please get in touch with our Club Secretary:
➡️ Nicoleta Rossy
📩 info@propellerclub-gva.ch
