George Town, CAYMAN ISLANDS
In 2025, the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry (Cayman Registry) achieved a historic milestone, recording an unprecedented 380 total additions to the Register within a single calendar year, surpassing all previous Cayman Islands vessel registration records.
This growth represents the highest annual growth in the Registry’s history. It was largely driven by the new construction sector with roughly 60% of new registrations being newly built vessels choosing to fly the Cayman Islands Red Ensign. The rest of the new registration were vessels leaving other flags to join the Cayman Islands fleet.
Commenting on the achievement, the Global Director, Commercial Services and Registrar, Kenrick Ebanks, stated "Surpassing all previous registration records with 380 new additions is a landmark achievement that speaks to the global maritime community’s confidence and trust in the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry.”
He went on to say that “this historic milestone reflects our commitment to providing exceptional customer service and responsiveness that owners and builders require in today’s sophisticated market. We are proud to see our fleet reach this unprecedented level of growth as we continue to set the global standard for vessel registration."
Underscoring its reputation for technical brilliance, the Cayman Registry supports the majority of the superyacht newbuild market. This significant market share reaffirms the Registry’s position as the primary authority for the world’s most sophisticated maritime projects, offering unparalleled regulatory and advisory services that builders and owners trust implicitly.
Complementing this commercial success is the unmatched safety record. In a definitive display of flawless safety and regulatory excellence, in 2025 the Cayman Islands maintained a perfect record of zero detentions across key Port State Control (PSC), Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regimes — Paris MoU, Tokyo MoU and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). Achieving this across all fleet sectors – merchant and yacht alike - serves as a critical benchmark for flag state effectiveness, highlighting the Registry’s commitment to the highest global maritime standards.
At the end of 2025, the Register had over 2,650 vessels registered, reflecting ongoing engagement with key international markets and the Registry’s continued focus on attracting high-quality tonnage. Targeted business development activity in strategic regions supported the Registry’s sustained growth and global visibility.
Highlighting the registry’s forward-thinking strategy, Joel Walton, CEO of Cayman Registry, noted that the 2025 success was built on a foundation of a proactive approach “These results are a testament to the collective efforts of shipowners, managers, captains, crew, private sector partners and our Registry team. In 2025, we remained committed to staying ahead of the curve—updating guidance, supporting compliance, and maintaining the standards that keep Cayman among the world’s most respected flags.”
The Cayman Registry operates in a jurisdiction with one of the most modern and comprehensive legal frameworks for shipping and maritime administration in the world. It continues to play an important role on the global maritime stage, providing quality vessel registration, regulatory and advisory services.
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