Privacy Policy
Last updated: 13 October 2026
This policy explains what information YachtMetric collects when you use this website, why we collect it and how it is handled. YachtMetric is an independent publication about yacht ownership costs. The website is funded by advertising and uses analytics to understand which guides readers find useful.
Information you submit
The Contact form asks for your name, email address, an optional subject and your message. When you submit the form, these details are stored in our website database and a copy is sent to the editorial email address configured for this website. We use them only to read and respond to your question, correction or enquiry. Your details are never published on the website.
Information collected automatically
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 to measure how the website is used, for example which pages are read, how visitors arrive at the site, approximate location (country or city), device and browser type, and how long pages are viewed. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies and does not log or store full IP addresses. We use this information only in aggregated form to improve our content. We do not use it to identify individual readers.
Google AdSense
We show advertising provided by Google AdSense on article and home pages. Google and its partners may use cookies and similar technologies to show ads, limit how often you see an ad, measure ad performance and, where permitted and you have agreed, show ads based on your interests. You can learn more in How Google uses information from sites that use its services and How Google uses cookies in advertising. You can turn off personalised ads at any time in Google My Ad Center. We do not show ads on our contact, search, error or legal pages.
Server logs
Like most websites, our hosting provider may automatically record technical information such as IP addresses, browser type, pages requested and the date and time of each request in standard server logs. These logs are used to operate, secure and troubleshoot the website, and their retention is controlled by the hosting provider.
Your consent
If you visit from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, analytics and advertising cookies are not used until you give consent. A consent message provided by Google, a certified consent management platform, lets you accept or reject these uses and choose your preferences. Until you choose, Google Analytics and AdSense operate in a restricted mode that does not read or write their cookies, and any ads shown are not personalised. You can change your choice at any time using the privacy settings link shown by the consent message.
Visitors from other regions can control cookies through their browser settings and opt out of personalised advertising in Google My Ad Center. You can also install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Cookies
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHPSESSID | YachtMetric | Strictly necessary. Keeps the contact form secure by protecting them against forged submissions. It contains a random identifier only. | Until you close your browser |
| _ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics | Analytics. Distinguishes visits so that we can count readers and understand how pages are used. | Up to 2 years |
| __gads, __gpi, __eoi and other Google advertising cookies | Google AdSense | Advertising. Serves and measures ads, limits repetition and, with consent, personalises ads. | Up to 13 months |
| FCCDCF, FCNEC | Google consent message | Stores your consent choices. | Up to 13 months |
Google may change the exact names and durations of its cookies. Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent; analytics and advertising cookies are used only as described in "Your consent" above.
Third-party services
- Google: Google Analytics and Google AdSense are provided by Google Ireland Limited (for users in the EEA, UK and Switzerland) and Google LLC (elsewhere). Information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. Google's handling of data is described in the Google Privacy Policy.
- Hosting and email: Our web host stores the website and its database, and our email provider delivers contact form notifications. They process information only as needed to provide these services.
Fonts and images on this website are served from our own server. Links to other websites, such as sources we cite, only take you there if you click them; those websites have their own privacy policies. We do not sell, rent or trade the personal information you submit to us.
How long we keep information
- Contact messages are kept for as long as needed to handle your enquiry and any related editorial correspondence, and are then deleted. Copies may remain in our email account and its backups for a limited time.
- Google Analytics data is retained for no longer than 14 months and then deleted automatically.
- Server logs are kept according to our hosting provider's retention schedule.
Legal basis
Where data protection laws such as the GDPR apply, we process contact messages to respond to your request (legitimate interests), analytics and advertising cookies based on your consent where required, and server logs and the security cookie for our legitimate interest in operating a secure website.
Security
Our contact form is protected against automated spam and forged submissions, and access to stored messages is limited to the site administrator through a password-protected administration area. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect the information you provide.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, object to or restrict how we use it, or withdraw your consent at any time. To make a request, use the Contact form. We will respond within a reasonable time and in any case within the period required by applicable law. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
Children
This website is intended for adults interested in yacht ownership. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes to this policy
We will update this page when our data practices change. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.
Contact
For questions about this policy or your personal information, please use the Contact page.