Weco Projects Aps v Loro Piana and Others; Peters & May Srl v Loro Piana and Another (The “My Song”) – QBD (Comm Ct) (Christopher Hancock QC sitting as a Judge of the High Court) [2020] EWHC 2150 (Comm) – 5 August 2020

Conflict of laws – Jurisdiction – Loss of sailing yacht being carried from Antigua to Genoa – Contract containing exclusive English jurisdiction clause – Parties bringing proceedings in England for negative declaratory relief – Italian businessman and other defendants challenging jurisdiction – Whether contract was a consumer contract – Whether English jurisdiction established

These were two sets of proceedings following the loss of the sailing yacht My Song during the course of carriage from Antigua to Genoa. The first defendant in both sets of proceedings (Mr Loro Piana) was an Italian businessman and amateur yachtsman, domiciled in Italy.