The structure of the Group’s claims-sharing arrangements (the “Pool”) and the commercial market and captive (Hydra) reinsurance arrangements for the 2025/26 policy year are depicted in the diagram below.
The Pool is structured in three layers from US $10 million to US $100 million. Excess of US $30 million, the Pool is reinsured by the Group captive reinsurance vehicle, Hydra Insurance Company Limited. Hydra is a Bermuda incorporated Segregated Accounts company in which each of the 12 Group Clubs has its own segregated account (or “cell”) ring fencing its assets and liabilities from those of the company or any of the other Club cells. Hydra reinsures each Club in respect of that Club's liabilities within the Pool and reinsurance layers in which Hydra participates. Through the participation of Hydra, the Group Clubs can retain, within their Hydra cells, premium which would otherwise have been paid to the commercial reinsurance markets.
The annual Group General Excess of Loss (“GXL”) reinsurance programme attaches at the Pool ceiling of US $100 million, and provides up to US $2 billion of reinsurance cover in a three-layer structure (Layer 1 - US $650 million excess of US $100 million, Layer 2 - US $750 million excess of US $750 million, Layer 3 - US $600 million excess of US $1.5 billion). Hydra retains a US $107.1 million AAD within the 75% Market Share in Layer 1, and there are three multi-year private placements in Layer 1, two of which are 10% and one is 5%.
A further US $1 billion of reinsurance cover (the “Collective Overspill”) is purchased by the Group to provide protection in respect of claims exceeding the upper GXL cover limit of US $2.1 billion.
At the 2022 renewal, annual aggregate limits were introduced for the excess layers in response to the market-wide coverage restrictions with respect to Malicious Cyber, Covid-19 and other new Pandemic risks (the “Risks”). These aggregate limits remain in place for the excess layers for the 2024/25 policy year, applying to losses with a value greater than US $750 million directly arising from these Risks. From 2024/5 the Risks have been separated between Malicious Cyber on the one hand and Covid19/Pandemic on the other hand, such that there are separate towers of aggregated cover for claims above US$750m up to US$2.1 billion for these Risks.
All other claims continue to be covered on a free and unlimited basis within all layers of the GXL. Losses below US $750 million are covered by the reinsurance on a free and unlimited basis whether or not the loss is caused by one of the defined Risks.
The annual aggregate limits within the reinsurance for losses directly caused by these Risks apply to Layers 2 and 3 as follows:
- For the 2025/26 Policy year, the aggregate limits for these Risks operate separately for Malicious Cyber and for Pandemic/Covid risks. This means that there is up to US$1.35bn of annual aggregated cover in respect of Malicious Cyber cover and separate annual aggregated cover of up to USD1.35bn in respect of Pandemic/Covid risks. Excess of that aggregated cover, the IG continues to pool any reinsurance shortfall, resulting in no change to shipowners’ cover.
- Annual aggregate limits have been agreed separately for each Layer, but with ‘drop-down’ features resulting in Layer 3 reinsurers agreeing to make their aggregate limit available for claims in the lower Layers if necessary.
