However, one of the most important aspects for each yacht owner, in order to fulfil their dream of exploring the world in the uttermost luxurious fashion, is the hardworking crew behind the scenes.

We’ve had the chance to speak to Gemma Hulbert, who’s been servicing some of the industry’s finest yachts for over a decade, working her way up from a Junior Stew to a Yacht Chief Stew, and is now guiding 100’s of people on how to become the best crew member possible through The Yacht Stew Academy.

She starts us by taking us through some of the best experiences she’s had onboard as a crew member.

“A couple of years ago we were in the Bahamas, and the captain told us that tomorrow will be great weather, so we’re going to anchor and have a proper day of just enjoying. We went swimming, we took the tenders out, we went diving, we went snorkeling, the chefs were fishing off the back with the engineers and we all had freshly caught fish for dinner.” Hulbert comments.

“Especially on the back of a really big guest trip, when you’re working about 16h per day and have prepared for weeks to get ready for that trip, to have a day like that is what reminds you why you do what you do.”

The former yacht chief stew continues by emphasising the importance of bonding and creating weekly bright-spots with your fellow crew members.

“On one boat we did a cocktail-Friday every week during the winter where we’d make different cocktails for the crew to taste, which would then go on to become our cocktails for the summer season. And for the crew to come together like that at the end of each week and enjoy each other’s company was really something magical.”

Furthermore, she shines the spotlight on the importance of being able to think on your feet as a crew member when you’re working aboard luxury yachts.

“I think it’s really important to have that intuition, whether you’re working on private or charter boats, you have to expect the unexpected at all times. The owner may, for example, love a certain flower and every time the miss comes onboard, she compliments it.”

“And then one day she’ll look at it and go ‘hmm, that’s not for me anymore’; so you have to be quick. Thinking on your feet and having backup-plans for your backup-plans so you are able to immediately come up with a solution.”

The industry is known to serve some of the wealthiest people in the world, which subsequently comes with some extravagant requests you wouldn’t encounter waiting tables downtown for example. Although, through a bright smile as she’s reminiscing about some of the tasks she’s been dealt with over the years, task’s that the numerous NDA’s prohibit her from diving into the details of, Hulbert remains calm and candid as she looks back at the tricky scenarios that presented themselves during her time onboard.

“It’s intense, but towards the end of my time onboard, it didn’t faze me anymore. I was more thinking to myself ‘Ah, that’s bizarre, oh well, let’s get on with it’. Because it is what it is. At the end of the day, nothing was ever illegal or questionable, it was more something that you’d never thought of before. You never thought about a request like that, but you just get on with it. And if there’s ever a situation where I feel or know I can’t deliver on, that’s when you bring in the captain.”

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Learn more about Gemma’s The Yacht Stew Academy and follow her on Instagram for her latest updates and insights on the industry!

The post Interview: Former Yacht Chief Stew discusses her favorite times onboard, importance of the crew and extravagant requests from owners appeared first on Yacht Informer.

My name is Javier Candela and since 2015, I have been the Sales and Marketing Director of Marina Estrella SL; a distributor in Spain of boat brands such as Azimut, Benetti, Nautor Swan, Hanse, Moody, Fountaine Pajot. I was born in Elche on the southeast of Spain. Just after I finished university in Valencia, my first work in the boating industry was to implement the computer design system for boats in the Spanish shipyard of Astondoa, located in Santa Pola, nearby to my home town. After many successful years as Project Manager, having been involved in the design, construction, survey and delivery of new Astondoa motorboats from 10 to 37 meters, I decided to take a different path within the industry and I joined the commercial team of Marina Estrella SL; the biggest boat dealer in Spain.

As a sales and marketing director, what does your everyday look like? Can you walk us through a regular day at the ‘office’?

My usual day includes the follow up of our sales network (more than 10 offices in Spanish mainland and Balearics) to help them to achieve the sales. I also am in constant contact with all our different shipyards for discussing deals, deliveries, updates on model ranges. I study what the best channels are to promote our products or services (we also have brokerage, service and charter departments) and investigate how to improve our customer support for our clients along all the Spanish coasts.

How is the market changing, considering the fundamental shifts the world has experienced in the last 2 years?

The boating market suffered a contraction in Spring 2020 due to Covid-19 confinements. However, the 2019/2020 season was better than expected as customers considered boating as a safe activity.

We were not sure about reactions for the 2020/2021 season, but time has proved that customers still consider boating as a preferred activity for their families, and therefore the figures of sale of new and brokerage boats show an important increase.

The demand on all type of boats is growing in our region, and currently we are selling boats for delivery Spring 2022. This was extremely rare in past seasons, but the lack of stock boats currently at both dealers facilities and shipyards has led customers to buy their boats early for next season without waiting for Autumn boat shows. If the market continues to anticipate sales, at the next Autumn boat shows including in Cannes, Genoa, Barcelona, Valencia, there will be huge difficulties to buy a boat for delivery in the summer of 2022.

As a result of the pandemic, new customers are now approaching the yachting world for a variety of reasons including the safety, security and privacy which the industry provides. What different needs does this new clientele bring with it?

New customers are arriving to the market looking for small boats, and also coming to buy bigger boats instead of chartering like previous seasons. In general terms, customers look for privacy and security to enjoy the sea with their friends and families. Crowded beaches or busy ship cruises are not seen as safe tourism activities and our industry has profited from this situation. 

As an industry, what areas do you see showing the biggest promise for growth and innovation within the world of superyachts? 

I am sure that eco-friendly boating practices will be an point of discussion in the upcoming years. The boating industry has to become a leader in innovation in terms of eco-friendly propulsion and electricity generation. It needs to follow the same road that the car industry started some years ago, with the slow disappearance of petrol and diesel. The protection of the sea and a respect for the environment also needs to be a reason for investigating new propulsion and energy solutions. Most of our brands are starting to implement solutions that offer eco-friendly possibilities, such as Hanse and Fountaine Pajot.

In what way does your profession influence your personal perspective on the ocean? Do the two coincide?

I have lived nearby the sea all my life and one of my best memories from the past is going fishing on holidays in my grandfather’s small boat. I was also involved in amateur sailing regattas for many years, so the sea has always been part of my life. My entire professional career has been related to the sea and boats.

What’s the most beautiful place you have visited and why?

I have been to many nice places for boating including the French Riviera, Balearics, Italian coasts, but I was astonished with the beautiful coast in Sweden. With thousands of small rocky islands, Sweden has a savage and different landscape from those we are used to seeing in the Mediterranen. However, if you can enjoy the sea with your friends or family, any place will be beautiful!

The post In Conversation With Javier Candela, Director of Sales at Marina Estrella appeared first on Yacht Informer.

What was your role at the Palma Yacht Show?

I attended the Palma Yacht Show as host for the Live Streaming for The Balearic Yacht Show

Can you tell us about your overall experience?

After a little over a year of no shows whatsoever in the med, no one really knew what to expect. This show did not disappoint!

Aside from the masks and the limiting of people at the entrance, you would not have been aware that anything had changed. If anything, I think that people were more open, and more friendly than in past years, and keen to get on with business!

If you had to describe the energy of the show in one word, what would it be?

Electric

What were your highlights of the show?

Being onboard Superyacht Moonraker for most of the live streaming was definitely a HUGE Highlight! Meeting people in person that you have been doing business with via zoom for the past year was another.

It was great to get the chance to interact in person as no matter what advances technology makes, nothing beats the actual in person experience!

Considering the significant impact the pandemic has had on the industry, how did this show feel different to others?

Ironically enough, the pandemic has been a benefit to the industry. That being said, this show had an excitement that others have not had. Yachting is a small industry, regardless of it’s world wide status.

Yachties and those that work within the industry seem to have created a family of sorts and have circles of friends and work associates that span the globe. Shows are usually the one time that they are able to connect in person.

You could hear people greeting one another with an exuberance that carried off the dock and onto the yacht, and that positive energy really reverberated through every person at the show! 

What were your biggest takeaways from the show?

In speaking to numerous exhibitors around the show, the feedback that I recieved was that this show gave them more solid business than any in the last four years. The chatter in the Industry leading up to 2020 with more and more shows popping up,  Yachting and Boating Shows had become an industry unto itself, and people were becoming exhausted with not only the financial demands, but the physical demands.

Which show do you exhibit at? How many should you attend? If anything this show taught us, a few major shows a year is worth the investment and the time! There is no need to be running a show circuit every single weekend from one end of the planet to the other. The quality of business done drops significantly, and your ROI with it!

That and you choose the wrong show to exhibit at and you have just blown your marketing budget for the year, with nothing to show in returns! 2020 was a stellar year for yachting, without shows.

What can we expect to see more of in the future?

This years Palma Boat Show included the Balearic Yacht Show which created a hybrid version and I think that is the way of the future.

You can showcase yourself to the world, as well as in person, with one boat show rather than 10, leaving you a marketing budget that will look after your business the other 11 months and 3 weeks of the year, all the while, saving you time and energy that otherwise could be better used!

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