INSIDE QUARTERDECK

I originally took my Yachtmaster during my Gap Yah before doing the thing you’re “supposed” to do of going to university and then getting a “real job”. It took me 6 months into a marketing job to realise my error so I promptly applied for Skipper Academy and the rest is history!

It’s been a hell of a time. When I started I knew how to sail, but I quickly realised that was just the tip of the iceberg of how to be a good skipper. The great thing is you have the best support network in the industry; the team you work with. You never stop learning things from everyone, and what kept me coming back was getting to improve and eventually getting to be one of the people that gets to pass the knowledge on to the new skippers! First as a new Lead being thrown in at the deep end building a tunnel raft in Croatia, to instructing on Academy, and then Route Managing in Greece. Each new step with new challenges, but all so fun and rewarding.

The opportunities that come from Yacht Week are massive. I’ve made amazing friends from around the world who are in all levels in the yachting industry, and are always happy to help out with a place to stay or a few words to get a foot in the door of your next job. Old YW friends helped me out with winter Caribbean work, which has now developed into the next step in my career in which I work out there full time!

Tony 🇬🇧

In 2013 a friend of mine asked me to join his crew as a guest in Croatia. Needless to say, I got immediately addicted to the lifestyle and the next year, at the end of my third YW in Greece (two weeks back to back...), my skipper gave me a red shirt and told me I should try to join the brotherhood. I started from scratch, passed my Yachtmaster Coastal and never looked back. Ten years later I am a Leadskipper for YW and a RYA Sailing Instructor.

Being a complete newbie in the sailing world I joined the YW family as humbly as I could. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every season more than the previous one thanks to all the amazing people I met on YW who helped me build my confidence and skills throughout my journey. After more than 50 YW I still learn something new every week and passing on a little bit of what I received has now become my goal.

The Caribbean, the Andaman Sea, The Pacific... YW offered me the chance to work in places I would never have seen otherwise. I would have a hard time naming a country in which I don't know someone I can contact to help me find a job opportunity or a place to stay. The skills and network I built thanks to YW opened numerous opportunities but also made me a better person.

Alex 🇨🇭

I was working in the merchant navy as a navigation officer and decided to join YW and see if I liked it - I guess I was bored of big ships and was looking for a new challenge. Found exactly what I needed with YW! 

Joined YW in 2019 with a lot of sea experience but still learned so much in the Academy. Started my path as skipper and learned a lot from the leadership team and all other skippers. Soon enough my work was recognized and I was promoted to lead skipper. 2023 was a challenging year with being instructor for YW academy for the first time and Route Manager of the Greek route. It's good to see that if you focus and do your job right the opportunities of progression will show up! 

Working for YW gave me so many opportunities. I knew nobody in the yachting industry. Here I met so many people that told me the way to be able to work the winter season in the Caribbean if I want to. Also I was able to start doing private charters in the med, charter companies recognize the level of our skippers and they want us all the time, which makes us all proud.

Tiago 🇵🇹

I attended Yacht Week Croatia as a guest in 2019 and instantly fell in love with it, so I decided to quit my job and start working for Quarterdeck/Yacht Week. After a little delay because of the pandemic I finally could do the Yacht Week Academy and get started in 2021.

Full of ambition, I did my first full season in Croatia in 2021. Towards the end of my first season I was asked to work as a lead host, which I did. The next year, in 2022, I then worked as an Instructor for the Yacht Week Academy and did another full summer season, this time as the Host Manager for Yacht Week Croatia. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to do the same again in 2023 and worked another season as an Academy Instructor and the Host Manager for Yacht Week Croatia, before eventually ending my YW career. 

There are too many to list them all. Not only did working for Yacht Week take me to some stunning places and countries, but I also met and made amazing friends with people from all over the world. You're meeting new people on a daily basis and get to build up a global network of friends and connections that I wouldn't want to miss anymore. 

Miriam 🇩🇪

I have been sailing my whole life. But after doing a 3 month sabbatical whilst working for a tech company and doing my Yacht Master I knew I wanted to make a career switch. I knew of Yacht Week already but thought I was too old to join as a skipper. Some friends convinced me and I have not regretted it one single moment. I has brought me so much more knowledge about sailing, skippering and on top of that an amazing network of friends all over the world.

When I came in as a skipper I thought I knew it all but I couldn’t be more wrong, the one thing I learned the most is that when you start your careers as skipper is that always staying humble and always being open to learn new things is the most important thing. Learning from mistakes and laughing about them is a great quality to have. I think this has made me walk me through the ranks from skipper to lead skipper to eventually being route manager across multiple locations.

Yacht Week is in my opinion one of the best places to start a career in the charter industry. If you do two or three seasons you will get to know so many amazing people within the industry that work all over the world whilst doing an amazing job at the same time. This has definitely helped me getting into a bunch of jobs that otherwise I would never had the opportunity to get into.

Pieter 🇳🇱

I left my job as a landscape gardener which I did love but knew I wanted something more. Sailing just fell in front of me at the right time to start as a hobby and from then I started to hear about the opportunities in the industry and then, ‘Yacht Week’. 

I was a skipper for two years already before joining Yacht Week but it wasn’t until I joined that my skills and knowledge really took a step up. Suddenly you’re part of a team and very strong community which I can confidently say there isn’t any like it in the industry. Being part of the flotilla watching, listening, and learning from other skippers (who were incredibly knowledgeable) has definitely helped get me to where I am now. For that reason, I have been a new skipper in Yacht Week, to a lead and now been a Route Manager. I can thank the previous skippers before me for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to prove myself. 

Yacht Week has been an incredible learning experience, not just for personal growth as a skipper but also for progression within the industry. The contacts and life long friends you make are invaluable in making a difference to your future, hard work pays off and is always noticed. A good reference goes a hell of a long way and has helped me secure jobs in the Caribbean and private charters in the Mediterranean. Yacht Week skippers are considered at a pretty high standard by most charter companies in the med and Caribbean now and the reputation improves every year.

Jake  🇬🇧

My journey to start working for Yacht Week was quite unexpected. I initially worked in Corporate Accounting, where I worked for 6 years and gained valuable experience. However, my life took a turn when I had the opportunity to attend a few yacht weeks as a guest. During those yacht weeks, I built a connection with our host, Paula, who not only made the experience memorable but also encouraged me to apply to become a host for Yacht Week. Embracing this new direction, I decided to make a significant change in my life. I enrolled in cooking courses to develop the skills necessary for the role. Over the next year, I continued working in the corporate world while simultaneously preparing for this exciting transition. Eventually, the time came for me to take the plunge, and I made the decision to leave my stable office job and pursue a chance at adventure with Yacht Week. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, where I could combine my love for cooking, desire for travel, and my passion for creating memorable experiences for people on yachts.

Working as a host for Yacht Week has been an incredible journey that started in the summer of 2021. From the very beginning, I dove right into the experience, immersing myself in the world of Yacht Week. What made the transition smoother was the invaluable support I received from my fellow Academy friends. We formed a tight-knit community, always there to encourage and help each other navigate the challenges and joys of the job. After spending the entire summer working as a host, I found myself keen to get more involved. So I applied for leadership positions within Quarterdeck Co. In the winter that followed, I received an exciting call asking if I would be interested in becoming an Instructor for the upcoming Academy season. The prospect of guiding and mentoring the next generation of hosts was both thrilling and fulfilling. I gladly accepted the role, excited to play a part in helping others embark on their Yacht Week journey. As the summers progressed, I had the privilege of serving as the lead host and instructor for the next two seasons. This experience allowed me to witness the transformation of individuals as they embraced the Yacht Week lifestyle. What made it even more special was the love I received from both old and new friends. The sense of camaraderie within the Yacht Week community is truly unparalleled, and it made my role as a leader all the more rewarding. Being a part of such an amazing group of people and guiding them through their Yacht Week adventures, has been an unforgettable experience. 

My experience with Yacht Week has not only been about the incredible events and hosting but has also opened up the world to me through the amazing connections I've made. The opportunity to travel throughout Europe became a reality, thanks to the friendships forged with guests, fellow hosts, and skippers during these memorable yacht adventures. The network of connections built through Yacht Week has proven to be invaluable. It goes beyond the picturesque landscapes and vibrant parties; it extends to starting exciting new chapters — like living in Australia! What's truly remarkable about these relationships is the sense of family. Whether it's seeking recommendations for a hidden gem in a city or needing someone to show me around town, I know that I can reach out to friends made during those summers. It's a community that goes beyond borders, providing not just a taste of adventure but a network of friends who make the world feel a bit smaller and a lot more welcoming.

Vanessa 🇺🇸

I started doing Yacht Week while I was still at university studying fine arts and photography. As a student I had a job as a waitress in restaurants which taught me loads about hospitality. I eventually started working in the kitchens as I was always loved cooking at home. So when I discovered Yacht Week it definitely seemed like an amazing opportunity as a student job. I applied for the academy and passed. Once I finished studying I started working as a set designer in Paris, which I loved. However I missed everything Yacht Week brought me such as traveling meeting new people and developing my cooking skills in such an incredible environment and the SUN! I then decided that I wanted to pursue this full time. 

My experience working with Yacht Week as a host was great. My first season was all about learning the ropes, the do’s the dont’s. Finding my rythm really. Coming back for my second season was a lot less stressful and I naturally wanted to help others around me as I now knew the routes and useful tips and tricks that made my life as a host that much easier. The more experience I gained the more I understood the company and started thinking of things from different perspectives. I was offered to be a lead host. Which I found to be a very organic transition as coming back every season it was natural that I turned to those who were bit overwhelmed to help out. As did hosts before me when I started out. I eventually became an instructor for the Yacht Week. A role I didn’t know I would enjoy as much I have. Having been lucky enough to work many seasons in Greece I had the chance to become host manager. This was perfect opportunity to get involved in the business side of things a bit more and really understand how to better guests experience while trying to achieve company objectives. Being a host manager also gave me the opportunity to manage and guide a team which was a challenging but super rewarding experience. 

Working with Yacht Week has really allowed me to open my horizons. I have been places I never expected I would get the chance to go to. The community is a very special part of it all as well and the job opportunities in the industry are endless. Using my experience I gained with Yacht Week I was able to pursue my career as a high end private charter chef. What I really appreciate is how I know that my experience even if mainly attached to this industry will be able to translate itself in different sectors if I do change professional industry one day. 

Julia 🇫🇷

My journey to TYW started like many others of that time back in 2011, 2012. The TYW marketing that was everywhere drew me in; you couldn't escape it. The convergence of cheap advertisement across social channels such as Facebook and budget airlines taking off meant they hit the market at the right time. 

Initially intended as a one-time summer job, my journey evolved significantly as I became part of the business. We focused on scaling the technology platform and diversifying the product offerings, turning a simple summer job into a more substantial venture.

My time as a skipper at The Yacht Week, while brief, was a unique experience. Following my initial summer as a skipper, I had the opportunity to meet with the founders in London. They were in the process of expanding the business and leveraging the platform they were developing. This initiative aimed to create a product similar to platforms like Airbnb Experiences or Hotels.com, which was ahead of its time.

A significant component of their strategy involved establishing a service and training platform for the maritime industry before diversifying into other sectors. Despite my relative youth and background in Property Finance, the founders entrusted me with the responsibility of implementing and running with their concept.

This pattern of transitioning from crew member to entrepreneur/successful business leader appears to be common within the community of skippers and hostesses associated with The Yacht Week. Numerous instances exist of individuals forging connections within the community, which ultimately serve as catalysts for venturing into new business initiatives.

The opportunities, both on a professional and personal level, that have unfolded for me within the extended TYW network over the past decade since I first stepped onboard a yacht are truly remarkable.

It is an instant global network of intrepid adventures of whom many are very successful in their “day jobs”. This weekly influx of diverse perspectives from communities and cultures around the world was addictive and probably why I have ended up in Venture Capital today. You wouldn't believe how many TYW crew/guest alumni I run into at events with their own amazing businesses or who drop everything to show off with cities when visiting. 

Julian 🇸🇪

My journey to Yacht Week has been interesting for the last number of years I have traveled around the world doing ski seasons but I wanted something different before I started my studies. I met someone who recommended working for Yacht Week. I had some culinary experience before but never had been on a yacht. I applied online and within 2 months I swapped my ski stuff for my summer stuff and flew out to Croatia. I was lucky enough to have passed Academy which led me on an amazing journey around the Adriatic Sea. I spent the whole summer out on the water before I flew back to start my studies but my time with Yacht Week isn't over yet. I have already decided to go back for the whole summer again between my studies. Yes, it's possible to do both, have an amazing summer with Yacht Week and be a full-time student too.

It has been one of the best jobs I have ever had, the people you meet are friends for life. I know it sounds cliche but I feel like I have friends from all over the world now from South Africa, America, Europe, and everywhere in between. It is like having family on the water, we all look after each other and help each other no matter what time or day. Yes, the work can be hard but it's the people that make the company. The people you did academy with are the people you will travel the world with, the new skipper/host will be your new best friend, and no matter what everyone has got your back. As a first-year host, there were several awards available at the reunion and I was fortunate enough to win "Rookie of the Year", This was an honor and very unexpected but really appreciated. I have nothing but amazing things to say about you Yacht Week as a company and I highly recommend you take that jump and go for it 


I have been lucky enough to have made some amazing connections with Yacht Week, which has led to amazing adventures. From doing a private charter for the Events Director, to job opportunities as a host in the Caribbean and even got offered a job in Japan as a chef. The people you meet will lead you to a new amazing horizon. I have been fortunate to be selected to work for  The Ski Week this coming March. It has been hard to turn down this opportunity while I finish my studies but I know I will be coming back this summer to enjoy the sea life again with my family on the water. 

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