DAY 1: Schipper

Today, we take a look at some of the featured skippers from the fist day of the academy. Name: Alec Newton, Instructor Age: 21 Nationality: English My best crew would be: Mixed crew, everyone single and preferably European with a professional chef and barman on board Most gnarly sailing experience: Sailing with a wind of 25-35 knots by the Blue Caves in Croatia, while at the same time trying to save a crew without a Yacht Week skipper on board When I'm not sailing, I'm: Double majoring in civil engineering and French Interesting fact: I am the author of the sacred Yacht Week Skipper Bible [divider] Name: Sebastían Cremades Aguilar, Trainee Age: 23 Nationality: Spanish When did you start sailing: 10 years old in Alicante on fishing trips with my grandfather The ultimate crew: All girls, 2 Swedes, 2 Norwegians, 2 Danish, 2 Finnish all fluent in Spanish I fall on asleep on a boat and I arrive in: Thailand [divider] Name: Axel Lindnér, Trainee Age: 24 Nationality: Swedish When did you start sailing: Aged 1, on the back of my grandfather Best sailing experience: This past Christmas vacation in the BVI's with my parents, sailing on top of crystal blue water while having breakfast with a school of baby sharks below My ultimate crew: Scandinavian girls, preferably university students [divider] The word skipper, has its roots in Dutch origins, just like the word yacht.  Schip, as you can imagine, means ship.  With a proud history of having one of the most dominant naval fleets on the sea, there is no surprise as to why the English have adapted their word from its Dutch origins. So, now that we’ve clarified where the word comes from... What does a normal skipper actually do?  A skipper is in charge of overseeing the activity that goes on, within and outside of the vessel.  From controlling the use of wind to taking care of his crew - the skipper watches over his ship as if it were his baby.  Depending on the type of crew he has, his job may include cooking the meals, cleaning the deck and taking care of those unfortunate to be stricken with sea sickness.  He never loses his sense of direction and his passion for living amidst the waters of the world stems from his relationship and love for the sea. What does a Yacht Week skipper do? With the same passion for the sea and constant control of the crew and sailboat as the normal skipper, the Yacht Week skipper differs in his attitude towards classifying whether or not what he does is an actual job! In the words of TYW’s very own skipper manager, Leo Alsved, “Sailing, partying and hanging out with friends, can that ever be classified as a job?”  Exactly - what may be considered a dream to many is the actual job of The Yacht Week skipper.  Throughout the week he represents the energy, optimism, and spirit of The Yacht Week.  He knows the route for the day, at what time the party starts and will be there right with you to enjoy every moment of the week.  He’ll be your friend, leader, protector and guide.  His only challenge is finding time to sleep and controlling the amount of fun he is having... [margin10] [one_half][/one_half] [one_half_last][/one_half_last]