Boat International - February 2016

http://www.boatinternational.com | February 2016

PHOTOGRAPHS: F LATREILLE; V HILAIRE; F LIMENA

C

harlieBirkettwasfortunate,hesays,tohavespenthis

formativeyearsatseaworkingascrewforsomeenlightened

andconsiderateowners.“Theywereveryawareoftheir

superyacht’sfootprintandconsciousoftheimpactithad,”

herecalls.Now,inhiscapacityasCEOofY.CO,theyachtmanagement

andbrokeragecompanyheco-foundedwithchairmanGaryWright,

Birkettisissuingacalltoarms.“Ourbeliefisthat,asanindustry,we

needtotakeitmuchmoreseriouslythanwedoorhavedoneinthepast.

We can and should do more.”

AndY.COforoneisdoingmoretohighlightoceanconservation.It

recentlyestablishedtheOceans.Elevencommittee:10captainsfromits

100-strongfleet,plusY.CO’sdirectoroffleetoperationsScottLidbetter.

Itsaim?“Weaskourselveswhatcanwedotoimproveourownservice,as

managers,whatcanwedotohelptheoceans,whatcanwedotoimprove

safety,security,crewtraining,everything,”saysBirkett.

Whenitcomestohelpingtheoceans,Birkettthinkscrewshavethe

keyjob.“Thecrewistheimportantpart,becausetheyliveonthewater

andshouldbeabletoturntheirhandtoeducateguestsaboutit.Thefun

youcanhave,butalsotheresponsibilityyouhavetolookafterit.”Tothat

end Y.COofers Destination Education, putting tutors on some of their

charterstoexplainsomeoftheissuesthatlocalsface.“Guestscango

homefromtheirlovelyholidayandtheywillhavelearntsomethingas

opposedtojustarsingaroundonaninflatable,”asBirkettputsit.

The shining example Birkett holds up of crews doing the right thing

is that ofDragonfly,the73metremotoryachtunderY.CO’smanagement.

“We can do more”

Superyachtcrewscanbeaforceforgood

Crewcanreallymakeadierence.

There are some good people in this

industrywhowanttodogood

Dragonfly

helps cyclone

victims in

Vanuatu.

Far right:

Y.CO’s Gary

Wright and

Charlie Birkett

Cruising in the South Pacific last March, Dragonfly’s captain Mike

Gregory sought permission from its owner to go to Vanuatu to help

victims of Cyclone Pam, which had devastated the island. The owner

agreed so the crew were able to deliver 62 tonnes of water, 10 tonnes

of food and shelter and treat more than 250 casualties.

“The crew on board that boat are one of the best crews in terms

of training, qualifications in emergency response, first aid and so on,”

says Birkett. “They’ve got, I think, seven EMTs [emergency medical

technicians] on board, so they can really make a diference. Hopefully

it sent a message to the industry that these things are possible.”

That’s certainly the case, according to Gregory. “We have been

contacted by a number of yachts that are wanting to do similar things

and believe we are starting to see a change in yacht use globally,” he says.

Y.CO is also a big supporter of Blue Marine Foundation, the charity

that aims to have 10 per cent of the world ’s oceans protected by 2020

( 3 per cent currently are). So it set up YACHT.CLUB, a membership

scheme for crew and industry professionals that ofers discounts with

select partners in superyacht hubs around the world. The membership

costs €120 a year, all of which goes straight to the foundation.

Birkett would like to encourage more of a connection between ocean

scientists and the superyacht industry. “There should be a concerted

efort to take what’s going on in the scientific world, with ocean

scientists, and produce some kind of

newsletter or something for the yachting

industry. There are some good people in

this industry who want to do good.”

Gregory believes crew are only too willing

to work with ocean scientists. “We are on the

fringe of some exciting research studies of

coral reefs and ocean currents. How awesome

would it be to be a part of that?”

y.co; yellowyacht.club Dragonfly’s

crew treat a

local child

Dragonfly’s

amazing rescue

mission:

boatinternational.

com/dragonfly-

vanuatu

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