The 2008 Superyacht Services Guide ... to the Caribbean written by Mark Acosta and Andrew Blatter. Andrew Blatter - Andrew Blatter has been working in the Superyacht Industry since 1988 - during which time he has sailed around the world and completed six TransAtlantic crossings in his capacity as Professional Captain, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and STCW '95 MCA Class IV Master for yachts up to 3000 tons. He has also managed refits, a prominent new build, and has written as 'World Correspondent' for Boat International and Captain's Log for a number of years. In 2002, he went on to set up Superyacht Publications; for whom he researches, writes and publishes the Superyacht Services Guide to the Caribbean on an annual basis... and in response to market demands, now has a new services guide of the same format published for the Mediterranean, with a 3rd edition due to follow again in April 2007. andrew@superyachtpublications.com Mark Acosta - Mark Acosta is a Professional Yacht Captain, RYA Yachtmaster and holds a Bsc Honours degree in Economics. He has been working in the Superyacht Industry since 1994 - completing 9 Atlantic crossings, and sailing over 90,000 miles in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Europe and east / west coast of America... right up to Alaska. Mark has a well rounded background of professional experience - especially in the Caribbean region - which includes intensive chartering, major refits and an extensive knowledge of the island chain. Outside his professional work, he is a keen sportsman, competing regularly in OECS squash tournaments throughout the islands, and racing regularly on the Caribbean sailing regatta circuit. He now researches and writes for the annual Superyacht Services Guide to the Caribbean. mark@superyachtpublications.com
The 2008/9 Superyacht Services Guide ... to Mediterranean written by Clare Sudlow, Joe Naysmith and Anne Vandromme Clare Sudlow - Thanks to her father - a sea-fearing R.N.Commander - Clare spent her latter teenage years crewing aboard the family yacht throughout the Mediterranean. Having acquired sufficient sea miles by the age of 20, she became an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore; and following the addition of a Cordon Bleu Diploma, she soon found employment in the Superyacht industry. Over the following years in the Mediterranean, she gained wide experience in various different roles... as Deckhand aboard a 65' ketch; Mate aboard an 80' classic; Stewardess aboard a 180' motor yacht, and Chef aboard the very first Superyacht to carry a helicopter on her upper deck! Joe Naysmith - A marine engineer of 30 years experience, Joe has crewed both above and below deck on some of the most prestigious yachts of their time. Joe originally moved into the Superyacht industry after spending four years as engineer to the Jaguar Offshore Race Team in the U.K. Since then, he has freelanced as delivery Captain and chief Engineer on a wide variety of professional yachts up to 200' plus, in both the Mediterranean and Caribbean. His seagoing experience includes the Atlantic Challenge Race of 1997 and numerous other TransAtlantic crossings; whilst shoreside works have included extensive refit projects... giving him all the right broadbased experience to really understand the needs of the Superyacht market. With their collective experience covering many different roles aboard, Clare and Joe are able to combine this with their extensive knowledge of the Mediterranean, to give Superyacht Captains and Crew a really authoritative guide to the Superyacht Services of Mediterranean Spain, the Balearics and Gibraltar. Anne Vandromme - Anne was born in France, though still speaks better English than most of us do ! She is a dear lover of animals, and is dedicated to protecting the natural environment. As a highly competent windsurfer, she then followed her love of the sea by joining the professional yachting industry, and spent 10 years as crewmember on a variety of prominent yachts. Moving shoreside, Anne then spent a couple of years uplifting Martinique's (the French Caribbean island) appeal to the Superyacht market, by becoming the 'island liaison' for visiting professionally crewed yachts. Indeed, she made such a success of her role, that we found ourselves receiving emails from yacht Captains informing us how the island should be 're-named' as... "Anne Vandromme" ! |