Meet the Author

At Yachting Pages, we strive to provide the most insightful, interesting and entertaining articles we can for our users. As well as curating original content, utilising our team's experience and knowledge, we also invite industry professionals and experts to share their top tips and advice.

We are proud of our growing number of guest authors, all of whom work within the superyacht industry and provide authoritative information on a whole range of topics. Take some time to meet the talented team of Yachting Pages guest authors and learn all about their involvement in the world of yachting—and then dive in and explore their articles!


Maria Peña

Maria Peña

Maria of Alfombras Peña has 30 years of industry experience and an extensive knowledge of what is required to make the perfect carpet or rug for a superyacht interior. She studied International Business Administration and Management, and due to her love of travelling, which is accompanied by a lifelong passion for the sea, she focused her efforts on the nautical sector. Wanting to concentrate on the international sector of Alfombras Peña, Maria now manages this area of the business.

Click here to read Maria's latest article.

Glyn Hutchinson

Glyn Hutchinson

Glyn joined the yachting industry in 1992 as a day worker and spent the next 12 years rising through the ranks to the position of Captain and default meddler in the yachts AV/IT systems. Following a brief stint as a yacht manager, Glyn found his natural fit as business development manager for Icon Connect in 2007, drawing on his experience of yacht operations to bridge the gap between technology and user experience. Based out of their Monaco office Glyn remains close to the coal face of yachting and takes full advantage of the Alpes Maritimes as a playground for his favourite sports of cycling and skiing.

Click here to read Glyn's latest article.

Elizabeth Koliada, BFG Provisions

Elizabeth Koliada

Elizabeth is a sales and marketing specialist at BFG Yachting & Provisions. She holds a degree in Marketing & Journalism from Panteion University and is a certified journalist from Michigan University. After obtaining five years of valuable experience, she joined BFG, where her role allows her to share insights with the wider yachting industry.

Click here to read Elizabeth's latest article.

Ben Mahy

Ben Mahy

Ben Mahy has worked in the superyacht industry for more than 25 years and has expertise in yacht design, shipbuilding, and bunker fuel supplies. He is a qualified port agent, naval architect, marine engineer, project manager, and vessel operator. He heads up technical services at Bachmann Group, providing support in port call logistics, yacht management, ISM, mini ISM, project consultancy, and management for new builds or refits.

Click here to read Ben Mahy's latest article.

Mickael Da Silva, Technical Sales Manager, IEC Telecom Europe

Mickael Da Silva

Mickael Da Silva has extensive knowledge in the satcom industry and serves as technical sales manager for IEC Telecom Europe. IEC Telecom Group specialises in supplying highly reliable mobile and fixed satellite communications solutions to maritime, enterprise, humanitarian, and governmental organisations across the globe. The company offers a comprehensive suite of system integration, system products, and network services enabling a complete end-to-end solution for meeting the connectivity needs of multiple sectors within the maritime industry, including superyachts, commercial ships, and fishing fleets.

Click here to read Mickael's latest article.

Gwenaël Lohéac

Gwenaël Lohéac

Gwenaël Lohéac is a co-founder, partner, and board member at IEC Telecom Group, and currently serves as the Group’s president of Europe and West Africa. IEC Telecom Group is one of the leading international satellite service operators supplying high quality satellite-based solutions for efficient end-to-end voice and data services and enabling digitalisation for the maritime industry. Lohéac is known throughout the satellite telecommunications sector for his entrepreneurial approach and expertise in business development.

Click here to read Gwenaël Lohéac's latest article.

Vyara Fernandez

Vyara Fernandez

In 2019, Vyara founded Coco & Kandy after an exciting career in the yachting industry. It is a premium women's clothing brand, focusing on timeless and sustainable garments. Coco & Kandy Crew is a distinct arm of the business which launched in 2021 and it is making waves among crew the world over thanks to its luxury yacht uniforms. The brand prides itself on elegant, sustainable, and eco-friendly fashion garments made in Europe.

Click here to read Vyara's latest article, in collaboration with Mira Lemak-Dudgeon of Amiramour.

Mira Lemak-Dudgeon

Mira Lemak-Dudgeon

Mira kaunched her online boutique, Amiramour, after completing a successful 18-year stint working as head of interiors in the superyacht industry and a MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the International University of Monaco. She is primarily from her many years creating lavish table decorations for prestigious yachting events and the challenges she faced when sourcing quality, striking pieces to suit specific occasions and themes under tight time constraints. With an acute eye for styling and design, her collections will undoubtedly continue to evolve.

Click here to read Mira's latest article, in collaboration with Vyara Fernandez of Coco & Kandy Crew.

Loreta Cazacu

Loreta Cazacu

Loreta is a co-founder at STILLA, the yachting industry's leading provider of real, bio-preserved flowers and plants that last up to a year. With 8 years of yacht management and brokerage experience under her belt, she founded STILLA having identified the need for a longer-lasting, sustainable flower solutions on board.

Click here to read Loreta's latest article.

Jolanta Kershaw

Jolanta Kershaw

Jolanta is a multifaceted gemologist with vast experience and knowledge of gemstone art. As gemstones become an increasingly lucrative investment option for UHNWIs, she is keen to share why she thinks such art is worthy of a place in the interiors of luxury superyachts around the world. Her business, Art of Gemstone Carving, is able to create unique sculptures and heirlooms for generations to come.

Click here to read Jolanta's latest article.

Maria Raskovic

Maria Raskovic

Maria is the head of operations for specialist yacht agency, Iberian Yacht Solutions. She is an experienced yachting professional with a lot of industry knowledge that she is keen to share with chief stews and interior crew members. She is a trained journalist and has worked in events and public relations prior to embarking on a career in the superyacht sector.

Click here to read Maria's latest article.

Calum Lintott

Calum Lintott

Calum Lintott is the social media and content lead for yacht recruitment specialist Yotspot. In this role, he works on the business's in-house social media and website content, producing copy and artwork that makes an impact. By virtue of his experience at Yotspot, he has come to develop a strong understanding of what employers are looking for from potential crew members, and aims to impart this knowledge wherever possible.

Click here to read Calum's latest article.

Simon Bush

Simon Bush

Simon Bush is a technical specialist in maritime mobile satellite and cellular communications with IoT experience. As technical director at Burmarc Limited, Simon specialises in KVH TracPhone VSAT & TracVision TVRO installation, service, repair, updates, and upgrades, as well as integration with cellular connectivity. A solutions-driven individual, he identifies weaknesses within products or processes and finding resolutions. His current area of focus is convergent technologies, enabling the transition from the physical to the digital world.

Click here to read Simon's latest article.

Christophe Cotte

Christophe Cotte

At 15 years old, Christophe Cotte began his apprenticeship as an upholsterer and decorator qualifying 3 years later. At 18, he began his journey to becoming a Master Craftsman and toured France working in 5 different cities over 5 years. In 1995, he started working with superyacht owners, architects, and interior designers in Monaco, and finally started his own business in 2000. CC Design specialises in luxury interior design, upholstery, linens, eider duvets and bedding for superyachts.

Click here to read Christophe's latest article.

Eliza Van Reen

Eliza Van Reen

Eliza Van Reen received her PhD from Brown University with her primary research focus in the area of sleep and circadian rhythms. She completed her postdoctoral training in sleep and circadian rhythms at the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She has over 17 years of experience in the field of sleep and circadian rhythms. She is a member of the Sleep Research Society and has numerous peer reviewed publications in the area of sleep and circadian rhythms, including the development of sleep and circadian rhythms.

Click here to read Eliza's latest article.

Chris Warde

Chris Warde

Chris Warde started his professional career working in full-service marketing agencies, specialising in the leisure marine sector. After a brief period working as a captain of yachts in the Mediterranean, he came back shore-side to help Sunseeker International develop a specialist sales support team for the superyacht range. Since then, Warde has gone on to help a number of yachting brands enhance their presence in the superyacht sector. Currently working with Peninsula, he is responsible for developing a long-term strategy that will help Peninsula establish itself as the leading marine energy supplier for yachts around the world.

Click here to read Chris's latest article.

Kurt Arrigo

Kurt Arrigo

Having grown up in Malta surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Kurt developed a passion for the ocean from a young age. After being commissioned to photograph the 1992 America's Cup, he soon became one of the world's most famous yachting and sports photographers. Over the past 20 years, he has covered all the major international Rolex sponsored yachting events and continues to hold the role of an official Rolex yachting photographer. In his spare time, Kurts enjoys diving, sailing, biking, running, swimming and supports charitable organisations focused on marine conservation.

Click here to read Kurt's latest article.

Issamary Sanchez Ortega

Issamary Sanchez Ortega

Issamary is Ambassador of Panama in France and Consul General in Marseille. A doctor in law, she is a lawyer by profession specialising in civil, commercial law and prevention of money laundering, financing of terrorism and financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. She studied at the University of Panama, University of Alicante, Georgetown University, Sorbonne University of Paris, among others. Issamary is also an international speaker, writer and university professor, who has held positions as Director of the Financial Analysis Unit and Advisor to the Ministry of the Presidency of the Republic of Panama.

Click here to read Issamary's latest article.

Captain Barry Sadler

Captain Barry Sadler

Captain Barry Sadler has been teaching superyacht candidates since 2006. He is a Chartered Master Mariner and a serving unrestricted Southampton Pilot. Barry first went to sea as a cadet in 1985 and served most of his seagoing time on cruise vessels. Coming ashore in 1999, Barry initially worked as an Assistant Harbour Master in Southampton VTS before becoming a pilot in 2000. Barry has been teaching professionally since 2003 and uses his nearly 40 years experience within the industry to educate yacht deck officers at every level. He is a qualified MCA EDH examiner and in recognition of his high level of professional achievement, The Royal Institute of Navigation council invited him to be on their experts panel.

Click here to read Barry's latest article.

Andrew Deere

Andrew Deere

Andrew is a Business Studies graduate from the University of Bristol. After initially taking some time out to travel, Andrew joined the MPI Group in 1990, his family’s publishing business. With many years’ experience in the maritime industry, Andrew now manages the Support Office at the company’s base in Farnham, Surrey, giving direction on the future business strategy of Maritime Training Academy.

Click here to read Andrew's latest article.

Jonathan Franklin

Jonathan Franklin

Jonathan Franklin started in the yachting industry in 1992, then obtained a degree in Marine Science from Southampton Institute. After this he headed back to sea and got his 500GT license in 2002. Jonathan ran a number of yachts before moving shore side in 2008. For the last 11 years he has been focused on yacht management, from ISM and crew management, to big refits and client relations.

Click here to read Jonathan's latest article.

Sam Tucker

Sam Tucker

Sam joined VesselsValue in 2017 and has since been leading its expansion into the superyacht market, working closely with the team of analysts, researchers, mathematical modellers and developers to produce the first commercially available automated valuation model. Sam now works with various market participants to maintain the valuation accuracy and increase the number of stakeholders who rely on the system. Before his time at VV, Sam studied Naval Architecture at the University of Southampton. He then spent five years working as full-time crew on large competitive sailing yachts, including the Wallycento Galateia and J-Class Velsheda.

Click here to read Sam's latest article.

Xavier Mercado

Xavier Mercado

Xavier Mercado is CEO and founder of ptw Shipyard, Tarragona, in northeast Spain. He is an experienced professional in the superyacht arena and a superyacht refit and repair specialist. Xavier has more than two decades of yachting industry experience having started out in 1997 dealing with overseas sales for Grand Banks and Grand Yachts. In 2002 he headed up a new sales division in the Pacific Northwest market. Under his guidance, this division rapidly became the top sales earner for the company. In 2016 Xavier founded ptw Shipyard which has quickly become the breakthrough shipyard in yacht and superyacht refit and repairs in the Mediterranean region.

Click here to read Xavier's latest article.

Hans Braas

Hans Braas

Hans has worked with port agencies and marine logistics since 2003 and joined Blue Water Shipping in 2015. The base is in Copenhagen, Denmark, but Hans is involved in yacht services throughout the Nordic and North Atlantic region. His primary role is business development and exploring new opportunities within the marine industry, focusing on the leisure market. He plays an active role in the global development of yacht services within Blue Water Shipping, offering worldwide logistics and shipping services and a regional yacht agency. Planning, coordinating and servicing calls and going to the piers and speaking to the crew onboard is a vital part of the job - this is an industry where the personal involvement means a lot.

Click here to read Hans' latest article.

Louise Holloway

Louise Holloway

Louise joined Sarnia Yachts in August 2019 as Head of Crew Management, with her role focused primarily on providing the best service to Sarnia Clients whilst ensuring adherence to all applicable Maritime Regulations. Having worked on board a number of large yachts during her career, primarily in the role of Purser, Louise has extensive experience in all aspects of crew employment/payroll as well as crew management.

Click here to read Louise's latest article.

Rachel Goult

Rachel Goult

Environmental protection comes high on the list of Rachel’s priorities. After an early career in the oil and gas industry, Rachel turned her attention to less polluting activities, building-up an industry expertise in renewable energy projects in the world of finance. Today, Rachel is Managing Director at Yacht Carbon Offset, a specialised environmental service company focussed on addressing the greenhouse gas emissions impact of the yachting industry. In this role, Rachel is doing all she can to promote environmental awareness and action.

Click here to read Rachel's latest article.

Dominique Smit

Dominique Smit

Co-founder of Virtual Pursers, Dominique has a decade of experience in the yachting industry, and is bringing that expertise ashore. Passionate about prolonging the career path for Pursers, along with her business partner Bec Mckeever, she is focused on innovation and adaptability within the industry. Currently living in Cape Town, Dominique is an outdoor enthusiast and takes full advantage of all that the mountains and beaches have to offer in her spare time.

Click here to read Dominique's latest article.

Laurence Lewis

Laurence Lewis

Founder and Director of Antibes yacht crew agency YPI CREW, Laurence Lewis has over 25 years of experience in the recruitment industry. Now a leading force in the yacht crew recruitment sector, YPI CREW is the go-to partner for superyacht owners and captains, and the agency of choice for crew around the world.

Click here to read Laurence's latest article.

Jonathan Browne

Jonathan Browne

A seasoned yacht sales professional with experience in the sales of new and used motoryachts, sailing boats and superyachts. 'JB' has an extensive network of UHNWI, fellow brokers, captains, senior yacht crew, management companies, shipyards and market influencers. A keen cyclist, 'JB' is also an enthusiastic golfer and has plans for two long distance triathlons in 2021.

Click here to read Jonathan's latest article

Helen MacLeod

Helen MacLeod

Helen MacLeod studied Hotel Management and found herself in the South of France looking for a summer job back in 1985. This was the start of a yachting career that spanned just five years. The eureka moment of starting a uniform company came largely due to her experience as a chief stewardess, trying to source uniform from shops in Amsterdam and realising how difficult it was to purchase the same garment for so many different bodies. So, after realising that her new boss proposed to live on board, she decided to hang up her seafaring gear and take the plunge into starting Sea Design! And that was 31 years ago! Sea Design has continued to expand and Helen is also a co-director of Cabin Shop that looks after all your needs for linens, towels and luxury interior items.

Click here to read Helen's latest article

Noel Hutchinson

Noel Hutchinson

Noel Hutchinson has over two decades of experience sailing and driving boats up to 24 metres (78 feet) in length. He is a yachtmaster instructor for both motor and sailing boats, and holds a host of other maritime instructor qualifications. He has been fortunate to teach a variety of students including police forces, military groups, leisure boaters and border force agencies. He has gained experience with these people throughout the Mediteannean and the Middle East and is currently principal of a Royal Yachting Association school in the United Kingdom.

Click here to read Noel's latest article

Bruce Maltwood

Bruce Maltwood

Bruce joined Sarnia Yachts in 2006 and has over 28 years of experience in the yachting industry. After an initial period working for a trust company in Jersey, he started his yachting career in sales, focusing on the UK and Balearic markets. At Sarnia, he is a member of the board with particular focus on business development. Bruce is an Associate of the Institute of Directors.

Bruce has considerable expertise in corporate yacht ownership, flagging, crew employment and VAT structuring, using his knowledge to advise Sarnia’s clients on the complexities of yacht ownership and operation. Bruce is in daily contact with yacht managers, lawyers, yacht brokers, captains and family offices offering guidance and structuring advice to both existing and potential clients.

Click here to read Bruce's latest article

Hans Bouman

Hans Bouman

With over 30 years in the industry combining time at sea and ashore working on and for both merchant ships and large yachts, Hans has added a new dimension to the services offered by Sarnia Yachts through his position of head of yacht management which he took up in September 2020. Having worked with a variety of flag administrations, classification societies, marine insurance firms, yacht repair and construction yards, naval architects, recruitment agencies, legal firms and all manner of service suppliers, Hans is well placed to assist owners, captains and crew with all manner of technical and compliance matters arising as part of the day to day running of their yachts.

Click here to read Hans' latest article.