Crews and Superyachts: Alessandro D'Angelo's Italian Photography (The Crew Network)

"There are so many talented young people out there, so the future looks bright for the Italian merchant navy." This message of confidence and optimism concludes the interview that Alessandro D'Angelo, head of the Viareggio-based company The Crew Network in Italy, gave to SUPER YACHT 24 to discuss large pleasure vessels and crew. 

A market in which The Crew Network operates with a direct staff of at least a dozen people spread across four offices around the world (the others are in Antibes, Palma de Mallorca, and Fort Lauderdale) and capable of finding embarkations for over 700 people each year (out of 2.500 applications received), of which at least 200 are "placed" through the Italian headquarters of the group controlled by Fraser Yacht. The success rate in matching supply and demand for personnel is over 30% (this means that one in three requests is fulfilled, a rates on average very high). 

"In this market, the 'older generation' of captains is still the one pulling the strings, although obviously the younger ones are clearly more modern, having more tools and methodologies at their disposal to develop their work," explains D'Angelo. He adds, however, "Younger people have a harder time leaving home and traveling far away. If they can, they choose to embark on a yacht sailing in the Mediterranean rather than in the United Arab Emirates or America." Crew rotations allow for shorter periods of time, which partially solves the problem of being away from home, but "when they can, young officers prefer to work on a yacht, building loyalty and working as close to their home as possible." 

In the yacht and superyacht personnel search and selection market, shipowners are asked for a series of preliminary information to understand their tastes and habits and thus identify crew members with the right qualifications. "Just in the last few days, we've received requests for personnel with a university degree or a self-defense course (obviously for guest safety). We're often asked to find hostesses or stewards with nursing training, captains certified to fly a helicopter, babysitters with specific language skills, or even requests to have biologists and scientists on board for cruises in specific areas of the world," continues the head of The Crew Network in Italy.

But how does the Italian captain distinguish himself, for better or worse, from his colleagues in other countries? "On the positive side, I can say that the Italian captain is certainly much more flexible and passionate about the boat; he makes it his own. This aspect, however, can also prove to be a risk in certain cases, as the owner sometimes feels entitled to make all sorts of demands," emphasizes D'Angelo. "Another plus is a greater knowledge of the Italian coasts and the Mediterranean, as well as empathy and the desire to please the owner and save money whenever possible. A special mooring or an excursion organized 'in-house' without the need for external agencies are factors appreciated" by the employer. This is why a captain sometimes also becomes the best event organizer for the owner: "This is because he knows the owner's tastes and habits well, and it is not uncommon for the captain to organize private parties even at the owner's villa on land, in addition to the customary ones on board."

Among the peculiarities observed by The Crew Network was a recent incident involving a captain organizing a Christmas party in Asia on behalf of the owner of a 60-meter giga yacht. "These are things a foreign officer would be unlikely to do because they're less accommodating to these types of requests," D'Angelo emphasizes. He concludes by highlighting the party his company organizes every Christmas, which attracts up to 250 guests. "Last year, we had 140 captains among our guests, and we always organize a charity raffle on that occasion, which has allowed us to donate over €100,000 over the past seven years."

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Alessandro D'Angelo