"More training and specific preparation are needed to deal with emergencies on board yachts."

Il Second installment of the SUPER YACHT 24 column, which explores the various problems of the yachting sector with Commander Rosario Fortuna, focuses on the crucial topic of training.

Recent years have seen a significant increase in onboard emergencies, including fires, collisions, and groundings, which have led to sinkings, particularly among small yachts. These sometimes tragic events are largely attributable to the post-Covid surge in yachts. However, this increase has not been accompanied by adequate training for crews, particularly for senior positions such as captains.

While schools dedicated to crew training are emerging and specialized courses are increasing, the current situation remains worrying for those seeking truly competent crew. But how did we get to this point?

“As a freelancer, I'm often contacted by owners who find themselves facing incredible situations on board,” says Captain Fortuna. “These problems are often the result of management entrusted to those who have obtained the necessary licenses and certifications through questionable methods, without accumulating the appropriate experience. In many cases, these licenses are acquired in compliant foreign countries, where issuance is quicker, certainly not in Italy. Paradoxical situations arise on yachts, even small ones, captained by these people. Years ago, on a yacht later seized by the shipyard, I found myself faced with a crew composed entirely of members of the same family from an Eastern European country. When I asked for an AIS (Automatic Identification System) update before departure, I was surprised to discover that none of them knew what I was talking about! I later discovered that that crew had been responsible for the destruction of a vessel worth tens of millions of euros.”

"Many foreign captains manage to secure engagements with home-country owners, even on highly prestigious vessels, despite being completely unsuitable for the job," Fortuna continues. "For us Italians, becoming the captain of a small yacht or ship requires a long and rigorous training program, which requires at least three to four years more than is required in other countries. Often, in job opportunities, foreigners, with an advantage in their language skills, manage to outcompete our professionals, who possess superior training and skills."

However, there are signs of change. Associations, organizations, and schools are working to expose and reduce the undergrowth of easily obtainable "licenses." Furthermore, some regulatory bodies, sensitized to the issue, are helping to uncover situations that allow the issuing of nautical licenses for profit, thus endangering people's safety: "On August 15th, I was moored at Pevero, Sardinia, and in just 24 hours, I saw four small boats run aground on the local shoal," Captain Fortuna recounts.

The problem, the captain maintains, is primarily cultural: "State nautical schools still only teach subjects related to commercial sailing, while yachting is completely ignored, as if there weren't a related industry now comprising tens of thousands of members of Gente di Mare. When I speak to young people about yachting, they're astonished to find that there's not a single page in their textbooks that discusses it, much less any teachers who address the subject. On the contrary, my intervention sparks considerable interest and curiosity in them. The lack of attention to this subject is also due to the fact that few teachers come from the maritime sector, much less yachting. It's therefore necessary to raise awareness among institutions so that specific training for yachting is offered, as many private schools already do to fill this gap," concludes Captain Fortuna, who has already established a training center in Livorno to help spread awareness of this discipline.

C.G.

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Rosario Fortuna