Academy launched to tackle super-yacht crew shortages

With qualified crew for super-yachts in short supply and demand for luxury boats at an all-time high, a new training academy has been set up to keep captains and owners afloat.

Flagship Super-Yacht Academy (FSYA), a British-based academy partnered with the Royal Navy, aims to train some of the 3,000 extra crew members a year required in the super-yacht industry.

FSYA provides a range of accredited training programs that mirror the standards of the Royal Navy. They encompass navigation, engineering, medical care, stewarding, and the full range of safety and specialist training, such as aviation and security.

Through FSYA, yacht builders and owners can gain access to the Navy’s custom-built training facilities, including fire-fighting training facilities and the damage-repair instructional unit – a sea-survival simulator that replicates flood damage on board vessels.

Sir Tim McClement, FYSA managing director, and a former Royal Navy deputy commander-in-chief (fleet), said: “The shortage of well-trained super-yacht crew is a major headache for the industry. We offer whole-crew training, which will help captains and owners to form their teams into cohesive units, capable of delivering the exceptional service expected in this industry.

“We will also work directly with individual crew members, enhancing their career prospects through high-quality role-related and management training. It does not matter what you want to be – a deck hand, a captain or cordon bleu chef – this industry has some exciting and potentially rewarding opportunities. With the superb training resources of the Royal Navy at our disposal, and its global reputation for maritime training excellence, we expect significant interest in our new capability.”