Aye Aye Captain! Meet the INEOS Britannia Boat Captains
They do not sail on board, but they do carry the overall responsibility for the preparation of the boat.
A wide knowledge and understanding of the engineering involved in every part of the yacht, as well as a very solid grounding in the sailing, seamanship, shoreside activity and people management are vital to the efficient and safe day-to-day operation of the boat.
Before sailing they must ensure all aspects of the yacht are ready for sailing – for the AC40 this means checking over 80 points on a “pre-flight” checklist, as well as managing those done by other departments! They manage the worklist, for timelines and priorities and communicate the tasks to the wider team. They must also keep track of all spares and procurement, ensure the class rule is complied with and of course, ensure that the boats are smartly presented.
Once on the water they ensure the boat remains safe and ready to sail and as pictures sometimes have to go on the yacht – that means monitoring issues, and liaising with the relevant departments to understand when action or repair is required. They maintain and manage the work lists for the shore and technical teams after sailing to ensure the boat is ready to leave the dock again the following morning.
They also have to deal with incidents on the water – including capsizes! A BUSY Job!
INEOS Britannia Boat Captains:
T6 & AC40 Sienna Boat Captain - Chris Schirmer
AC40 Athena Boat Captain - Sophie Heritage
Both supported by Junior Boat Captain Hendrik Reidel