YACHTING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS AUTUMN 2008
personal. "People have to fit," she says, "so put
on your `human resources' hat." She specifies
how important it is to spend time thinking about
what you really want from a captain or crew
person, both professionally and personally.
"Develop a detailed job description and use this
asatoolinidentifyingcrewwhoaremotivatedby
your particular yacht and the position available
� and utilise your job description to help further
the interview process as well." For owners, who
first of all must choose
the captain, she
recommends a similar
approach. "There are
loads of captains with
the right licences,
but that's not what
really matters � it's the
human being behind
the CV and their
history that makes the job relationship work."
Also, she advises, "Allow the time necessary to
do a proper search. Think first about what you
really want � is your yacht more formal or casual,
family oriented or elegant charter style?"
Obviously Laurence's combination of detailed
technology and HR mentality work well � YPI
Crew successfully places well over 300 crew
positions every year, a significant percentage of
those placements being captain positions.
...it's the human being
behind the CV and their
history that makes the job
relationship work.
12
Beyond identifying, recruiting and hiring the right captain and crew, retaining them is yet another
challenge, especially in the current competitive crew job market. In both recruitment and even
more so now with retention, crew management is the essential link to ensure a stable, satisfied
and satisfactory crew complement. Heading up Yachting Partners International Management
Division � YPI Yacht Management � for the last three years is Dutch national Franc Jansen. His
background as a commercially trained marine engineer, master mariner, together with his
several years spent as a surveyor with Italian classification society RINA, well qualify him to sort
through the confusing legislative maze of yacht and licensing requirements. As Head of YPI
Yacht Management Franc is in charge of new builds as well as overseeing the operational end
of the company's fleet, making him responsible for safe manning and ensuring all staff pass their
medicals and are technically competent. To assist this he has developed
an in-depth command and crew contract, which he quickly points out
protects both owner and crew. This administrative contract covers
important issues such as crew payment, probation periods, benefits and
dismissal terms, helping both owners and captains understand exactly
where they stand, therefore providing peace of mind on both sides, as
well as being a valuable tool in recruiting professional crew.
Regarding the question of retention, Franc admits that it can be "very
difficult with not enough qualified people being available at present."
Yet he also says, "quality equals longevity." Franc has a number of specific recommendations,
especially for captains who have to motivate crew as they climb the chain of command. His
recommendationsincludeprovidingexcellentcrewinsuranceandbetween-seasoncrewtraining,
pointing out that: "the chief mates of today are tomorrow's captains." He also recommends
considering the implementation of seasonal bonus packages (payable at season's end) and,
similar to commercial shipping, adding job rotation in senior positions � particularly for engineers.
A member of the MYBA Management Committee, Franc is at the forefront of international
legislation for crew, observing changes in order to make the best recommendations for the
industry and clients of Yachting Partners International. In a final thought he points out that ILO
(International Labour Organization) regulations, implemented under IMO (International Maritime
Organization), will soon affect yachting and yacht manning. "For yachts over 50 m, it won't be a

Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 6Page 7Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 14Page 15Page 16Page 17Page 18Page 19Page 20Page 21Page 22Page 23Page 24Page 25Page 26Page 27Page 28Page 29Page 30Page 31Page 32Page 33Page 34Page 35Page 36Page 37Page 38Page 39Page 40Page 41Page 42Page 43Page 44Page 45Page 46Page 47Page 48Page 49Page 50Page 51Page 52 Produced by PageSuite