Attitude Versus Training in Yachting: The Indomitable Spirit of Sailors Unearthed

A sailing ship is charted as much by the course it treads as by the people that steer it. In the nuanced world of yachting, crew management isn’t merely firsthand training and skill but a question of attitude and resilience. Take the evocative tale of M/Y Santa Cruz Tres and its relentless crew, who were put to the test with their tireless washing duties, primed with two 6kg Miele washing machines and sleep-deprived overnight shifts. The demands, though harsh, set a zealous standard in an era bereft of modern conveniences and ease of communication to rally on. The onus then lay on the captains, who faced the brunt of quaint shipyard rules and direct owner-liaisons, long before the advent of advanced boat handling techniques, mobile phones, and internet. Despite all this, the heart of yachting remained unchanged: the loyal symbiosis between the captain, crew, and owners or guests. Today, however, a concern arises when this admirable commitment and grit are overlooked. Discussions veer towards logistical concerns, such as the number of uniform changes, which deviate from the primal yachting spirit. Crew selection agencies and training companies are championing the need for crews to ‘feel valued, skilled and motivated’, with an overemphasis on mental health. However, consider the crews of 1986, of yachts like the 48-metre Azteca and Paraiso, who course-corrected at head-spinning 22 knots at night with no navigation aids but their instinct. Would their survival rely on mental health workshops, or would it hinge on an unfaltering attitude, a survival instinct, and an unyielding spirit? Through such trials and tribulations was the seafarer’s code of honour born - the code of resilience. The sea is a fickle friend; its vast, everlasting draught warrants a kind of hardiness and mettle that usurps formal training. And so it is, that the true spirit of a sailor is measured not by his crew’s seamanship, but by their shared resolve to stay afloat amidst the oceans’ relentless churn.