Marine Inspirations is a charitable mentoring programme that has been established to introduce the prospects of a maritime career to youngsters from less-advantaged backgrounds. Founded by superyacht captains Anthony Just and Phil Wade, the initiative has so far seen young South African and Caribbean sailors experience what the superyacht industry has to offer by arranging sponsorship to events such as the Loro Piana regatta in Virgin Gorda and the Ibiza Rendezvous.

Captain Phil Wade and students

This October the initiative brought a group of four Durban maritime students to Palma de Mallorca on a 10-day programme to expose them to the dynamic and growing superyacht scene in the Balearics. The candidates were selected with the help of Sail Africa, a non-profit organisation that teaches young people about sailing, who chose the students based on their efforts in their studies.

As part of the mentoring programme the students are being taken on tours aboard both motor and sailing yachts, meeting the crews and being shown the diversity that exists in yachts and boats, both in size, concept, and type, as well as around the local yards and companies and the trip includes a delivery to Ibiza on board Aloha-J of Cariba.

Marine Inspirations was founded in May 2014, with the aim to give back to the maritime community. “Our ambition is to encourage youngsters to take up and embrace the career-path that gave both of them such an adventurous lifestyle in yachting and world-experience in years gone by,” says Captain Wade. “We want to inspire and involve other yacht owners and captains to assist with similar mentoring programs on a direct student-by-student basis."

Acting as the platform and forum to put boat captains and owners in direct contact with prospective young mariners, Marine Inspirations has also been involved with programmes on board Adela, P2 and Timoneer.

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.