MAINSAIL_ISSUE 9 FULL

Maritime News
Malta pays tribute to first women
master mariners
Inside Cantiere Rossini's journey to becoming
one of the best refit yards in the world
Maltese government officials joined with Wista representatives to celebrate
the first five women in the country to gain their master’s certificates, in
a ceremony at this week’s Malta Maritime Summit. Transport minister
Ian Borg said more must be done to increase the number of women in
seafaring, which has lagged behind shore-based maritime jobs in gender
diversity.
Transport minister Ian Borg pledges empowerment of more women in maritime
industry after hailing first five captains as trail-blazers Malta has paid tribute to
its first five women masters — four of whom, Captains Abigail Xerri, Carmen
Darmanin, Jacqueline Spiteri and Laura Falzon, were ashore to participate in
the ceremony.
FIVE female master mariners, the first women to reach this rank in Malta, have
been celebrated by the Maltese government and representatives of the shipping
industry. “The achievement of Malta’s first group of female master mariners is
to be considered a pivotal moment for Malta’s rich maritime tradition,” said
the country’s transport minister, Ian Borg. Presenting mementoes to four of the
ship’s masters — Captains Abigail Xerri, Carmen Darmanin, Jacqueline Spiteri
and Laura Falzon — Dr Borg described them as “trail-blazing captains” who
had been able to break down rigid gender roles in the industry.
The fifth master mariner, Pauline Bonnici, was unable to participate in the
ceremony, held in conjunction with the Malta Maritime Summit, because she
was at sea. The five masters have been serving as captains commanding a variety
of Maltese tonnage, including ferries, tankers and containerships.
Speaking on behalf of the five, Capt Falzon said she had embarked on her first
ship at the age of 17 and she described how initial feelings of homesickness
had given way to an appetite for the oceans’ endless horizons. “It has not been
an easy task. We have stood up against a number of odds,” said Capt Falzon.
“The work and stormy weather in fact have been the easiest of the obstacles
to overcome. We had to prove ourselves to people who think that a woman
has no place being on a boat. But the old mentality seems to be changing and
becoming a thing of the past. This recognition makes us feel proud,” she said.
“The picture [in shipping] is not completely bleak,” said Dr Borg. “Woman
are well-represented in shore-based industry jobs. It has been seafaring that
lags behind with women representing a small percentage of the world seafaring
community. “My duty is now to ensure that more women are empowered in
the maritime industry, which is an important industry for our country,” he said.
The women were congratulated by Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, president
of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (Wista). Ms
Theodosiou said that the first ever female master gained her first command in
1935, yet the seafaring profession remained “nearly unknown” to women. A
lack of role models contributed to women seeing the profession as unfriendly,
but this was slowly changing. “We need to encourage treating the job at sea
the same as shore-based jobs and to make sure that the atmosphere on board is
more conducive,” she said. MS
It was three years ago when a group of international investors came together
to plug over €15 million into the Cantiere di Pesaro shipyard in Italy, which
had long stood bankrupt. They promptly renamed it Cantiere Rossini after
the world renowned 19th century Italian opera composer who was born
nearby and set about transforming the site into a luxury refit shipyard for
superyachts.
The first step was constructing the glamourous palm tree lined dock and
fitting shore power connections and in-built piping to collect grey and
black water.
By the time the Cantiere Rossini opened for the first time in 2016, the yard
had a new lease of life. It enjoyed a busy debut season, welcoming three
superyachts for maintenance work. But this ambitious project was only just
getting started.
The yard first opened in 2016 and is now entering its next stage of development
In July this year, the yard opened a number of new quays and unveiled a
560-tonne travel lift. Meanwhile, a number of buildings were demolished
to make way for a 15,000 square metre hard standing surface. Thanks to
an additional investment of €25 million, Cantiere Rossini will soon begin
its next stage of development; constructing two 70 metre painting sheds,
new offices and a crew village comprising a gym, wellness centre, swimming
pool and pub, as well as apartments to accommodate visiting crew.
The shipyard can now accommodate 10 large yachts in all weather conditions
and has 24/7 security and CCTV cameras for peace of mind. It is
capable of undertaking a range of refit and maintenance work, from minor
repairs to complex engineering works.
Headed up by the former boss of ISA Yachts’ refit division Alfonso Postorino,
the shipyard can now accommodate 10 large yachts in all weather
conditions
The yard is now fully operational, with several yachts moored at its dock or
already hauled out onto the hard. Among these are three yachts of around
50 metres undergoing works including the total repaint of the hull and
superstructure, generator replacement and audio-video systems upgrade.
With a strong focus on customer service and a hardworking team sharing a
vision of passion and ambition, Cantiere Rossini is closing in on its aim to
be recognised as one of the best refit yards in the world.
MS
Credit: This article has been published on Lloyd’s List
Credit: Boats INternational
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