|On Board| From far
|On Board| From far left: Lay Koon Tan of Nature Squared; submersible pilot Erika Bergman; Camper & Nicholsons’ Jacqui Lockhart managing five individual yachts. Lockhart notes that charter is one specific area of the industry where the number of women outweighs male employees, who largely dominate the sales sector instead. “With charter, there’s this multitasking element; you’re in between the manager, the yacht, the captain, your client, maybe their PA, and you’re juggling a lot of the planning of that trip. I guess that’s putting to good use some of the skills that women use on a daily basis,” she suggests. Aside from a perhaps inherent capability for multitasking, there are several psychological and physical differences that each of these bosses has identified as potentially helping women excel above men in certain areas of the industry. The Malaysian founder of sustainable materials company Nature Squared, Lay Koon Tan, has noted that for one surface they create – a painstaking tile inlay made from recycled eggshells – women are consistently better. “For 20 years, we’ve not been able to get any guys to pass the skills level to make it,” explains Tan. Tan’s company repurposes organic materials destined for landfill into surfaces designed for adorning superyacht interiors. As well as eggs, this includes using mango pits, guinea-fowl feathers, tobacco leaves, pufferfish skins and Tan’s personal favourite, mussel shells. After an initial collaboration with Bannenberg & Rowell, Nature Squared has worked on the design of superyachts including Barbara, Nirvana and Tranquility and the company is currently working on four secretive projects all measuring around 100 metres. When it comes to crew working on board, physical differences between men and women can be more pronounced – but sometimes advantageously so. Submersible pilot Erika Bergman, who conducts research dives for companies including National Geographic and OceanX, notes that her shorter height of 1.57m and lower oxygen metabolism as a woman are actually beneficial when operating inside a submersible. And in instances where she is limited by her physicality, she explains; “I never try and ‘beast mode’ anything. I’m always thinking about how I can use a tool so that I can do something that a big guy can.” Bergman is now qualified to fly and maintain six different submersible types. Captain Gordon, who has helmed vessels including the 32m Freddy, notes a similar approach when describing how her background in welding prepared her for life as a captain. “I remember that there was this piece of metal that I needed to pick up and move around but I couldn’t. I asked one of the guys for help and he said, ‘If you’re going to be in a man’s world like this, you ought to be able to handle it like a man.’” Captain Gordon’s solution was to move the metal by strapping it to an overhead crane, so that in the end, “I didn’t need anybody for help. I just learned to adapt.” The desire to become role models and increase visibility for women in the industry has been a driving factor for each of these individuals at some point. While adversity may persist in some areas, most testify that women can, generally, expect to be warmly welcomed into the industry, with Tan noting that “confidence” is a trait young women in the yachting world should embrace. As Tan encourages; “If nobody goes first, there won’t be role models – so just go for it.” PHOTOS FROM LEFT: MELISSA MICHEL, © HAWKES OCEAN TECHNOLOGY, © CAMPER & NICHOLSONS 76 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
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