Superyacht Captain

Book excerpt: In Superyacht Captain, a professional at the zenith of one of the world's most lavish and exclusive industries gives a rare insight into a career that makes for eyebrow-raising reading, as entertaining as it is instructive. The tale of an ordinary boy whose career takes him on a most extraordinary journey, this book begins with Brendan messing about in boats in a sleepy coastal Australian town, and ends with him becoming one of the most successful and respected superyacht captains in the industry – the consummate 'Billionaire's Captain'. Spanning two decades and circling the globe, his story draws readers into the real world of superyachts, their crew and their owners, in the most intimate of ways. Brendan weaves in the lessons he's learned as he's progressed from deck hand to captain, and these insights are valuable for anyone leading teams with demanding objectives. As captain, Brendan was expected to achieve excellence every single time, and here he reveals how he learnt to deal with the 'everyday' demands of the job as well as emergency situations. Surprisingly humble and self aware, in a world of glitter and extravagance you can see why he's trusted. All of this is told against a backdrop of seemingly impossible glamour at the most extravagant edge of the boating spectrum, with plenty of entertaining stories of the superyacht lifestyle. A brilliant read for all sailors and motorboaters, for the many superyacht fans out there, as well as anyone interested in leadership and management techniques from someone at the top of their game, working for those who define the rules of the game.