ACREW AWARDS 2020 - 2 SYM CAPTAIN FINALISTS
Huge congratulations to SYM Superyacht Management Captain’s Nathan McFadyen and Jason McCormack for making it as finalists in this years prestigious ACREW awards! Luckily for us they are in two separate categories, with Nathan reaching the final three of the 'Captain, Master 3000GT' award category and Jason the final three of the 'Captain, Master 500GT'.
The Crew Awards were developed as the first ever impartial, international awards programme, to recognise crew that have proven themselves to be the very best within the industry.
This year's event will take place on the 28th November at the World Trade Centre in Barcelona.
We are incredibly proud to be represented at this years event by two of our long standing team members, and are delighted to share their competition profiles, as submitted to the panel.
CAPTAIN NATHAN MCFADYEN
“I started on the water from an early age, enjoying the Captain’s role, running tourists around tight canyons with Shotover Jet in New Zealand.
My first experience with Super Yachts came when I met the Owners Representitive for a massive 138m yacht. Up to this point I had never heard of the yachting industry. From here I learnt the trade from some very experienced men and women, who helped me to get where I am today. I quickly decided that with some hard work, a plan and some good guidence, I would make it to the top.
I moved onto a world traveling yacht, and spent 3 years and over 60,000nm traveling the world, never returning to the same place twice. This was a fantastic experience, to say the least, with many stories and frendships made along the way.
At present I am running the worlds first Tier III Super Yacht made by Amels “Volpini 2”. I have been employed by my current owner for over 10 years and during this time, we have had three different yachts, giving me a lot of experience with builds, budgets and management. With the freedom given from a great owner, a lot of support from SYM Superyacht Management and the hard work and reliability of my long term crew, we have been able to set these yachts up correctly, from the very beginning. We do everything by the book, and my flexible managment style has allowed us to adapt along the way.
I am passionate about the environment and the communities that we visit and live in. With the help of my crew, this winter in Barcelona, we held a fundraiser that raised over $11,000 to help people affected by the Australian bushfires. We have volunteered to help the homeless of Barcelona by packing thousands of tons of food, and we continue to participate in monthly beach clean ups. We try to do better wherever possible. Our enviromentally friendly yacht and crew are conscious and passionate to also make a difference where ever we travel and this I hope, will continue well into the future.”
CAPTAIN JASON MCCORMACK
“A love for the water and a splash of luck along the way is really what’s driven me to get to where I am today. Growing up in South Africa’s Indian ocean city of Durban, I was lucky to have many water sports available at my doorstep. Surfing, life guarding, and kitesurf instructing quickly became my preferred way of life.
Because of this, it was a natural choice for me, after earning my degree, to pack up my few belongings and head to Fort Lauderdale in pursuit of that elusive yachting dream. I gradually progressed my way through the ranks and began racking up on courses in between seasons, loving every minute of this new adventure.
After a six-month hiatus to surf and explore south east Asia, I made the move to European yachting in a decision that would ultimately paved my way to becoming captain. After a few seasons of captaincy under my belt I continue to strive for the best standards and high regards for the successful charter yacht that I am at the helm of alongside a truly great crew.
Through all I’ve learned along the way I hope to help and encourage ambitious young crew progress on their own journeys.
Thanks to ACREW for the nomination and wishing everyone smooth sailing”
For further information and how to watch the finals check out the ACREW website as follows:
