Namaste

CAPTAIN: Willem J.M. NIEUWELINK
Nationality: Dutch
Age: 39
Diploma: RYA Yachtmaster Offshore, MCA Commercially endorsed. PADI Dive Master
Language spoken: Dutch & English

Captain Willem hails from a small canal town in Holland where his family kept their sailboat tied to the dock at their home and has lived for sailing since he was a young boy. Later as a teenager Willem taught sailing in Greece, Mallorca and England as well as competed in dinghy racing on an international level where he collected multiple awards. As a fully qualified RYA Yacht Master Offshore, Captain Willem has an extensive list of credentials as a skipper with his well-rounded career in both the Charter & Private yacht industry.

Willem joins us from his last position which he held with the same owner & yacht for ten years. He oversaw the build of the vessel and eventually completed a circumnavigation while maintaining the owners request for the yacht to be kept up to 5-star standards. He has cultivated an extensive list of global networks which ensure exclusive connectivity no matter where Namaste ventures.

Willem is at his happiest when guests are perched happily in one of the many comfortable areas on deck while the boat sails effortlessly into the sunset. His calm nature and giddy knowledge of almost all types of yachts will elicit a true sense of happiness while on board.

An outstanding sportsman on the water Willem looks forward to taking you waterskiing and wakeboarding or exploring the treasures under the sea as he is a certified PADI Dive Master.

Captain Willem is looking forward to this new adventure and with his natural humour and easy-going nature you are assured an unforgettable time. Willem creates specialised itineraries for each guest and will make you feel at ease afloat as he safely steers you to unique & exciting destinations on Yacht Namaste.

CHEF: Danielle SMITH
Nationality: South African
Languages: English

Danielle was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. After spending hours of her childhood watching her grandmother in the kitchen, she decided to complete a 3 year Grande Diploma at Silwood School of Cookery. During her second and third year, a part of her training involved practical work at a number of restaurants around Cape Town, spending one year as a chef at The Test Kitchen.

Danielle’s passion in the culinary industry is creating menus and recipe development. This led her to a position as food assistant and product developer for Luke Dale-Roberts for 18 months. She then continued to assist with the set-up of two new restaurants in Cape Town which consisted of menu creation, kitchen design, staff training and sourcing suppliers.

The urge to work and travel set in, which led her to work on the yachts. Working on yachts has created an amazing platform for Danielle to enjoy her love for the ocean, travel and creating tailored dining experiences for the guests on board.
When Danielle is not in the kitchen she is practicing yoga or spending time outdoors, looking for the perfect beach spot or mountain hikes.

STEWARDESS: Georgia TOSEN
Nationality: British
STCW95 - PADI Divemaster - ENG1
Emergency First Responder - RYA Competent Crew & Day skipper Theory
'Proper Cooking Skills - Intensive - Level 2 intermediate' at The Cookery School, London. - Food Hygiene Level 2
Languages: English

Georgia happily joins Namaste after years spent cooking and stewardessing on private and charter yachts. She hails from the UK and grew up in Southampton, England. As a child, Georgia swam competitively and went on to swim nationally and internationally - sparking her love for the water. This (mixed with a burning desire to travel) led her to start a yachting career.

Beginning as a flotilla hostess, Georgia travelled across Europe and the Caribbean before moving into private yachts – taking her into Central and western America. In 2018 she went on to obtain her PADI Divemaster certificate in the Philippines, specialising in deep diving, oxygen providing, enriched air (nitox), Thresher shark behaviour and identification as well as peak performance buoyancy.

Georgia’s passion for yachting has been emboldened by her travels, happy demeanour, passion to be in and on the water, eagerness to keep busy and a love for hosting and meeting new people. She looks forward to to everything Namaste and their world cruising itinerary and cannot wait to welcome you on board and embark on this new adventure.

FIRST MATE: Sean Mac RORY
Nationality: British
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
Languages: English, Italian and French. Conversational Spanish.

Sean was born and raised in Rome, to Irish parents. He attended an International School in Rome where his love for languages was encouraged and thus is fluent in English, Italian and French. Having grown up in an International environment, Sean can relate to many different cultures and feels at home engaging with all.
Upon finishing school, Sean went to university in England at Sussex University, to read International Relations and French, which included spending a year abroad in Bordeaux at one of the top Political Science universities.
Sean is also a very keen sportsman and musician having competed in various competitions for Tennis in both Italy and Ireland at regional level and has performed in various groups at school and University playing percussion and drums.

Sean’s experience on board stems from his sailing background as a teenager sailing lasers and catamarans on a lake outside Rome. Sean has worked on some of the most prestigious yachts in the world, from the three masted Schooner Adix to the record breaking Windrose of Amsterdam. He has also chartered extensively throughout the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

Sean forms strong working relationships with others, taking initiative when necessary and does all he can to ensure a job is done well. He has a great deal of positive energy and firmly believes in embracing life to the fullest making the most of every opportunity.