within the crew world; British, South African, Australian, NZ and US.”
Chris also raised a very valid point, and that’s accessibility. He explained, “Diversity in the industry is restricted, whether due to cost or to the lack of access to learn the basic skills. Trying to learn any aspect of boat handling and seamanship or even how to sail is expensive and still something which isn’t an everyday activity for young people or people looking to re-train. I was fortunate enough to have a keelboat in the family and learnt how to sail on the Norfolk Broads. Unless you live on the south coast of the UK for example, your exposure to boating activities is very much limited, and, realistically, something only wealthier families get involved in.”
Perhaps if the MCA or similar got involved and made it an official scheme it may get off the ground. Or the RYA – who were reported in Sky News in 2021 to be setting a new diversity strategy when it emerged 97% of their staff were white. Although they set out with a new and exciting plan for inclusivity, I can’t find any info on whether or not they achieved their objectives.
It does seem a lot of organisations in yachting have a policy in place and consider that enough. And to be fair, it’s a good start – and moving forward isn’t exactly straightforward.
So, until the yachts start hiring people outside the norm, diversity won’t be addressed. The number of people of colour
I have proudly worked with and placed many diverse crew members. People of colour, LGBTQIA+,
women in traditionally male roles (and vice versa!), tattooed and pierced crew, and disabled crew members.
What happens if you grow up in a working class or lower-class environment? Not everyone’s parents have a yacht darling. And many people don’t even know about the yachting industry, I didn’t until I literally fell into it when I was overseas working as a dive instructor. For pennies. But that’s another story.
A quick google, and you’ll find a ton of organisations who are set up to promote diversity in yachting. Unfortunately, there are a number I’ve never even heard of, and as someone who’s somewhat prolific on social media this surprises me. Where are they promoting their services, and to whom? If yacht crew are their target audiences, why are we not seeing them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok? How are they connecting with the people they’re meant to be helping?
If we want to attract a more diverse set of people to work in our industry, then we need to consider mentorships. We’ve talked about internships and unless you have a fleet of yachts (sadly I don’t), or work in the commercial sector this currently seems unachievable. So how about we start with mentor schemes? It’s been done in the past but it just always seems to fizzle out.
or of a larger size for example, are so minimal there’s no representation.
Katy said, “Seeing someone who looks like me would have given me such a boost in confidence when I first started out. I actually almost never joined the yachting industry last year because of it. Representation, representation and more representation that is what is needed. There is a boat out there for everyone. I do believe this but some of us have to have more patience then others.”
As a leading international crew agent, I have proudly worked with and placed many diverse crew members. People of colour, LGBTQIA+, women in traditionally male roles (and vice versa!), tattooed and pierced crew, and (not many but still), disabled crew members to name a few, and will continue to put the best person forward for the position.
Like Katy, I also believe there’s a job for everyone out there in this industry, and one size simply does not fit all. We all know every yacht is different and has different requirements, and we see the beauty in this - so let’s embrace that ethos by employing more diverse people to represent that.
MAKE THE PLEDGE
REPORTS
The latest report from McKinsey & Co further solidifies not only the significant competitive edge a diverse and inclusive organisation have over their competition, but
the rapidly increasing gap between those that take action and those that don’t across every measurable performance indicator.
THE CHALLENGE
There is currently a lack of appropriate reports, readily available data, or statistics regarding diversity and inclusion both ashore and at sea. This results in the inability to draw any concrete conclusions or monitor in any way the current state of the industry and our collective talent pipeline.
THE SOLUTION
She of the Sea has taken the initiative to conduct the yachting industry’s first ever diversity and inclusion
survey. The aim is to gather valuable data from pledge signatories to form a baseline from which to measure impact. At the same time, we will gain insights into challenges faced by each sector in regards to their influence on the talent pipeline and their internal diversity and inclusion strategies.
GET INVOLVED
She of the Sea holds the clear vision of a high performance, competency focused yachting industry, regardless of gender, race or any other factors. The cultures we build now will be critical to the sustainability of the industry.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHE OF THE SEA
Inaugural Annual Report
www.sheofthesea.com
40 | SUMMER 2023 | ONBOARD
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