The warm season is nearing and the yacht market has kicked off in full. In Italy, after the stop caused by the pandemic, statistics show strong growth in the boating industry, with a proper boom in sales, especially abroad.

However, some of the fundamental aspects of the yachting industry are often overlooked. If we look at modern vessels and their increasingly large sizes, an essential role is played by their captains and crew. Notwithstanding their importance, however, young recruits often find it difficult to step into the super yacht sector. For this reason, the captain’s association, Italian Yacht Masters has, for over 10 years, offered support and training, thanks to the personal experience of its members.

Daily Nautica has interviewed captain Marco Nocenti, a member of the board of directors, sponsor and marketing manager for Italian Yacht Masters, in order to learn something more about the association and assess the yachting industry in Italy.

What are the objectives of Italian Yacht Masters and what do you mean when you talk about training?

The association has around 90 captains. The main objective is to create a community that, in an ever-expanding market, shares information, and offers a higher level of training, so as to fully train a captain. We are not talking about technical training, but social training needed to improve skills. Sharing comes from the experience of our captains. I have 41 years of maritime experience behind me, of which 30 in command. We can give information and share facts that each one of us has experienced in our everyday work life.

What path does a young person have to take in order to become a captain. What are the advantages and disadvantages in Italy?

Differently from other countries, the road to becoming a captain begins in secondary school. In Italy you need to enrol in the Nautical Technical Institute at the age of 14. After years of study and practice as a cadet and officer, one can become a qualified First Officer, and will then have to demonstrate they can become a good captain.

Training outside of our country is faster and already focused on the yachting industry. Training and state exams are recognised as valid for every flag, something that does not happen in Italy. To make an example: the STCW convention provides a series of training courses focused on safety and rescue that, if taken abroad, are not recognised in Italy. On the contrary, foreign countries recognise the exams and courses taken in our country. In Italy we are missing dedicated yachting training that is more streamlined and professionally adequate.

How did the captains respond to the pandemic? What were the effects?

Obviously a number of commanders had problems, because some boat owners were poorly or died. I am happy I am one of those captains who were able to continue working as if nothing had happened. Obviously what Covid brought us were stricter measures and increased attention to disinfecting after contact and purchases.

Italian Yacht Masters, within its group, throughout the pandemic, continued to work trying to share information between one country and the next where the captains were stationed. This diversity in stations allowed us to keep continuously updated, creating a communications network that reinforced the association. During lockdown, Italian Yacht Masters also carried out a lot of charitable work, donating essential sanitation equipment and helping a number of captains who were left without jobs.

You have participated in a number of events throughout the years to share your experience. The latest was the Sea You at the Marina di Genova. What is the aim of these meetings?

We have participated in a number of events including, recently, Yare in Viareggio, the international event dedicated to boating in the world, Benetti Yacht Master in Venice and Argentario Meets Yachting. We have to start from the premise that 75% of the world’s boat manufacture is in Italy. Of this 75% only 10% is dedicated to our workforce. This is why we need to change. There is a gap that we need to cover through communication and professionalism. This is still missing and we hope to bring it forward with Italian Yacht Masters. The two days of Sea You at the Marina di Genova were another chance to share what we have done and what the challenges for the future will be. The various meetings and partnerships are being created knowing that change will come.

How would you define the yachting industry in Italy, based on your experience on board ships?

Imagine the Colosseum and that you lived in Rome. You wake up every morning admiring the heritage of our country, but you limit yourself to looking at it from the outside. This also goes for boating. We open our windows and see the Italian marinas with all their yachts, but we never ask ourselves what happens inside. Yachting is a complete and complex market, but nobody, including the government, wants to look inside and create a real profession. Other countries have been faster at creating companies that offer training, management and recruitment.

We need a push to create professional figures ready to step into the yachting industry. For the rest it is like living at the “Colosseum”: being surrounded by beauty is a part of our job. On the other hand, we need to always maintain a high level of professionalism, because a captain needs to command increasingly bigger ships. Indeed for the last 22 years my wife has been helping me. I work with her on board, I am lucky enough to have found a fantastic companion who helps me in all my activities, including the most important one, team management.