OKEANA Yacht Charter Catamaran

Crew Profile

London born, Raph grew up dinghy sailing from a tender age in UK waters but it wasn’t until 2012 that his career in sailing was truly launched.
He partook in the Oyster round the world rally that took him from Mallorca, Spain all the way to Thailand, via the gems of the Pacific Ocean. It was this trip that caused him to fall in love with all things Ocean and he promptly obtained his RYA Yachtmaster.

During this time, he also acquired his bachelor's degree at the University of Leeds but the pull of getting paid to do something he loved was too strong and he returned to a life on the Ocean.

To date he has completed 4 Atlantic Crossings, 1 Pacific crossing and over 50 charters, so as well as being a fun, friendly and easy-going addition to your group, know you’ll be in extremely safe and experienced hands too.

Growing up sailing in the British Virgin Islands with her parents, Michelle has spent much of her time on the water. Sailing in the Caribbean and motor yachting in the US north east contributed to her desire to work in the industry.

She has completed 3 yachting seasons as a chef in Croatia and Montenegro working primarily with flotilla companies. Within that role she managed several other yacht chefs, helping set the bar for the culinary and guest experience standards. She has also worked as a private charter chef in Croatia, Greece, the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands.

Her culinary background sprouted from her Italian American family who gave her an instant love for food and pure ingredients. She later went on to study under the founder of one of the United States’ leading restaurant consultant agencies.

Adapting her cooking on sailing yachts for the last 4 years has been her passion, as well as spending time gaining nautical miles while taking time off from work. She has completed over 3000 miles on a delivery crossing from Las Palmas, Spain to Antigua on a 42 ft catamaran. During that time she made meals for the crew while helping sail during the day. She also spent several months on a sailing yacht on the west coast of Mexico, growing her understanding of long passages and maintaining a private boat.

With a background in event planning with the Australian Venue Company, Michelle is proud to go above and beyond the experience her guests are looking for. She joins food and overall ambience for her guests to make their holiday perfect.

Aside from sailing, Michelle is a certified free diver and loves exploring sea life below the surface. She is also an avid yogi and enjoys keeping an active lifestyle while traveling and exploring new cultures.