This article was written by Jenny Matthews, Founder of She of the Sea and LEGASEA, for the SuperYacht Times Newspaper, Issue 42.

The most critical questions we as an industry are being asked right now are Who Are We? and Who Do We Want To Be? Our responses will be the bedrock from which all future business, design, performance – even our legacy – will spring. Every problem, solution and opportunity that currently exists in the yachting industry comes down to people. Every call to innovate, adapt, grow and expand, can only be answered by our collective intelligence.I invite you to join me in looking past the gloss, the manicured exterior, and the noise. To lean in with me to the messy, the vulnerable, the human.

When it becomes apparent in conversation that part of my work life is Chief Officer, I am quite often met with the statement ‘You must love boats!’ A perfectly logical assumption to make, of course, but while yachts are spectacular, and I adore every element of my job, I don’t really care much at all about yachts. I am, however, obsessed with people. Teams, performance, connection, authenticity, the list goes on. Every element of my role onboard, with owners and crew, comes down to understanding and connecting with the individual. To cultivate trust, safety and belonging. THESE are the topics that occupy my heart and mind. Unconsciously, my desire to become a Captain was born from this, as was She of the Sea, as is Legasea.

When we talk about…