Oli Gillespie | 3000 GT Master

Approaching 20 years in the superyacht industry, Oli worked his way from dayworker to Captain, navigating numerous ocean crossings and busy charter seasons to major refits, representing owners and the occasional shipyard project that was supposed to take "just a couple of weeks."

For the past eight years, he has been rotational Captain of the 44m Relentless, a 2001 Trinity. Overseeing everything from crew management and guest experience to major engineering projects, regulatory compliance and financial planning. Having managed multiple extensive refits, he is equally comfortable on the bridge, in the engine room or attempting to explain to a shipyard why a deadline is, in fact, a deadline.

Before swapping London's nightlife for life at sea, Oli held management positions in some of the capital's leading nightclubs and cocktail bars, looking after VIP clientele, organising high-profile events and developing award-winning cocktails. As it turns out, dealing with demanding guests, unusual requests and strong personalities at three in the morning was surprisingly good preparation for a career in yachting.

A firm believer that a happy crew makes for a successful yacht, Oli leads by example with a level head, a hands-on approach and a healthy sense of humour. He prides himself on maintaining exceptional standards without taking himself too seriously and believes that most problems can be prevented with good planning and clear communication.

Away from the yacht, Oli is passionate about art, craftsmanship, music and vintage cars, particularly those that demonstrate more enthusiasm for occupying garage space than actually running. He's also a devoted Arsenal supporter, proving that his capacity for optimism and disappointment knows few bounds. An enthusiastic participant in unnecessarily punishing fitness challenges, he apparently considers physical suffering a perfectly reasonable leisure activity.

Most importantly, he's a husband and father to two rapidly growing boys and shares his home with an oversized rescue dog. Between family life, football, broken cars and the occasional attempt at relaxation, life ashore is often considerably less peaceful than life at sea. And he wouldn't have it any other way.