
To download a copy of the crew profile click here
| Jules Cope | |
| Captain | British |
|
Julian Cope has been involved with yachting and the sea for 26 years. Brought up on the island of Malta he went to sea at age 18. He has circum-navigated the world four times and commanded yachts up to 75m. He has also spent some six years as a maritime history researcher working within a company which specialised in deep water cargo recovery and treasure wrecks. Julian holds a Masters 3000 ton license and has covered more than three hundred thousand miles at sea. Julian's interests are diving, sailing, and reading. |
| Christopher Ashworth | |
| Executive Officer | British |
|
Christopher’s has been serving with Leander for over 8 years. He previously spent eleven years in Oman before relocating to England and taking up yachting. Christopher competed in the Atlantic ARC ‘98 and spent four months in the UK Sailing Academy gaining 12 professional yacht certificates. He is an ex-Navy cadet and enjoys water-skiing, squash and swimming. He also has his PADI open water diver certificate. |
| Dan Baker | |
| Chief Officer | British |
|
Dan is entering his 8th year in the yachting industry. Previously, he has cruised extensively throughout the Med, the Caribbean, Asia and the UK. His passion lies mainly with anything nautical but he also enjoys golf, tennis, football and literature. |
| Joep Jansen | |
| 2nd Officer | Dutch |
|
Joep started his yachting career in 2001. Previous to that he studied classic yacht design and yacht building. He served onboard Leander between 2002 till 2005 and after a period studying has rejoined in the position of 2nd Officer. For the last three years he has furthered his education, cruised extensively throughout the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Med. He enjoys diving, sailing, skiing, reading and movies. |
| Bjarki Arnarsson | |
| Bosun | Icelandic |
|
Bjarki was raised in a small fishing village in Iceland and comes from a commercial fishing background. Leander is his first yacht. His main interests are playing guitar, fly fishing and travelling. |
| James Hubber | |
| Chief Engineer | British |
|
Jim holds a Class 1 Marine Engineers Ticket – He has extensive Commercial and Yachting experience at the highest level, ranging from diamond mining in South Africa to some of the world’s most prestigious yachts. He holds a PADI advanced dive certificate. His hobbies include, rowing, fishing and skydiving. |
| Chris Bartle | |
| Chief Engineer | British |
|
Chris is from the North east of England. He previously worked as qualified toolmaker before going into Marine engineering. He holds a British Class 2 Merchant ticket. He was in Phuket bay, Thailand when the Tsunami struck and helped rescue operations on Co Phi Phi Island. He enjoys clay pigeon shooting, mountain biking and movies. |
| Nicohlas Brook | |
| 2nd Engineer | British |
|
Nic was born and raised in the Snowdonia area of North Wales. He is a qualified Marine Engineer, having completed a cadetship. Nic has served 16 years with one of the major cruise ship operators. Prior to joining Leander he served on an Environmental Research Vessel in the North Atlantic. Nic has a keen interest in sport including fell running, cycling, football & rugby. |
| Philip Gilboy | |
| 2nd Engineer | |
|
Philip was born and raised in Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North East of England. Before joining Leander he previously worked for a major cruise company for twelve years, cruising worldwide whilst working through the ranks from Cadet to First Engineer. |
| Luke Topham | |
| 3rd Engineer | British |
|
Luke holds a British OOW Engineering qualification and has worked at sea since leaving school; he has worked mainly on oil tankers of all sizes before joining Leander. Luke is a keen footballer and golfer. |
| Beth Hodgson | |
| Head of Interior | Canadian |
|
Beth has been working in the yachting industry for nearly 10 years, with a couple of breaks on land, managing private estates and running her own catering company. Her interests include fitness, nutrition, travel and music. |
| Isabel Muscat | |
| Purser | Spanish |
|
Isabel has served onboard Leander for several years, she has a strong administrative background. She is fluent in English, French and Spanish. Isabel is a keen scuba-diver and holds both a Dive Instructor Certificate and a Commercial Diving Certificate. Her other hobbies include underwater photography, travelling and reading. |
| Susan Elliot | |
| Guest Chef | British |
|
Susan has 17 years experience in the catering industry and is a Master Chef of Great Britain. Before joining Leander, Susan was Head Chef of a prestigious hotel in the Lake District, and also had her own cookery programme on UK television. Susan loves to travel and has travelled extensively around the world with her work. Hobbies include running, swimming and keeping fit. |
| Brook Catchlove | |
| Crew Chef | Australian |
|
Brooke has 7 years experience working as a chef in Australia and the UK. She decided to combine her passion for travel and fine cuisine and joined the yachting industry. Her interests include fitness, snowboarding and reading. |
| Antonio Rodriguez | |
| Chief Steward | Spanish |
|
Attended hospitality school in France and worked as a Maitre d in a Michelin restaurant. He spent two years in London working in a five star Hotel. He managed a French restaurant in Melbourne before joining Leander. Antonio is fluent in Spanish, English and French. He enjoys reading, opera, and sports. |
| Jessica Howie | |
| Chief Stewardess | British-Australian |
|
Jessica has been working in the yachting industry for 4 years. She comes from Queensland, Australia where she worked as an environmental health researcher. Her interests include sports, interior design, flora and fauna. |
| Lisa Jones | |
| Stewardess | Australia |
|
Lisa has previously worked for a cruise company as a wildlife interpreter, senior hostess and marketing officer. Combining her love of the ocean and travel, she has now joined the Leander team. |
| Carolyn Thomas | |
| Stewardess | British |
|
Carolyn is a new member of the yachting community after recently arriving from the "land of the long white cloud". She brings with her 10 years experience as an air hostess as well as a friendly smile. She is interested in travel and fashion. |
| Lesa Killoran | |
| Stewardess | British |
|
Lesa has recently joined Leander from England where she worked as an IT consultant. She is finally fulfilling her dream to work aboard a yacht, combining her passion for travel and new experiences. |
| Nicola Macalister | |
| Stewardess | British |
|
Nikki graduated from Dundee University where she spent five years working towards achieving a Masters with distinction in Interior Architecture. In this time she travelled to New Zealand as a student exchange placement and realising her love for travel, hasn’t been able to stay in one place since and following 6 chilling months doing a season in Val d’Isere she joined Leander as a Stewardess. |
| Francisco Salas Gomez | |
| Deckhand | Spanish |
|
Xisco is originally from Palma de Mallorca. After having lived in Tarifa for 2 years, where he practiced Kite surfing, he decided to seek a career in the yachting world. He joined Leander to further a career in Yachting, improve his English and to do one of the things he loves most in life – Travel around the seas. |
| Thomas Winter | |
| Deckhand | British |
|
Leander is Tom’s first yacht. He has a Yachtmaster Ocean ticket at the UKSA in England. He has always had a passion for the sea and enjoys sailing, cricket and tennis. |
| David Manning | |
| Deckhand | Australian |
|
Before joining Leander David worked as an outdoor activities instructor in Australia teaching Surfing, Surf Kayaking and Sailing. He is qualified as a secondary school music teacher and has spent years playing the drums in a rock band. He enjoys kite surfing, cycling and producing music. |
| Simon Espiner | |
| Deckhand | British |
|
Before joining the yachting industry, Simon worked as an estate agent and in IT support. In his third year in yachting, Simon has been sailing for most of his life. His hobbies include sailing, football, diving, snowboarding and climbing. |
| Craig Jones | |
| Deckhand | British |
|
Craig completed 10 years in the British Army where he reached the rank of Corporal and was a Tank Commander for the Household Cavalry Regiment. This is where he gained his love of travelling and so joined Leander. He enjoys rugby, snowboarding, mountain bike riding, rock-climbing and diving. |
| Christopher Hay | |
| Deckhand | Irish |
|
Having travelled the world for a few years, Chris decided to make a career of it and joined the Leander team. He is a qualified Mountain leader and previously worked as a children’s outdoor activity instructor in Wales. His hobbies include water sports, snowboarding and rock-climbing. |