The winner of the 25th edition of the John Percival Leadership Award, established by the JPMA crew training center in honor of its founder, Capt. John Percival, is Capt. Matteo Malfatti, who was nominated by the crew and management company of M/Y Sangha.
“I am blown away by this announcement and would like to express my most sincere gratitude,” Capt. Malfatti said. “Success comes when we want everyone around us to succeed. Believing in our people, being there for them, this is the key to achieving great things, together. Once again, thank you very much for this incredible moment.”
Candidates for this annual award are submitted by fellow crew, who are encouraged to recognize those on board their yacht who show exceptional leadership and mentoring skills. Here are a few of the comments sent in by those who nominated Capt. Malfatti:
“There are multiple reasons why Matteo is a successful captain. He strives for excellence in every aspect of his life. People confide in Matteo because he cares and find ways to make all the crew comfortable in their positions. He has the ability to find solutions for every problem in every department.”
— Sterna Stockhoff, chief stewardess
“I especially recall that time when crossing the Atlantic, 800nm away from any land and in a 20m sailboat with 4 crew, we lost all the propulsion. Not only he managed the situation accordingly, but he also managed to keep the crew morale high, taking care of each one of us and even organizing little tasks and games to keep us busy in long days adrift in the middle of the ocean until we managed to sail to a safe haven.”
— Ivan Szymanski, first mate
“A good captain is not a boss, not a hierarchy, not even a manager. A good captain is essentially a leader, with all that this entails… Matteo is a transparent, honest captain who listens to his crew; he is aware of what each seafarer brings to the ship, he makes sure that everyone feels part of the team, and fosters bonds between us.”
— Pedro Fraga, chef
“He is always willing to help the crew and is super hands-on with the interior duties to make the workload a bit easier when things are a bit crazy. He always takes the time to listen to our concerns and will always judge a situation fairly and realistically. He is a strong-minded, driven, and motivated person that handles every situation with 100% commitment.”
— Sanell Senekal, stew/masseuse
“He is always making sure I get the challenge I strive for in a work environment. Being up on the bridge with Matteo underway is always a good way to learn new skills. He has the ability to answer questions about navigation or manoeuvres in a way that is easy to understand.”
— Nils Hufnagel, deckhand/engineer
“Straight away Matteo made me feel welcome and he guided me through the day-to-day operations and movements of the Vessel. He was always there to listen and help no matter what he had going on, he created time to listen… I felt like a valued crew member and I could tell that the whole crew felt the same way.”
— Matt Wilson, temporary engineer
“In the time Matteo has worked on Sangha he has retained crew in a way that was not previously possible on board. Crew turnover is now at an all-time minimum. He is immensely well-liked and respected by his crew. … His supportive environment extends past the actual crew to the team he works with from management to contractors and suppliers. … He sets immensely high standards for himself and in turn, his crew sees this and is inspired and encouraged to motivate themselves accordingly.”
— Holly Hampson, yacht manager
JPMA Student Star Awards
The annual JPMA Student Star Awards honor students who show exceptional commitment and dedication to their studies, whether it be a one-day session or a three-week course. Instructors at the RYA and MCA training center were asked for nominations throughout 2022.
The winners of this year’s annual JPMA Student Star Awards are:
Deck instruction
Engineering instruction
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