Long term Mallorca Yachting professional Cara Lees has launched her own bespoke yacht crew recruitment agency.  Cara Lees Yacht Crew Ltd is based on a philosophy of calibre and integrity offering old school and time-honoured service and engagement whilst combining today’s modern communications and interview techniques.

Cara Lees has over 30 years experience working in the yachting industry and has decided that now, having become shore based, is the right time to launch her own recruitment business.  Working onboard luxury yachts over the years, she has developed an enviable wealth and depth of knowledge in all aspects of daily life in this unique setting – including the understanding of the ideal crew dynamic.  Together with several years of working in a much-respected Mallorca crew agency, she now brings this combined experience to her business in the recruitment of top-class crew.

Cara has worked in many roles and starting out as a young girl in the mid 80’s as the “complete greenie” on a 68ft sailboat as deckhand/stewardess, moving to Stewardess and Cook and to more recently, Purser onboard a 75m yacht, which was one of The Club de Mar’s iconic resident vessels, where she worked for many years alongside her husband Stuart, the Captain.

Having seen the many changes in the industry over the years and along with the challenges yachting faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, she believes that the opportunity now exists to reconsider the service offered to both clients and candidates.  She said: ‘It used to be the case that yacht crew recruitment companies were better placed to be in yachting hubs such as Palma or Antibes.  But with the move to remote working and with the current global pandemic travel restrictions, it is no longer quite so essential.”

‘The huge uptake on the use of video interviewing alongside the variety of online platforms now widely used for communications, brings the yachting world much closer to home.”

‘I have real experience of all aspects of working onboard from crew recruitment to ensuring that the team dynamic created was an ideal fit for the vessel.  It is this broad professional background that gives me a unique insight into the needs of both clients and candidates.

‘Yachting is perceived as a glamorous and exciting career.  While it does offer wonderful opportunities, it also involves hard work, dedication, and certain types of personalities and character strengths to be able to fit in and succeed.  For some it is a whole new life.  At Cara Lees Yacht Crew, we are passionate about placing the right candidate with the right employer.’

Cara is currently operating out of Edinburgh but continues to have her Mallorca base and once travel restrictions are lifted, she is looking forward to meeting clients and crew personally in Palma, further strengthening and nurturing her professional relationships.

Cara Lees Yacht Crew Ltd. is an MCA certified Recruitment and Placement agency and MLC 2006 compliant.

For further information please visit https://caraleesyachtcrew.com/