Skipper/Host Functions
Lead Skipper
Role Summary
The Lead Skipper is an extra role given to an experienced skipper. Alongside skippering their own yacht, the Lead Skipper is a steady point of contact for a defined group of fellow skippers across the route, answering questions, sharing route knowledge, and helping newer or less experienced skippers settle into the week.
It is a support and coordination role. Each Skipper remains the sole captain in command of their own yacht.
Reporting Line
- Reports to: Route Manager (RM) for the assigned week.
- Reports to: Quarterdeck (QD) management for performance and role-level matters. Lead Skipper is supplied by QD via the skipper crew.
What the Lead Skipper Does
- Acts as a day-to-day point of contact for the assigned skipper group via the YW App and operational WhatsApp Community.
- Shares practical guidance on itinerary timing, arrivals, departures, reprovisioning, and operational changes.
- Helps newer skippers find their feet during check-in, check-out, and the first marina meeting.
- Supports raft coordination where instructed by the RM.
- Flags performance, conduct, or safety concerns early to the RM, and escalates urgent matters (safety, medical, sexual misconduct, drugs, negligence, serious complaints) immediately.
- Passes route-level observations and recognition to the RM, who owns onward routing to the EM and to QD management.
Boundary
The Lead Skipper is advisory only. They do not command any other skipper’s yacht, do not have authority over skippers outside the assigned group, and do not replace the RM, the HM, or the EM. Each Skipper retains full legal and operational responsibility over their own yacht.
Post-event guest communications
Once the week is over, or once a guest complaint is in during the week, Customer Service holds the guest relationship and owns all guest-facing communication. The route team, Operations, Quarterdeck, Commercial and Finance feed input through CS and act on guest comms only at CS’s request. If a guest reaches out directly after the week, or after a complaint is in, the response is to refer them back to CS rather than reply. Skipper, host and crew personal contact with the guest stops the moment a complaint is in, including via WhatsApp or social channels.
Remuneration
Compensation is set out in the current listed rates at pay-and-bonus and covers both standard skippering responsibilities and the additional Lead Skipper duties. No additional pay applies unless explicitly approved in writing by Quarterdeck. Invoices are submitted via Quarterdeck’s prescribed online system per the Terms of Engagement.
Lead Host
Role Summary
The Lead Host is an extra role given to an experienced Host. Alongside hosting on their own yacht, the Lead Host is a steady point of contact for a defined group of fellow Hosts across the route, answering questions, sharing practical know-how, and helping newer or less experienced Hosts settle into the week.
It is a support and coordination role. Each Skipper remains the sole captain in command of their own yacht; Hosts remain responsible for their own role on theirs.
Reporting Line
- Reports to: Host Manager (HM) for the assigned week.
- Reports to: Quarterdeck (QD) management for performance and role-level matters. Lead Host is supplied by QD via the host crew.
What the Lead Host Does
- Acts as a day-to-day point of contact for the assigned host group via the YW App and operational WhatsApp Community.
- Shares practical guidance on provisioning, local suppliers, meal planning, timing, and guest expectations.
- Helps newer Hosts find their feet during check-in, check-out, and the first marina meeting.
- Supports consistency in meal quality, hygiene, and onboard standards through occasional galley visits and meal photos where appropriate.
- Flags performance, conduct, or safety concerns early to the HM, and escalates urgent matters (safety, medical, sexual misconduct, drugs, negligence, serious complaints) immediately.
- Passes route-level observations and recognition to the HM, who owns onward routing to the EM, the RM, and to QD management.
Boundary
The Lead Host is advisory only. They do not command any vessel, do not have authority over Hosts outside the assigned group or over any skipper team, and do not replace the HM, the RM, or the EM. Lead Host guidance must support safe provisioning and service and must not result in food being served in a way that risks guest harm, including allergen exposure or food safety issues.
Post-event guest communications
Once the week is over, or once a guest complaint is in during the week, Customer Service holds the guest relationship and owns all guest-facing communication. The route team, Operations, Quarterdeck, Commercial and Finance feed input through CS and act on guest comms only at CS’s request. If a guest reaches out directly after the week, or after a complaint is in, the response is to refer them back to CS rather than reply. Skipper, host and crew personal contact with the guest stops the moment a complaint is in, including via WhatsApp or social channels.
Remuneration
Compensation is set out in the current listed rates at pay-and-bonus and covers both standard hosting responsibilities and the additional Lead Host duties. No additional pay applies unless explicitly approved in writing by Quarterdeck. Invoices are submitted via Quarterdeck’s prescribed online system per the Terms of Engagement.
Route Medic
1. Role Summary
The Route Medic is a route-level support role assigned to a skipper or host with relevant medical credentials (nurse, doctor, paramedic, or equivalent). Alongside their primary onboard role, the Route Medic provides medical response, health and safety guidance, and practical support during incidents where medical input is needed.
The role is advisory, supportive, and response-based. It does not transfer command of any vessel, replace the EM, RM, or HM, and does not authorise procedures beyond the medic’s professional competence. External medical support is sought where a situation exceeds the medic’s qualifications or available resources.
In one sentence: you are a skipper or host first; when a medical concern surfaces on the route, you are the first responder.
Reporting & Working Relationships
- Reports to: Event Manager (EM) on route assignments and incident handling for the assigned week.
- Reports to: Quarterdeck (QD) management (and the QD Operations Manager) for performance, offboarding, and role-level escalations. Route Medic is supplied by QD via the skipper or host crew; YW is the customer.
- Works alongside: Route Manager (RM) and Host Manager (HM) on incident handling that crosses operational boundaries.
- Liaises with: local medical providers and emergency services where required.
- Co-hosts evening events: in their primary skipper or host capacity, alongside the route team as needed.
Role Ownership Across the Team
- Operations Coordinator (OC): cross-destination operations; supplies pre-week intelligence and budget envelope to each EM.
- Event Manager (EM): on-the-ground route lead; owns the event, the team, and the budget.
- Guest Experience Manager (GEM): owns the guest experience, guest relationships, and complaint handling.
- Event Coordinator (EC): owns the YW App schedule, app comms and message updates; on-site POC for Media and DJ teams.
- Route Manager (RM): owns route operations and skipper-team coordination; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
- Host Manager (HM): owns host-team coordination and onboard guest experience; supplied by Quarterdeck (QD).
- Route Medic: assigned skipper or host with medical credentials; provides route-level medical response and health & safety support.
- Lead Skipper: route-level skipper-support role assigned to selected skippers; sits under the RM. Advisory and coordination only, no command authority over any other yacht.
- Lead Tech: route-level technical-support role assigned to selected skippers with strong yacht-systems experience; sits under the RM as a support function. Advisory and coordination only, does not replace charter-company technicians or formal repair channels.
- Lead Host: route-level host-support role assigned to selected Hosts; sits under the HM. Advisory and coordination only, no authority over skipper teams or vessel command.
- Quarterdeck (QD) is Yacht Week's external service provider for the Skipper and Host crews (including RM, HM, and the Route Medic). YW is the customer; QD supplies the people. Skipper/host-side performance, offboarding, and replacement decisions sit with QD.
The Delegation Chain
You hold a primary onboard role (skipper or host) and an additional Route Medic responsibility. Medical concerns come to you first; operational decisions stay with the EM, RM, and HM.
- EM, GEM, EC, RM, HM, or any Skipper/Host can flag a medical concern direct to the Route Medic.
- Route Medic assesses, treats within scope of competence, stabilises, and escalates externally where needed.
- Route Medic immediately notifies the EM (and the relevant RM or HM) on any incident that affects route operations.
- Where the situation exceeds the Route Medic's qualifications or available resources, the Route Medic stabilises and arranges escalation to local medical services.
- Operational decisions (transfer changes, venue changes, route adjustments) remain with the EM / RM / HM. The Route Medic provides medical input; they do not direct route operations.
You are the documentation owner for medical incidents, treatment given, observations, and escalation steps. Confidentiality is held in line with company policy and applicable data-protection requirements.
Authority & Mandate
- Provides medical care within the scope of personal qualifications and training; no procedures beyond personal competence.
- No clinical procedures while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Basic life-preserving steps (recovery position, basic first aid, calling emergency services, summoning a fit-to-practise responder) remain a duty regardless of personal state, in line with professional registration obligations.
- Obtains consent where possible and appropriate before providing care; acts in accordance with established medical protocols where the individual is unable to give consent.
- Maintains confidentiality. Discloses medical information only where required by law or necessary for immediate care and safety.
- Does not command any vessel, direct any Skipper in the operation of a yacht, or assume route management responsibilities outside the medical function. Each skipper retains sole command of their own yacht.
2. Core Responsibilities
Your week breaks into five core responsibility areas. Every duty you perform should map back to one of these.
2.1 Medical Care & Emergency Response
- Provide immediate medical care to guests and staff within the scope of qualifications and training.
- Respond promptly to medical concerns and emergencies. Assess, treat where competent, stabilise where needed.
- Monitor for common event-related health risks: dehydration, heatstroke, exhaustion, alcohol-related illness.
- Anaphylaxis and severe allergy: pre-briefed by HM and OC dashboard before Saturday. The 2025 Greek pasta-with-nuts anaphylaxis incident is the case study.
- Maintain a stocked and organised first-aid / response kit at all times.
- Liaise with local medical facilities and emergency services where advanced care is required.
- Offer calm, professional reassurance to guests and staff in high-stress situations.
2.2 Incident Reporting & Documentation
- Record every medical incident, treatment given, and relevant observation in the format required by central operations.
- Report serious injuries or medical emergencies immediately to the EM and to QD management.
- Submit incident reports promptly, in line with the Event Incident Log standard.
- Follow up after medical incidents where appropriate to confirm recovery and any onward care.
- Maintain confidentiality in line with company policy and applicable data-protection regulations.
2.3 Health & Safety Support
- Reinforce health and safety standards across the route through a medical lens.
- Provide input on health and safety procedures and pre-event planning based on medical expertise.
- Work with the EM and RM/HM to address recurring or systemic health-related concerns.
- Deliver short medical / health briefings to staff or guests where required (e.g. heatwave week, allergy week, alcohol-heavy event).
- Surface glass-on-floor risks alongside the GEM at venues. Three guest cuts logged in 2025.
2.4 Guest & Staff Wellbeing Support
- Offer confidential guidance on hydration, sun protection, fatigue, and other common onboard health issues.
- Monitor guest and staff wellbeing where appropriate; surface concerns to GEM (guests) or HM/RM (staff).
- Provide calm, professional reassurance during stressful situations.
- Support the EM, RM, and HM in responding to recurring health-related concerns.
2.5 Brand & Standards
- Yacht Week brand voice: warm, confident, energetic, never defensive. Professional, reliable, respectful. No jargon, no internal acronyms.
- Wear official Yacht Week merchandise during operational hours.
- Hold the line on Code of Excellence (COE) compliance.
- Zero tolerance on sexual harassment, drugs, and serious alcohol incidents. Same-day documentation. Sexual harassment was the top recurring incident category in both 2024 and 2025.
- Reinforce sustainable onboard and on-land practices aligned with Company values.
- Lead by example.
- Maintain professional medical boundaries at all times; act in good faith and within the limits of personal expertise.
- Obtain consent where possible and appropriate before providing care.
- No clinical procedures while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Basic life-preserving steps (recovery position, basic first aid, calling emergency services, summoning a fit-to-practise responder) remain a duty regardless.
- Each skipper retains sole command of their yacht; the Route Medic role is advisory and response-based.
3. Pre Event Preparations
You arrive on the route as a skipper or host with a medical assignment attached. Five workstreams run in parallel before guests embark.
3.1 Guest Profile Dashboard
- Read the OC-supplied dashboard through a medical lens.
- Dietary, medical, and accessibility flags reviewed in detail. Anaphylaxis and severe-allergy guests by name and severity.
- Pre-existing conditions and medication notes. Mobility and accessibility considerations per yacht.
- Confirm with HM that the allergy / dietary data on the OC dashboard is live and that hosts have read the data for their yacht's guests.
3.2 Yacht-by-Yacht Communication Plan
- Operational WhatsApp Community (managed by OC) is the primary channel for medical-relevant comms with the route team, system of record for crew comms.
- Direct chat with the relevant skipper or host where confidentiality requires.
- On the route every skipper and host has your direct contact for medical issues; first responder triages on the boat and calls you.
- YW App is the guest-facing channel; the Route Medic does not push messages to guests through it (EC owns guest comms).
- Confidentiality is held by default. Information shared only where required for immediate care or safety.
3.3 Previous Week's KPIs & Feedback
- Review prior-week medical incident log entries. Themes: heat illness, alcohol, allergy, injury, mental-health flags.
- Identify route-level patterns and brief the EM / RM / HM on any pattern requiring a behaviour or process change.
- Update the response kit and pre-positioned supplies based on prior-week consumption.
3.4 Medical Kit & Supplier Setup
- Confirm the response kit is stocked and in date: standard medications, dressings, anaphylaxis response (where authorised), basic life-support supplies.
- Confirm local medical contacts: nearest hospital, GP, pharmacy, ambulance number, and embassy contact for non-EU guests.
- Confirm professional liability insurance is current.
- Surface any additional supply needs to EM (EM consolidates to OC; OC fulfils via storage).
3.5 Team Coordination
- Confirm with EM, RM, HM the protocol for medical-incident escalation and how guest-side comms are handled when a medical event occurs (GEM holds the relational POC).
- Confirm with the GEM the personal-greeting plan for any flagged medical-needs guests.
- Brief skippers and hosts on what to surface to you and how (early signal beats late escalation).
- Confirm coverage for any time you are off-watch on your primary skipper or host duty.
4. Weekly Schedule (Saturday → Friday)
Yacht Week runs Saturday to Friday. The schedule below is the principle, not a stopwatch; exact venues and timings vary per week and per destination. The rhythm itself doesn’t. The week breaks into four blocks: Pre-Arrival, Saturday (arrival), Sunday → Thursday (sailing days), and Friday (final day). Information moves outward from the EM via the EC’s app pushes; skippers and hosts run their own ~8-10 person crew on each yacht; the route team stays strategic, not herding. The single biggest success factor is that skippers and hosts are well-informed at all times; the daily app push and the RM/HM broadcasts to their teams are how that happens.
4.1 Pre-Arrival (Wed → Fri before week begins)
Pre-Arrival is the three days before guests embark. Each role’s Section 3 workstreams land during this window.
Day | Activity | Route Medic Responsibilities | Wed | Dashboard through medical lens | Anaphylaxis, severe-allergy, pre-existing conditions, medication notes, mobility / accessibility per yacht. |
|---|---|---|
Thu | Local contacts & insurance
| Confirm nearest hospital, GP, pharmacy, ambulance number, embassy contact for non-EU guests. Confirm professional liability insurance is current. |
Fri | Response kit & broadcast identity
| Stocked and in-date kit confirmed. Introduce yourself to the skipper and host team via the operational WhatsApp Community so every skipper and host has your direct contact. |
4.2 Saturday: Arrival Day
Saturday is the heaviest day of the week for most route roles. Marina check-in opens around mid-afternoon and runs through early evening; the welcome dinner / opening party closes the day.
Time block | Activity | Route Medic Responsibilities | Morning | Primary role first | Saturday is your primary skipper or host day. Attend the relevant meeting only if your primary role calls for it (skipper meeting if you’re a skipper; otherwise read the brief in the WhatsApp Community). Medical-flag dashboard read happened Wed to Fri; you’re not doing intake on Saturday. |
|---|---|---|
Marina check-in (afternoon)
| Embarkation in primary capacity | Embark on your assigned yacht as skipper or host. Execute your primary role’s Saturday tasks (skipper checks, provisioning, guest greeting); the medical role is on standby, not active, unless something surfaces. |
Welcome dinner / opening (evening) | First responder on standby | Present in primary capacity. Reachable across the fleet via direct WhatsApp contact for any medical concern that surfaces.
|
4.3 Sunday → Thursday: Sailing Days
Sunday through Thursday share a common rhythm: crew yacht repositions early, morning event-crew meeting around 09:30, the daily app push at 10:00, sail / event prep through midday, venue set-up in the afternoon, the day’s guest-facing event in the evening, and a ‘tomorrow’s schedule’ post on the event team WhatsApp group before the team winds down.
Time block | Activity | Route Medic Responsibilities | Crew morning meeting | Dial in or get the bullet | Receive any medical-relevant day’s plan via app: heatwave, alcohol-heavy event, allergy-sensitive venue.
|
|---|---|---|
10:00 app push | Wellbeing-reminder content | Where useful, contribute hydration / sun-protection content to the EC’s daily push, especially on hot days or alcohol-heavy events.
|
During the day | On primary yacht | Skipper or host duties for your own crew. Reachable via direct app contact for any medical concern across the fleet. |
Event window | At venue in primary capacity | Present. First responder on call. Cross-fleet response is delegated to the nearest skipper or host as first responder; they escalate to RM, who pages you. |
As needed | Treat → stabilise → escalate | Within scope of competence. Arrange escalation to local medical services where the situation exceeds qualifications or available resources. Obtain consent where possible. |
Late | Incident log | Record any medical incident, treatment, observation in the required format. Notify EM and QD same-day for any serious incident.
|
4.4 Friday: Final Day, Feedback & Departures
Friday is the closing day: sail back to the home marina, the crew yacht week-review meeting, boat-hopping farewells across the fleet, and end-of-week closeout (kitty, commissions, damages, comp report, KPI capture).
Time block | Activity | Route Medic Responsibilities | Boat-hopping | Primary capacity | Be present in primary Skipper / Host capacity.
|
|---|---|---|
Mid-day | Medical log closeout | Submit incident log. Flag any pattern across the week to EM (heat, alcohol, allergy, injury).
|
End of week | Kit replenish via EM → OC | Inventory response kit. Surface replenishment needs to EM; EM consolidates to OC; OC fulfils via storage (HOO support if needed). |
5. Complaint & Incident Handling
Every guest complaint and operational incident follows the same flow: Listen → Acknowledge → Assess severity → Route → Act → Close → Log. Severity decides authority; authority decides who acts and who escalates. The role-with-the-relationship holds the guest POC through resolution; the role with operational ownership runs the fix behind the scenes. All Med+ incidents are documented in the Event Incident Log within the same operational day.
5.1 Principles
- Listen first. Acknowledge before defending. Repeat the issue back in your own words.
- Severity-led: classify before acting. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.
- Single guest POC: whoever first held the guest relationship keeps it through resolution. The operational fix routes to the right role behind the scenes.
- Speed over perfection on Med+ incidents. Same-day Event Incident Log entry is non-negotiable for: sexual harassment, drugs, drunk-on-duty, glass injury, anaphylaxis, vendor confrontation pushed onto crew, vessel emergency, lone-host situation, social-media-bound complaint.
- Critical incidents are owned by the Head of Operations (HOO). The HOO leads or stays connected to the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. The route team's job during a Critical is to deliver facts, hold guest comms locally where directed, and execute on the HOO's call.
- Confidentiality is the default. Medical details are held in line with company policy and applicable data-protection rules. Staff misconduct details are shared only with those who need to know to act (EM, RM/HM, Quarterdeck (QD) as relevant), not across the team.
- External / public communication during a Critical incident routes through the HOO. Route roles do not speak to media, social platforms, or families on behalf of Yacht Week without HOO sign-off.
5.2 Severity & Response
Use this matrix to decide whether you handle an issue alone, loop in another role, the EM, or escalate beyond the route. When in doubt, escalate one level higher.
Severity | Examples | Action | Low | Schedule confusion, dietary tweak, lost item, minor venue gripe. | Resolve in role on the spot, ideally via skipper/host. Log at end of day. |
|---|---|---|
Medium | Repeat complaint, partner-venue conflict, missed transfer, group dissatisfaction with one event, minor conduct flag. | Resolve in role; notify EM same-day. If skipper/host involved → route operational fix to RM/HM. Log immediately in the Event Incident Log. |
High | Safety incident, medical issue, refund request, conduct incident, social-media-bound complaint, repeated skipper/host failure. | Stop. Notify EM immediately. RM/HM looped if crew-related; Route Medic looped if medical. EM may escalate to OC; OC briefs HOO. The role-with-the-relationship stays with the guest. Same-day Event Incident Log entry. |
Critical | Injury, missing person, criminal incident, vessel emergency, anaphylaxis, regulatory issue. | Safety protocols first. HOO owns the response, supported by OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff. Emergency services as required. All external comms route through HOO. Document everything in the Event Incident Log within the hour. |
5.3 Chain of Command
The route team resolves what it can in scope; everything else escalates along these lines.
- Within the route team: GEM, EC, and Route Medic surface to EM. EM is the route-level decision point for refunds, boat changes, partial credits, schedule changes, and partner-facing commitments.
- Crew-related issues: skipper-side route through RM; host-side route through HM. RM and HM document conduct or performance issues same-day with EM and Quarterdeck (QD).
- Medical issues: surface to the Route Medic via direct app contact. The nearest skipper or host is first responder and calls the Medic. The Medic treats within scope, stabilises, and arranges escalation to local medical services where exceeded.
- Yacht / supplier issues: RM relays via the EM into the OC, who reports formally to the YW Commercial Team weekly.
- Cross-destination patterns: OC reads every Event Incident Log entry across active routes weekly and surfaces themes to the HOO.
- Critical incidents: HOO leads. OC, EM, Route Medic, and any other relevant staff connect into the response. External comms route through HOO.
5.4 Route Medic Responsibilities
You are the route’s medical first responder. The nearest skipper or host triages on the boat and calls you; you assess and act.
- Reachable via direct app contact. Nearest skipper or host is first responder; they call you.
- Treat within scope of competence. Stabilise where exceeded; arrange escalation to local medical services.
- Confidentiality by default. Medical info shared only where required for immediate care, safety, or law.
- Same-day Event Incident Log entry on every medical incident. Immediate notification to EM and Quarterdeck (QD) for any serious incident.
- During Critical involving medical: HOO leads response. You deliver medical care, capture facts, escalate to local medical services as needed.
- No clinical procedures while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Basic life-preserving steps (recovery position, basic first aid, calling emergency services, summoning a fit-to-practise responder) remain a duty regardless. No procedures beyond personal qualifications and training in any state.
Lead Tech
Role Summary
The Lead Skipper is an extra role given to an experienced skipper. Alongside skippering their own yacht, the Lead Skipper is a steady point of contact for a defined group of fellow skippers across the route, answering questions, sharing route knowledge, and helping newer or less experienced skippers settle into the week.
It is a support and coordination role. Each Skipper remains the sole captain in command of their own yacht.