This is Us
Crew Profile
Captain: Robin Winn Nationality: British
Robin holds a MCA 3000-ton Licence Class VI, GMDSS Licence, CMAS and PADI Rescue Diver. Robin hails from Dorset, South England but now resides in the South of France where he enjoys rugby, golf, Formula 1 and motorcycling.
After spending ten years with the Merchant Marine, he has since spent the past thirty-seven years working in the yachting industry where he has worked extensively on both charter and private vessels and has sailed over 300,000 miles. He has also captained M/Y Daydream S/Y Mirabella 1, M/Y Ramses, M/Y Picante, S/Y Cinderella and S/Y Provenance to name a few. His immense knowledge and experiences make for great story telling and interesting facts about the sea and the countries we visit.
Robin’s main objective is to fulfil the highest expectations of our owners and guests and to obtain respect and loyalty from both guests and crew. Robin has an excellent sense of humour and is dedicated and enthusiastic about the sea and his team on board This Is Us.
Mate: Ben Lawrence Nationality: Australian
Ben is new to our team, he grew up in a small coastal town in central Queensland. After learning to sail at a young age he got the bug and moved to racing dinghies and competed at local/state and national levels. After finishing school he started an apprenticeship at a local boat building yard until 2011 as the yard closed down. He then flew to Spain and got his first job as a professional yacht crew working on some wonderfull classic yachts such as Lady Anne 15m class gaff rigged cutter, Adix a 65m three masted schooner and Shamrock V an original J class. ..read more
When not on deck you can find Ben surfing or skating he enjoys sailing and the outdoor lifestyle. Ben is now delighted to be part of the beautiful modern classic schooner This Is Us Team.
Engineer: Craig Chapman Nationality: South African
Craig comes with a large amount of experience and skills in all aspects of yachting from the engineering side. He began his working career as a plumber and used his skills and passion to progress in the yachting industry. Craig has worked on numerous motor yachts but he is much more at home on sailing yachts. Hailing from South Africa and sailing on his own dinghy as a young lad, Craig sailed on various yachts whilst completing his Yachtmaster.
Craig is a huge watersports enthusiast and loves everything to do with the water, both above and below as he also is a diving instructor.
Chef: Chenaé Van Niekerk Nationality: South African
Chenaé has just joined This Is Us and we all very much look forward to welcoming her on board. Originating from Cape Town where she was fortunate enough to complete her chef training after qualifying she worked in many top resturants in and around Cape Town. This then led her to the catering industry which was very challenging but rewarding. Over and above being a chef Chenaé has a desire to be multitalented within the yachting indusrty and has her Sailing Yachtmaster.
She enjoys experimenting with different cruisines, challenging her skills and broadening her knowledge, while specializing in Mediterranean and Asian cruisines. However her favourite pastime in the galley is baking. She ustilise local produce and dishes using the fresh markets wherever possible.
She grew up close to the ocean and loves that her career now affords her to view life from the “other side”. She enjoys reading, water sports and the outdoor lifestyle.
Deckhand: Nicolaas Basson Nationality: South African
Nico has worked as a dive master on surfing charters before joining the yachting industry at a young age. He holds his Yachtmasters Offshore and is working towards his OOW and Chief Mate 3000. He is passionate about sailing and his mission is to make the guests visit as fun and exciting as possible. Nico is a keen rock climber, fisherman and loves all outdoor activities.
His enthusiasm and positivity is highly contagious and his love of the sea, sailing and boats makes him a great asset to our team and our guests on This Is Us.
Stewardess: Sarah Buttery Nationality: New Zealander
Sarah is new to our team, she was born in South Africa and moved to Auckland, New Zealand with her family as a young teenager. She enjoys photography, travelling and has lived in many different countries. She has always been adventurous and is happiest when travelling to new places, meeting new people and sharing in their experiences. Sarah is very passionate about keeping fit and a healthy lifestyle. She brings with her to This Is Us great enthusiasm, a happy attitude and a keen eye for detail. With a great love for what she does, Sarah will go the extra mile to ensure that guests have a fantastic time on board.
You can be sure the drinks will flow, the sun will shine and the wind will blow.
