PURSUIT

Captain | Ferdi Coetzer | South African
Having been in the yachting industry for the past 14 years, Captain Ferdi has "enjoyed it since day one." He has an affinity for being out on the water and loves to provide guests with new experiences. Captain Ferdi is responsible for the operation and navigation of the vessel, including the safety of all passengers. Working closely with the owners and guests, Captain Ferdi ensures a comprehensive understanding of every guest's needs.

Chief Stewardess | Britney Pieterse | South African
Britney has been in the service and tourism industry for the last 5 years. Working on various boats as a dive instructor, she eventually discovered the wonderful world of yachting. Since joining the industry, Britney has truly loved every second. As the Head of Interior, working closely with the chef and captain, Britney ensures all guests are taken care of- with a cold cocktail in hand. Along with the interior team, she runs service for all meals onboard and takes care of housekeeping.

First Mate | Ryan Fant | American
Ryan has been in yachting for over 3 years and is thrilled to be involved in the industry. Ryan embraces all boats- big and small, learning much from his coworkers and guests. Ryan served in the United States Navy between 2012-2016, where he was responsible for all exterior areas of the vessel. He worked as an assistant to the captain, assisting with operations, navigation, and safety. Ryan works closely with guests to insure all have a positive, memorable experience onboard M/Y Pursuit.

Chief Engineer | Gene Fittery | American
Gene has spent his entire life on or very close to the water. He began his career in yacht engineering shortly after his discharge from the USCG. He loves and appreciates the time he spends sailing the seas and visiting new destinations. As Chief Engineer, he is responsible for ensuring that the vessel is in prime condition and operating smoothly.

Chef | Emmanuel Vasquez | American
Growing up in Los Angeles and spending his youth in San Francisco, Chef Vasquez experienced varied, amazing foods and cultures. This inspired him to seek any cooking positions available to gain as much culinary knowledge and practice as possible. After several years of cooking in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Chef Vasquez set his sights on Europe, with his first stop in Berlin, Germany, where he would go to nourish his culinary hunger. Chef Vasquez ended up studying German food and the German language along with European cuisine. The study of languages and new food cultures soon became his goal as he established his culinary career. This drew him to Montréal, Québec. Its beauty and combination of old and new world cuisines was a dream for this European-trained Mexican American chef. There, he studied the French language and refined his culinary training under French heavyweight Chefs in the finest restaurants Quebec had to offer.

Next, Chef Vasquez decided to expand his knowledge of Asian food and tropical ingredients. He traveled to Australia where he trained in Asian and local cuisine. In his over 16 years of cooking and traveling Chef Vasquez has perfected his craft and acquired world-class knowledge of multiple cuisines, cultures, dietary restrictions, and gastronomic delights. Through all this, his passion and life experiences are exemplified through his craft.