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12 December 2025
Our students talk about us
Stéphane completed the Master 200 GT Captain training course offered by The Yachter.
A long-time sailor and business leader within a large industrial group, he chose to structure and deepen his experience at sea by embarking on a career as a professional captain, with the aim of strengthening his skills and legitimacy on board.
Today, he shares with us his journey, his motivations and his feedback on the training course.
Stéphane’s testimonial
The Yachter : “What was your background as a sailor before training with The Yachter? “
Stéphane: “My sailing experience can be summed up as regular use of boats since childhood. At a very young age, I used my father’s boat, first sailing with him and under his supervision from the age of 7, then going out alone or with friends between the ages of 15 and 27. I also trained as a scuba diver until I became a certified instructor, which also led me to make numerous trips out to sea, including taking care of the boat myself.
I bought my first personal boat when I was around 30 years old, a 5.5 m HUMBER RIB, which I kept for 7 years, then a second boat, a 7 m SEADOO twin-engine, which I kept for 6 years. Both boats were mainly used during the summer season.
When I was able to free up a little more time thanks to a slightly different professional organisation, I bought a bigger boat, a 32-foot SEA RAY Sundancer, which could stay in the water for six months and therefore allowed me to enjoy the sea and sailing more often throughout the year, not just in July and August. I kept it for six years before selling it to buy a much larger and fully habitable boat – a PRINCESS S62.
That’s when I felt the need to take my qualifications beyond a simple offshore licence, without actually taking the plunge.
With this new boat, I discovered life on board and the ability to travel whatever the season.”
The Yachter: ‘What training did you do at The Yachter?’
Stéphane: “I wanted to obtain a professional captain’s licence and, ideally, the goal was to become a 500 GT Captain, as this would give me the right to sail 200 miles from the coast and therefore cover the entire Mediterranean. However, to obtain the 500 GT licence, you first have to obtain the 200 GT licence, which is what I did: I obtained it in November 2025. I have since enrolled to continue and enhance my training with the 500 GT licence.”
The Yachter: ‘What motivated your desire/need to take the Captain 200 training course at The Yachter?’
Stéphane: “As I mentioned earlier, I felt the need to progress and strengthen my knowledge, but I didn’t really know how, what qualification to pursue, or with whom or which organisation. Furthermore, as I was working, I needed to find a course that could be done mostly online.
Quite by chance, I heard about The Yachter, so I got in touch with them. The Yachter method helped me clarify the training process, which at first glance can seem like a real obstacle course. Thanks to their clear and straightforward educational support, I was guided from start to finish. This allowed me to focus on my learning.
However, once the path has been clarified and the decision made, all that remains is to tackle the challenges one after the other in chronological order, and each victory brings real satisfaction.”
The Yachter: ‘What did you enjoy most about your training at The Yachter?’
Stéphane: “The online training material was very interesting and it was also my first contact with the training programme. I received excellent support in setting up the parameters and was able to work at my own pace, and above all according to my availability, to progress through the programme.
The theory revision course, which lasted one week and was held in person, allowed me to encounter, through examples and exercises, all possible error situations, which helped me greatly in passing the theory test in particular.
I appreciated the chronology of the tests and was able to personally measure, as I went along, the improvement in my knowledge, which was essential for gaining the confidence needed to deal with the unexpected and unforeseen events.”
The Yachter: “What would be the most important thing for you to recommend The Yachter to other sailors like yourself?“
Stéphane: “Even though, for most everyday outings, it is not necessarily essential to have a comprehensive knowledge of the programme, I believe that it is vital to have significant theoretical and practical training in order to deal with any situation that may arise calmly and confidently. You need to know and practise in order to anticipate, and that’s the best way to ensure the safety of your passengers, the vessel and, of course, yourself. What’s more, thanks to The Yachter, I’ve obtained a professional licence that allows me, among other things, to operate under the French flag.”
Thanks to Stéphane for sharing his story!
Are you a boat owner and want to comply with maritime regulations? Or perhaps you dream of becoming a professional skipper and working in yachting?
Whatever your ambition, The Yachter will help you achieve success!
Thanks to The Yachter’s e-learning courses to become a skipper, you can obtain a professional STCW certificate recognised by French and international authorities, while managing your own schedule.
Discover our Master’s degree programmes 200 GT, 500 GT and 500 GT Unlimited captains’ exams.
