RYA 150 Podcast
Join sailing legend Dee Caffari MBE for a very special podcast series celebrating 150 years of the RYA.
Incredible stories from one remarkable community and a century and a half of adventure on the water.
From Olympic triumphs to the 1979 Fastnet storm that changed sailing forever.
From pioneering women breaking barriers to the cutting-edge technology shaping our future.
We'll be chatting to the people who lived these moments, sharing first-hand accounts, behind-the-scenes insights and stories that have inspired generations.
The RYA 150 Podcast launches Tuesday 16 September – with new episodes every week.
Subscribe now, and celebrate 150 years of boating with us.
RYA 150 Podcast
From Superyachts to Super Starts
#podcast #sailing #boating #superyacht #olympicsailing
Not everyone’s career starts with a plan. For some, it begins with a leap — a decision to swap the predictable for the possible.
In this RYA 150 podcast episode, Dee Caffari meets three people whose working lives were transformed by the sea. From the luxury decks of superyachts, to beach club instructing, to the high performance world of Olympic coaching, their stories reveal how sailing can open doors you might not have thought existed.
Liberty Nogueira left a steady London job and the security of the nine-to-five to chase adventure at sea. With few industry contacts and only determination to go on, she worked her way into the superyacht world to became a bosun — learning fast, grafting hard, and eventually travelling the globe. Now she’s turned that experience into something bigger, guiding others into the yachting industry through her mentoring platform and online community.
Gemma Hulbert took a different route, joining her first yacht at just 18. What began as a junior stewardess role became a decade-long career that took her across oceans and into leadership. Today, she runs her own recruitment company and training academy, helping new crew find their footing and raising professional standards across the industry.
And then there’s Sam Ross, whose own start came closer to home — on the beach at an RYA training centre. What began as a summer job as a watersports instructor became a lifelong vocation. Now one of Britain’s leading windsurfing coaches, Sam has guided Emma Wilson to Olympic bronze and a world title, and helped mentor the next generation of RYA instructors and coaches.
From Antarctic expeditions and overnight deck watches, to Olympic campaigns and life-changing friendships, this episode is an inspiring look at some of the many ways people build incredible, unconventional careers on and around the water.
Please note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this podcast, whether by guests or host are solely those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of any employers, sponsors, or affiliated organisations. All content is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, medical, or financial advice. Neither the host, guests, producers, nor any affiliated parties assume responsibility or liability for any actions taken based on the information discussed.