Stanley Benngard is currently the Captain on a large yacht based in the UAE.
Stanley graduated as a Master Mariner with Honors from Kalmar Maritime Academy at Linneaus University in Sweden and was the first of his class to obtain an unlimited license. Since graduation he has worked in both the commercial arena as well as the yachting industry. His first position onboard a yacht was in 2004 as second officer during the build of MY QUEEN M at Lurssen. He then returned to the same shipyard to the build project of MY AIR (now MY ICE) as Chief Officer, after which he joined MY MUSTIQUE and then gained his first captaincy in 2007 aboard MY KATRION, followed by MY ZITA. Prior to taking command over his present yacht, Stanley was shore-based for 2 years as Fleet Manager / Fleet Development Manager for YPI in Monaco.
Stanley is a sociable character so being part of a team is in his nature and he strives to create a professional and fulfilling environment for his crew, believing that everyone’s contribution is vital to the smooth running of a yacht and their motivation is paramount to success. He is full of energy and loves all sports, partaking in as many outside activities as he can, whist also encouraging his crew to do the same. He became a dive instructor at the age of 19 which took him to the South China Sea where he was employed to retrieve and recover archaeological artefacts from sunken ships and still dives recreationally, as well as kite-surfing, golf and his most recent challenge as a competitive triathlete. He also obtained his private pilots license and flies light aircraft for pleasure when time allows.
Before yachting Stanley had worked mostly onboard oil tankers in the North Sea, on the West Coast of Africa and in the Gulf of Mexico. Working through all officer ranks in both commercial and pleasure industries, as well as his time as Fleet Manager has given Stanely a great insight into the dynamics of operations at sea and has helped him establish what it takes to run a well-ordered vessel, both in terms of safety and efficiency as well as the well-being of crew and guests. As a captain, Stanley prioritises the importance of crew welfare, retention, continuity and training and hopefully, this nomination goes to show that he is on the right track.
