Gibraltar ‘Could Be the Next Monaco’ with New STCW-95 Course

Gibraltar’s Allabroad Sailing Academy, based in Ocean Village, has recently earned MCA (UK Maritime Coastguard Agency) Approval to offer STCW-95 Basic Safety Training Courses. 

The STCW 95 (Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping) training course is the basic entry level qualification for working at sea.

“This is the “big one” for us,” said Clare Kuszyk, Allabroad’s Course Manager. “We’ve had many Government departments supporting us and willing us on and the result is an official approval that will mean a great deal to both Ocean Village Marina, our base, and Gibraltar as a whole. 

“The STCW-95 Training Centre will give superyacht crews and captains a clear-cut reason to stop-off in Gibraltar and make it a destination for crew changes and training.”

The STCW-95 sets minimum safety guidelines that all registered yachts and ships must follow. The course includes Elementary First Aid and CPR, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Personal Survival Techniques and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility.

“We can cover the entire course in five days or crew can take components one by one if preferred,” said Kuszyk.

“Disasters such as the recent sinking of Yogi, a 60.2m superyacht that met her demise off the shores of Greece in February, are a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining training standards.”

The news follows seven years and significant financial investment by the Allabroad Sailing Academy.

Clare Kuszyk hopes that the course’s introduction will boost the popularity of the STCW-95 qualification in Gibraltar – and also heighten the country’s status in the international yachting community.

“With the next nearest providers of STCW-95 being the UK, Mallorca or Antibes in France, Gibraltar will become more attractive for superyachts overnight.”

Kuszyk predicts that Gibraltar “could easily become the next Monaco, the place to be if you want to succeed and shine in the maritime industry.”