Captain: Florent Ruiz

Captain Florent Ruiz began his career in the Super Yacht industry over 20 years ago. Initially he was involved in yacht building and refitting and held many other positions, as his skills and responsibilities grew. After two years of living on his own boat in the South of France, Florent decided to make sailing his profession. He began to work on larger sailing yachts and delivering new yachts for several yacht builders. Soon after acquiring my C200 GT license, Florent joined the catamaran S/Y CILIAM for an incredible season in Asia - where we sailed throughout Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

He sailed to Mexico to visit family, and then returned to Europe with a new boat in mind: taking command of the amazing sailboat SAVARONA. After a long, very detailed and extensive refit, Florent is delighted to be sailing again with guests to show them the beauty of the oceans and wonderful charter destinations.

Florent is a welcoming captain and host who always puts security on board as his top priority. In his words: “a positive attitude, discretion and responsibility are the qualities I choose to live by. I make it my goal to ensure that all guests will enjoy a truly great experience aboard S/Y SAVARONA.”

Chef: Odile Burel

Chef Odile Burel started her maritime career in the 1990’s as a journalist reporting & writing about yacht races around the world. She loves sailing & racing & has done many regattas including transatlantic races & classic yacht regattas. She soon obtained qualifications as a CGO deck hand & mate, later as stewardess a& trained as a chef. She is now a fully qualified second captain on SAVARONA with strong technical skills.

Odile’s culinary training includes specialties in Mediterranean cuisine, sea foods, Italian, Indian, Japanese - as well specialties in vegetarian, vegan & special diet cuisines. She loves to source local & seasonal foods & utilize the freshest healthy ingredients and “super foods” & always prefers homemade. Odile prides herself on her creativity and offering guests “a culinary journey of flavor & variety.”

Odile’s other professional qualifications include CFBS, HACCP, Medical 2, Mechanic 250 K, C200 and 200 Sailing. Years of participating in yacht races taught Odile the magic of team-work - she truly enjoys working with crew to create a beautiful & welcoming environment for guests on SAVARONA. Odile’s personal strengths include being very organized, adaptable, & efficient with a keen focus on safety. These skills combined with a warm personality, being a good listener & natural intuition make her an excellent charter yacht chef & hostess! In addition to sailing, cuisine and travel Odile’s interests are yoga, meditation, swimming, & music.

8-24 November 2023 The Grenadines

Dear Captain Florent, Odile and Gaëlle
I wanted to express my thanks for an excellent charter done for my clients and good friends. Captain Florent, First Mate/Chef Odile and Gaëlle were a magnificent crew and my clients much appreciated all of the crew on board.

With great appreciation for a superb trip.

All best regards.
Sincerely,
Mary