Former Cruise ship and Superyacht Captain, Sailboat Owner
International with office in Germany and UK
Richard Bridge is a super yacht consultant with over 20 years of command experience in both luxury cruise and super yacht sectors. A former cruise ship and superyacht Captain, he has consulted on several yacht and superyacht cases for legal firms.
Richard joined the British Merchant Navy after leaving school at 17, working on a variety of cargo ships as a cadet and junior officer before taking a position as navigator on a sail training ship. Progressing to passenger ships in 1991 he attained his Class 1 Master Mariner’s certificate in 1993 before sailing as Senior First Officer on Cunard’s QE2. Combining his experience of sailing and passenger ships he joined Windstar Cruises in 1997 and gained his first command at the age of 35 on the company’s MSY Wind Song.
Richard has expertise in super yachts including unlimited tonnage certification, Richard secured his first position on a superyacht taking command of the 126m MY “Octopus” for the final stages of the build.
He has commanded some of the largest and most elite superyachts launched over the past 15 years (115m “Pelorus”, 162m “Eclipse”, 96m “Vava II”, 138m “Rising Sun”). He worked with helicopters, private jets and submersibles, as well as organising and overseeing operations at major events with VIP guests together with managing and motivating from 14 to 115 multi-national crew members.
Expertise includes
• Providing technical analysis and opinion which will assist a court in the event of a yacht casualty
• Yacht management
• Opertational audits, working with industry professionals to provide a thorough review of vessel deck, engine, interior and financial operation
• Representing Owner’s interest for the build, operational management and refit of their superyacht
• New build project; working with industry professionals to manage the new build process to delivery, commissioning and sea-trials
• Refit their superyacht; working with industry professionals to manage the refit process to re-delivery and sea-trials
During his time on superyachts he has explored the Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Australasia, South Pacific, Alaska, Patagonia and Antarctica as well as the more usual yachting destinations in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. In 2004 he coordinated and executed the project to find and film the wreck of a WW2 aircraft carrier at a depth of 1000m in the Mediterranean Sea.
Class 1 Unlimited Foreign Going Master
BWA