The summer of 2014 sounds idyllic when you hear of all the placesMatthew Hawkinstravelled to. He spent the whole season working on a 49m motor yacht and spent the summer sailing around Italy, France, Ibiza, Corsica, Sardinia and Malta.
At 19 the UKSA superyacht cadet is enjoying his work far more than if he had gone to university – he knew he would rather do something more practical and more suited to him.
He explained: “I saw UKSA as an alternative route and my parents had a 38ft motorboat so sailing as a career was perfect for me. A lot of my friends are at uni but I feel like I am out there living, this is enough studying for me, combining it with work phases. And I’m earning. I hope to save up and get on the property ladder, that’s one of my aims. University is not for everyone.”
Matthew is back working in the industry following his Phase Three training at UKSA over the winter.