REACH

Captain: David Stanley

Nationality: South African

MEET THE CREW:
Captain: David Stanley
Chef/First Mate: Naomi Timms

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, David developed an insatiable taste for travel and the ocean. Growing up over a large variety of locations, he managed to explore various different parts of his home country, discovering quickly that each place has its own unique magic, culture and people. He always managed to find himself back in Cape Town for large portions of the year, spending time snorkeling, swimming and enjoying the South African coast.

At the age of 14, David traveled to Mauritius for his first overseas trip and spent weeks on the water learning about water-skiing, marine wildlife and power boats. This prompted a further desire to see the world and travel. A few years later, having worked as a cocktail bartender for some time, he moved to the UK to hone his craft, finding work in one of London’s oldest pubs and learning from some incredible “sipsmiths”. He’s a classic cocktail fanatic and never turns down the opportunity to create something new and fun.

In 2019, David packed up all his belongings, sold his car and decided that the sea was his home. He began sailing commercially in Croatia and Greece for the flotilla company “The Yacht Week”, learning plenty from the yachts and the many guests he’s worked with. Creating many connections and friends along the way.

A fun-loving, free-spirited young man, David always enjoys sparking up a conversation and showing his peers/guests the ropes of sailing.

Naomi grew up in the UK and has enjoyed cooking from a young age. She fell in love with baking when she was young and ever since has taken pride in baking sweet treats for friends and family’s birthdays and events. She would also find great joy in creating beautiful spreads at any opportunity and loves hosting dinner parties with friends. Her dream has always been to travel the world, and to have the opportunity to meet new people and learn about their cultures.
She studied Environmental Science at university and is passionate about marine conservation and ecology. Her love for sailing sparked when she took part in a marine conservation expedition aboard a tall ship. During this trip she learned classic sailing techniques and worked with professionals to learn about the conservation of marine wildlife.
Naomi has worked in the hospitality for the past 8 years, she has worked in fine dining restaurants, cocktail bars, and catered for events and weddings. She decided that cooking on yachts was a perfect mixture of the two things she loves doing the most – which is when she decided to leave her hospitality job at home to work as a chef for a large flotilla company in the Mediterranean. She has worked on sailing yachts in Croatia, Greece, Antigua, and the BVI’s.
In her free time, Naomi loves exploring, hiking, surfing and paddleboarding.
She is passionate about cooking fresh, sustainable, and wholesome food created with seasonal ingredients – and loves catering for the specific needs of the group that she is working with, to ensure they have the best experience possible.

David and Naomi are eager to welcome you aboard REACH and give you the most memorable vacation experience ever in the Virgin Islands.