AD ASTRA 5.4

Captain: Evanne Soeten

Evanne grew up in the Netherlands, near the water where she cruised the beautiful Dutch channels with her parents from a young age. Exploring coastal cities, islands, sailing, and water sports have been a big part of her life since she was young, making her happy and fostering her passion for the sea and everything related to it.

After graduating from International Hospitality Studies & Entrepreneurship, she jumped into the restaurant industry, working as a hostess, barista, and mixologist. Her passion for wine led her to the Wine Academy in Amsterdam, where she completed the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust. Over the next few years, she worked as a sommelier at various Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands and Denmark, including Geranium, the World's Best Restaurant of 2022.

Evanne's love for the sea never faded, so she specialized in sailing and earned her RYA Yacht Master Offshore in South Africa. She gained valuable experience working with the Yacht Week in Croatia and Greece. During this time, she and her partner Stijn discovered the yachting industry and realized they wanted to turn their shared hobbies and passions into a profession. Evanne decided to leave her job as a sommelier to pursue her dreams in the STRA yachting industry as a skipper.

CERTIFICATES
• MCA/RYA Yacht Master Offshore Power / Sail (commercially endorsed)
• RYA Powerboat 2 (commercially endorsed)
• RYA VHF Marine Radio / SRC
• Quarterdeck Skipper Academy
• ENG1
• STCW
• Social Hygiene 2
• WSET3


Chef: Stijn Van Der Bruggen

Growing up in the south of the Netherlands, Stijn always had a passion for cooking. Even as a child, he knew that this was what he wanted to do. He started honing his skills early, taking lessons from top chefs and eventually graduating from The Cas Spijkers Academy, one of the best culinary schools in the Netherlands known for its French culinary techniques.

After graduation, Stijn dove straight into the world of Michelin-starred restaurants, refining his craft across the Netherlands. His culinary journey didn't stop there, though. He ventured to Norway and Denmark, embracing Nordic cuisine and rising to a leading position at a restaurant in Denmark.

But cooking wasn't Stijn's only love—he had a strong sense of adventure too. He traveled across Asia for a year, constantly seeking new experiences and flavors. Stijn's adventures eventually led him to the Mediterranean, where he completed his first yachting season. Inspired by the experience, he decided to pursue private cooking in the British Virgin Islands. There, he cooked on estates and private islands like Necker Island and Moskito Island.

After another season in the Mediterranean, Stin is excited to return to the Virgin Islands, T'RA ready to continue his culinary journey on the water.

CERTIFICATES
• Cas Spikers Culinary Academy
• Quarterdeck Host Academy
• ENG1
• STCW
• Social Hygiene 2