>Meet the Crew
The team on board
Passionate, experienced, dedicated and downright salt-of-the-sea people, the instructors at 2 Oceans Maritime Academy sailing school add a variety of knowledge and skills to the mix. This means that our graduates not only leave the Academy with all the relevant theory that they need, but with invaluable practical know-how too.
Sean Cumming: The Principal | Director
Sean Cumming is an RYA certified Sail and Power Yachtmaster Instructor / Examiner. He is also a qualified teacher and has over 12 years worth of experience in instruction, racing and working in the industry professionally. Sean is fully involved in all aspects of training at 2 Oceans Maritime Academy ensuring standards match the industries highest. This determinations is then passed onto his staff, instructors and students.
Hilary Ackermann: The Operations Manager
The thrill of the ocean and the love of travel first lured Hilary Ackermann into the exciting world of sailing. 17 Years on and she is still working in the industry. Friendly nature aside, Hilary’s varied experience makes her a highly efficient and invaluable operations manager. She has formal training in office management and PR, has successfully completed the lion’s share of the 2 Oceans Maritime Academy’s sailing courses, has worked in the charter industry and delivered sailing boats the world over. Hilary loves nothing more than seeing students grow in confidence and skill.
David Savage: The Traveller
David is a prime example of how sailing really opens up the world of travel. He has over 50 000 nautical miles (accumulated in the past four years of his professional sailing career) under his sailor’s belt, which includes five Atlantic Ocean crossings and a Pacific and Indian Ocean crossing respectively. He has also sailed in and across the East and South China Sea, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean not to mention dropping anchor in various ports on five continents and countless islands. And naturally no crossing would be complete without sailing through some of the busiest waterways in the world, including the Panama Canal, the Straits of Gibraltar, the Singapore Straits, the Straits of Malacca and the Taiwan Straits. What floats his boat? Dave is a passionate man of the ocean and for him – teaching is his way of sharing his experiences, life lessons and love of the sea with others.
Tavish McKenzie: The Builder
Tavish McKenzie got into sailing on the Vaal dam at the age of 13 where he cut his teeth on a stad23 and small dinghy’s before racing in an L26 fleet both locally and nationally. But it was only once he’d completed a transatlantic delivery to Annapolis at the age of 20, that the open seas really beckoned and Tavish spent the next few years working at numerous Cape Town based tour and charter companies, completing deliveries from Cape Town to Durban and Mozambique and spending time in Norway restoring yachts (he’s worked on La Poste and New Zealand Endeavour – the maxi Whitbread race boats from the 90′s). He also put in the hours in yards in Italy where he refitted Perrini Navi super yachts. More exotic destinations and jobs followed before Tavish returned to the Mother City and completed his Yachtmaster’s certificate. In addition to lecturing at the 2 Oceans Maritime Academy he refits sailing boats on the side.
Dale Smyth: The Thinker
Given that Dale Smyth started sailing almost before he could walk, it’s hardly surprising that he grew up to be passionate about the sport. At the age of 16 he hit the high seas and did part time work in the local charter industry before moving on to full time deliveries. A bit of global travel followed before Dale settled down to study commercially and achieved his OOW (Officer of the Watch) on chemical tankers. But it was the smaller yachts that stole his heart and he used a 46-foot catamaran from which to operate a medical clinic in Mozambique. It was then that Dale also got involved with a boat builder and together they built a strip plank mono hull. Using the knowledge gained, he went on to craft a boat of his own. It was during this time that Dale also started sail training and discovered a true passion for sharing his love for sailing.
Greg Hunt: The Racer
Raised in the landlocked city of Johannesburg, Greg Hunt spent every waking moment sailing on the Vaal Dam. From a very young age he crewed in numerous regattas and shortly after blowing out sixteen candles on his birthday cake, he set off to experience the world. After a few stints here and there, his life really changed tack at Palma, Majorca. Not knowing a soul, Greg walked the docks in search of work and before long he was racing yachts all over the Mediterranean. He fast earned himself a reputation as being a unique and valued asset to any crew and has competed in the oceans off Croatia, Finland, America and the Caribbean. Greg has also had the pleasure of sailing some of the most impressive and elite yachts in the world, in addition to winning regattas such as the Rolex Maxi World Championship in Sardinia and the King’s Cup in Spain. But now that he has returned home to South Africa Greg is proud to be passing on his skills (and impressive tales) to the students of 2 Oceans Maritime Academy.
