SHADES OF GREY

Crew Profile

CAPTAIN: Francesco Testa

Francesco comes from a sea salty family, countless generations of fishermen from the Bay of Naples. Growing up by the sea, a life on the water was inevitable. For over a decade, Francesco has been sailing professionally around the world, delivering yachts and captaining luxury charters across some of the most breathtaking destinations.
Beyond sailing, his passions lie in philosophy, meditation, and martial arts, disciplines that shape his approach to both the sea and life. An avid water sports enthusiast and fisherman, he continues the traditions of his ancestors but now on a global scale. Deeply connected to the ocean, he is also highly sensitive to and respectful of the marine environment, always striving to minimize his impact and protect the waters he calls home.


CHEF: Pablo Canepa Puig

Chef Pablo is a professionally trained culinary expert with 11 years of experience in high-pressure kitchen environments. Known for preparing high quality meals with precision, he skilfully estimates portion sizes, coordinates inventory and maintains strong supplier relationships to source the finest ingredients. His commitment to hygiene, health and safety standards ensures a seamless and compliant operation in every kitchen he manages.
Creative culinary expertise: Combines artistic freedom with technical skill to create exceptional dishes that delight customers.
Operational Efficiency: Implements tight cost controls, organises inventory and optimises food sourcing to drive profitability.
Professional approach:
Chef Pablo views cooking as a powerful form of self-expression and is committed to working tirelessly to build a distinguished career in the culinary world. His innovative approach, coupled with his respect for tradition and local ingredients, ensures that every dish is a unique and memorable experience.
Pablo speaks fluent Spanish and English. He worked as chef in Mexico, Costa Rica, Australia, Uruguay, San Francisco USA, Barcelona Spain and Mallorca. He also learned asian techniques in Bali, Indonesia.


STEWARDESS Mia Van Aswegen:

Mia is passionate, hardworking and able to work efficiently under pressure. She works well with guests and crew members, and she is very patient. She has learnt how to deal with stress, long hours and somewhat difficult people, gracefully and always professionally.
Her strengths include compassion, hardworking, beeing well organised and punctual.
Mia has worked already on Motoryachts, beeing stewardess and cook. She has a very good eye for table setting and decorations, and will make sure the guests feel like being home from the minute they go on board.
Mia holds a Jetski license and also a Powerboat license.
Mia is working on SHADES OF GREY since the launch of the yacht, she was a great part of the successful season in the Mediterranean Summer.


STEWARDESS: Samantha Kothe

Sam is a cheerful and highly motivated stewardess. she started her career at Deutsche Sparkasse, where she worked as a bank consultant and team leader. she then worked as an area manager for a private insurance company. In 2020 she moved to Sardinia, where she started her own business in the field of holiday accommodation and the organisation of excursions and tours.
It was during this time that she discovered her deep love of working at sea and began to work as a deckhand, stewardess and chef.
Her friendly and professional manner makes her a real asset to our crew. With an eye for detail and a feeling for giving the VIP guests on board something special, she is much appreciated by everyone.
She loves sailing, boating, meeting friends, eating out and gymnastics. She holds both an Italian and a German boat licence.
She speaks English, German and Italian.


DECKHAND: Salvatore Di Maio

Born and raised in Castellammare di Stabia, between Naples and Sorrento, Salvatore has spent his life by the sea. He began his nautical career at 18 as a superyacht mooring assistant and has since gained over a decade of experience as a captain and first officer. Passionate about navigation and travel, he brings extensive knowledge and technical expertise to Shade of Grey, ensuring smooth and safe sailing for every journey.