Ruby Rules The Waves Her Super Sea Change

Superyacht Veteran Ruby Needham (29) Is a Concierge for a Gourmet Sailing Company

- Julie Jacobson

I grew up around boats, initially in the Coromandel, where I went to primary school, and then in Nelson after my parents bought a travel agency there.

I’m a qualified early childhood teacher and have a UK diploma in teaching and a national nanny certificate. I did two years of full-time teaching and decided I couldn’t handle the paperwork. I loved the kids and I loved teaching, but I was young and it felt like a massive responsibility.

I heard about superyachting through a couple of friends and decided to do my STCW [Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers], which you need if you’re working on any type of boat. It teaches basic first aid, firefighting and survival skills.

I went home and told my parents I was going to be a firefighter. Mum and Dad were like, ‘Ruby, you need to calm down.’ I thought, ‘Okay, I’d better not be a firefighter. I’m going to fly to France and go dock walking – so go to where the big yachts are and hand out my CV.’ My parents thought I was mad.

I arrived in France on a Sunday. Nothing was open, I couldn’t understand a thing. I thought, ‘What have I done?’ I didn’t know anything about being a stewardess, which was the job I was going for, but on the fourth day, I was walking past this yacht and asked the crew, who were unloading a truckload of provisions, if they needed a hand.