Your dedicated crew are at the heart of your Touch adventure. Seven highly trained, engaging professionals delivering six star service and creating unforgettable experiences for you and your party every day.
Kent Kohlberger
Captain
Nationality: American/Canadian
Languages: English
Yachting since: 1996
Kent was born in raised on the wind blown shores of Lake Ontario. Kent got his love for travel and adventure from a young age. Lighting that fire was an amazing spontaneous station wagon road trip across the Canada with his mother and 4 brothers, all sleeping in the wagon.
Kent travel passion has taken him to 27 countries; including living in 3 continents and 5 countries, before running large motor yachts in Ft Lauderdale 25 years ago.
Fun Facts:
• Was a diving instructor/captain on Great Barrier Reef for 4 years
• Was a Hard Hat Commercial Diver-higher rating – North Sea Level 1-Unrestricted West Coast of Canada
• Built a shuttle bus conversion and travelled the USA for 6 months this year.
John Benítez
Chief Engineer
Nationality: Colombian
Languages: English & Spanish
Yachting since: 2020
Fun Facts:
World traveler, worked in China, Dubai, the Caribbean, North & South America.
His passions are running, climbing and soccer (playing and watching).
He can often be found using the local gym and keeping his body balanced and fine tuned.
Zeljko IIijevski
First Mate
Nationality: Serbian
Languages: English, Serbian, German
Yachting since: 2013
Fun Facts:
Zee has cruised around entire continents over his luxury cruise career before joining yachting. He’s the fitness guru on board TOUCH who also loves watching European football.
Tonia Bradford
Chief Stewardess
Nationality: South African
Languages: English, Afrikaans
Yachting since: 2016
Fun Facts:
Born and raised in Cape Town, at a young age had an urge to travel where she moved to London and stayed for 3 years. This is where she discovered a passion for people and hospitality. After returning home, Tonia ran a very busy, successful restaurant in Cape Town. Very much a homebody, Tonia enjoys cooking, entertaining and gardening. Still feeling the need for travel she decided to make a change to the yachting industry. And since then has found herself in the Mediterranean, Europe, USA, Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Tonia believes everything happens for a reason and every new day is seen as a new adventure.
Cherain Loots
2nd Stewardess
Nationality: South African
Languages: English
Fun Facts:
Having lived in beautiful South Africa, Cherain grew to love the outdoors from an early age living close to the ocean and nature. Always being an adventurous girl, so after completing school, she joined the service industry which sparked an inner flame.
Soon becoming an experienced restaurant manageress this passion continued for service and customer relations.
Then joining forces with her mother they opened their specialized catering company, creating magic for private and intimate dinners as well as large group events. No request being too big or too small.
Cherain then decided to be more adventurous and explore what the service industry offered, so finding herself working on a yacht in France, which further opened her mind to the endless possibilities of service for her onboard guests.
Being able to work in such picturesque locations and offering such high levels of service seemed like a dream come true. This further Inspired Cherain to be more creative and more driven to make the best of what this wonderful yachting industry has to offer.
Cherain plans to continue yoga training in Bali, hot air ballooning in Turkey, diving in Madagascar and much more!
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Matthew Wood
Deckhand
Nationality: British
Languages: English
Yachting since: More than seven years
Fun Facts:
Our Deckhand Matt comes from a small town called Nantwich in the Cheshire countryside of the UK. He has been working within the yachting industry for over seven years now, Sailing all over the Mediterranean and Caribbean.
During his career within the industry, Matthew fell in love with photography and videography which has lead him to set up a successful business allowing him to travel all over the world to shoot for clients.
In the past year, Matt has also built his own camper van which he lived in for a couple of months while travelling to most states within the U.S and visiting some of the wonderful national parks the country has to offer.
Safe to say Matt loves the outdoors and a good adventure!