Benjamin Rushton - Captain

Having grown up farming in New Zealand's Wairarapa region, at the age of 11, Ben left with his parents and younger sister for a 6-year circumnavigation sparking his true passion for sailing.

Growing up around the water afforded Ben the opportunity to become a confident and well-established sailor from a very young age.

After completing a Business Degree at University, Benjamin left New Zealand for Palma to begin his Super Yachting Career. He has worked on several high profile cruising, racing and charter yachts between the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Benjamin is a young energetic and confident Captain who is happy to share his experience and teach others the joys of sailing.

He has been working together with his partner Katie for the past three years and together they provide a happy and enthusiastic dynamic to the team.

Charlie Connor - First Mate

Charlie is from Tasmania in Australia. Charlie started sailing at both a national and international level from the age of 7. He went on to have major successes in Optimists, International Cadets, Team Racing and Foiling Moths, winning major titles in these classes. During his time at school he qualified a sailing instructor, and thoroughly enjoyed teaching children aged from 6-18 how to sail.

When Charlie finished school, he decided to turn his passion into his career by leaving home and crossing the world to complete a 2016 Summer Season in the Mediterranean.

He has a real love for sailing, everything it encompasses and is a proud member of Ptarmigan's crew.

In his spare time Charlie enjoys Sailing, Kite surfing, Wakeboarding and Surfing.

Katie Pool - Chef

Katie is from Devon in the UK and has always had a love for travel. She studied French at Swansea University including a placement teaching English for one year.

After finishing university, Katie worked in the Events industry in London for two years before realizing her real passion was for the Catering & Culinary side of Events. She has spent the last 4 years both stewing and cooking on sailing yachts and has completed 6 weeks of culinary training at Ashburton Cookery School. She specializes in Modern British & Mediterranean style food, sourcing the best ingredients from local producers.

Katie also enjoys exploring new cultures and their gastronomy, and is always keen for Diving, Paddleboarding and improving her Wakeboarding,

Katie joins Ptarmigan as a Chef along with her partner Ben Rushton as Captain.

Shelby Bailey – Stewardess

Shelby is from South Africa, where she grew up in a small town in the east of Johannesburg. After finishing her degree in Fashion in 2013, she decided on a career as a footwear designer. She then completed a footwear course at the London College of Fashion and went home to start her footwear label "S & B Shoes".

To help fund her passion, Shelby turned to the yachting industry looking for new ways to save for her dream atelier shop in the heart of Cape Town. Yachting seemed the perfect fit as her father is a great sailor and she shares his love for both travel and water. Even though she is new to the industry, she has come to love sailing and has become a valuable part of Ptarmigan's team with great attention to detail, creativity and service.

Shelby enjoys hiking, squash, yoga and paddle boarding in her spare time. She also still designs shoes whenever she gets inspiration along her travels.