CAPTAIN PHILIPPE STRENZE:
Capt. Philippe is married with 2 children. He grew up in a small village near Paris, along with two brothers with interests in motorbikes and mechanics, and having the adventure spirit took up sailing at the age of 14 along the coastline of Normandy. He soon realized he wanted to make a career in the yachting world, so studied to obtain a diploma in Business Studies and Boat Mechanics at his local Technical High School and learned to Scuba Dive in his free time.

Philippe's career has spread over 30 years and he has sailed on charter yachts and also for private owners in the Caribbean, Pacific, Central America, USA, and also 20 years in the Mediterranean. He’s completed several Transatlantic and Pacific crossings over the years and had the pleasure to work for one shipowner for over 13 years on a 90’ sailing yacht.

He has worked for private owners and charter yachts and included refit works in Fort Lauderdale, USA, and the South of France. He has also been involved in freelance work with delivering yachts to various Yacht Shows in the Mediterranean each year, such as Cannes, Palma, and Barcelona.

He fondly remembers spending 1999 on a charter sailing yacht in the Tahiti and Society Islands Marquises, as well as the Tuamotus Archipelago, part of the world that most of us only get to dream about.

Philippe loves to travel extensively and has great memories of driving his car from the East Coast to the West Coast of Africa to add to his travel bucket list. He especially loved diving in the Pacific Ocean. Other countries that he has a special fondness for is Croatia in the Med, and Los Roques and Belize in the Caribbean.

In Philippe’s spare time he loves to spend time with his two sons either trekking in the countryside or playing basketball at home. He also loves to tour on his VTT (all-terrain Mountain bike) which helps him to keep fit at the same time as spending time in the mountains and the countryside in France.

Philippe enjoys meeting new guests on charter to learn about their lives and to share notes on travels and places to visit and things to do – he really likes the sharing of friendship and stories of life experiences on charter.


CHEF/HOSTESS LILY SHELLEN:
My name is Lily, I was born on a gentleman farm in Canada, where I spent the 3 first years of my life between my Canadian father, french mother, and older brother. Then I moved with my mother and brother to the south of France in a country house in the hinterland of Nice. I had a happy childhood with many outdoor activities (mountain hiking, running, horse riding, kart, sailing) also did 8 years of theater, and traveled the world backpacking with my family.

I am a very active person and still spend my free time backpacking around the world, with friends or on my own for a few months at a time, discovering different cultures, hiking, living with the inhabitants, hitchhiking, and sleeping in the wilderness.

I attended a 3-year college hospitality education, on cooking and silver service and started working as a waitress in trendy restaurants on the french riviera and Corsica at 16.

My mother was a hospitality, English, and stcw 95 trainer at the merchant marine school in Nice and I naturally was attracted by the yachting industry. I obtained my stcw 95 at 18, and worked on yachts ever since as a chief/stew/deckhand, mostly on sailing yachts.

I enjoy cooking healthy Mediterranean food (fish, vegetables) and love to organize fishing activities with the guests, and make sure that their needs are fulfilled. Most guests actually enjoy the light, healthy and tasty food I cook. I am very much at ease with silver service, for owners as well as charter guests.

I have the reputation to be very sociable, friendly, bubbly, smiley, and generous.

I make a point to please people and give my very best and every task on board,


Philippe and Lily look forward to meeting you on Lady M to share sailing in the Caribbean waters, quality time, and some excellent cuisine.