FRANCIE - Sexual assault, violation of labor laws... On the decks of superyachts owned by the ultra-rich, crews are subjected to all sorts of abuse. Every summer, three thousand large yachts sail through the Mediterranean Sea, rented or used by their wealthy owners. It is a real industry where crews live and work for months in confined spaces. More than any other sector in the maritime industry, luxury yachting creates conditions that contribute to harassment and violations of labor law.
Emma suddenly became much less competent when she refused the captain's advances, with whom she was forced to share a cabin. She was forcibly removed from the yacht onto a pier in Martinique, alone, 5,000 kilometers from home. Jessica had the misfortune of baking a heart-shaped cake on board: the owner's wife became furiously angry and she was immediately taken off the yacht without warning. She counts on her fingers: in seven years of work, she has been the victim of two attempted assaults by captains, two attempted assaults by crew members, and one attempted rape by the owner.
Radio Ponton broadcasts similar stories every day, because, according to a former flight attendant, the superyacht industry is like "piracy at all levels." For example, a young sailor who injured his hand on a charter yacht in Antibes was not covered by insurance. The captain, a New Zealander, who, as is often the case, entered France on a tourist visa, nevertheless asked him to return to work and watch over the deck.
In total of 39% of crew members report unwanted physical contact. Every summer, three thousand superyachts travel between Greece, Sardinia, the French Riviera, and the Balearic Islands. Several dozen crew members live and work continuously on board the largest superyachts, for entire months, serving a select group of wealthy guests. The crew of a superyacht typically ranges from 9 to 12 people on a 50-meter boat to more than 30 people on a megayacht exceeding 100 meters, with a standard ratio of one crew member per guest.
humanité.fr / gnews.cz