Thanks
for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

7 years ago, the day after the Monaco boat show, my
family received a call saying there had been a boat crash the previous evening and my amazing cousin William, who was Bosun on super yacht Burrasca was missing presumed dead. Many friends at the time wanted to help and raise money in his name but it has taken this long to think clearly about being able to do this. We are now doing something positive in his name within the sailing industry he loved so much.

In Will’s memory we are setting up a bursary scheme that allows other young people to realise their dreams like Will did. These young people will have a desire to work in the maritime industry but don’t quite have enough funds to make their dream come true. Bursaries will be given to young people looking to follow a professional training route into yachting, engineering, hospitality or watersports.

We will work with UKSA to award the bursaries to individuals so we will
know who they are and where they have come from, and once beneficiaries are in employment and can afford to, they will pay back into the scheme on a realistic and achievable repayment schedule. This will allow more people to benefit from the money we are raising in Will’s memory.

 A way for his name to live on and give back to the industry he loved.

On anther note there were so many factors around  his accident we were horrified by, and now feel we have to address. As well as doing something positive in his name for the sailing industry we are actively,
separately to this fundraising, also raising awareness about the lack of care for crew life, how that is unacceptable and how safety for crew on board super yachts is an important ongoing issue. we feel there in no one governing body who is accountable for all the different flag ship states around the world and this must change. we have started talking to journalists and also started meeting other families who sadly are in similar situations to us - together our voices are stronger. 

Will's accident- The day after my family were told about his disappearance (after they had called the captain) they found out that
the boat had already left Monaco, after dumping his belongings with local police. My family were flying out to Monaco on the Tuesday, which meant they never even saw the boat he was working on, or met with the Captain or crew he worked with, in fact they never heard from them again. The boat was taken out of European waters by the owners so they couldn't be held accountable for anything to do with the accident, and subsequently put up for sale a month later. We later found out none of the crew were insured by the boat, as if none of the crews' lives mattered and that the death of William was an inconvenience. We know we can't hope to battle with billionaire Russians who could drag a court case out over years. But, after hearing about similar horrific accidents that could possibly have been avoided by stricter marine laws and talking to their families, we want to join with them and raise awareness about the fact that the lack of care for human life is not acceptable
and needs to change.

Williams accident, after hearing the inquest results, seems to us to have been a case of him driving the tender (small boat) on his own back out to the large yacht, which was just outside of the harbour. We suspect a swell from another tender in front of him that was going fast (this was seen on cctv) probably knocked him off the boat and he fell into the water, either knocking himself unconscious or breaking his neck as he entered the water. Either way it would have been instantaneous. The boat then kept going and crashed into a moored boat. However the fact there was no life jacket being worn and the kill chord switch had been disabled (under order of the boat possibly to save time- the kill chord stops the boat if the driver takes his hand off the wheel) meant the
divers searching for William at the point of the crash site never found his
body. If a life jacket had been worn then worst case we would have been able to find his body and have the chance to bring him home and bury him and, best case scenario, if he had only been knocked unconscious we'd still have him with us. 

Either way safety of crew is such an important issue and one which we can't let go. 

Those who knew William's huge personality and love
of life know how devastated this left us all - here's to doing something
wonderful in his name. please use  #willbiggestheartwidestsmile
#crewWILLBsafe

Thanks again so so much.