SAGITTARIUS Privatyacht

MATE ILONA FRICOVA:
Ilona grew up in an idyllic setting, in a storybook Czech village surrounded by woods. The family’s daily routine included caring for lots of animals and tending the garden. They shared a deep love and respect for nature, animals and people. Ilona’s parents had built a canoe, and the family enjoyed most holidays on rivers and lakes. Together they spent time canoeing, camping and fishing. Ilona got her first fishing license when she was just 10 years old, and she has been fishing ever since. Today, she happily shares fishing tips and fish prep and cooking tips with interested charter guests.

Ilona is very energetic. She excels at all types of sports, including tennis and swimming. She modestly mentions that she “collected a few trophies in snow skiing competitions in the Czech mountains”. She is also an avid diver with many certifications including Rescue and Deep Diver, and has achieved Yachtmaster Coastal Certification. She is a very patient instructor with guests of all ages interested in learning to snorkel, or manage the yacht toys. Family charters are her favorite, organizing activities for everyone to spend quality time together.

Four years ago, Ilona began sailing in the Canary Islands and the Balearics. She recognized immediately that yachting is an amazing facet of the hospitality industry. It ignited her passion. She said, “I kept thinking about people who are very busy, a rushed lifestyle with a stressful daily routine. Almost everyone has experienced this. It can be very difficult to slow down, escape from busy work routines. Everyone needs to relax. My goal is to help by providing guests the time and space to relax, to switch off and re-energize. That is the most important part of a good vacation. I take care to do my best for my guests to have fun and create unforgettable memories. And what a pleasure it is to consider this as a job!”

Cristian “Jack” Zoppelletto, nicknamed Jack, grew up with two brothers in a hilly town in the north of Italy. He spent his childhood with family and friends by the sea in coastal Italy fishing and swimming. He went camping in the beautiful Dolomite mountains, climbing in the Alps and enjoyed collecting mushrooms and cooking.

Jack remained in his hometown of Vicenza for 30 years, working as a Chef and as a restaurant owner, until accepting a position and moving to beautiful Lake Garda. Later he enjoyed prestigious positions as a chef, partner, owner and culinary instructor in Courmayeur, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Barcelona. He attended the Instituto Technico and further expanded his expertise with professional cooking classes, a sommelier and finger food course. While in Barcelona, he organised and taught Italian cooking courses.

Jack says, “I started as a yacht chef in 2014 because I love the sea and the Caribbean atmosphere, culture and very interesting local lifestyle. Plus, fishing, and preparing fish, is a favourite pastime. I find wonderful, fresh products in the markets too, especially fish. I like cooking all international dishes, but, being Italian, I specialise in Mediterranean recipes. Guests are very excited with my typical Italian cuisine.” In fact, guests tend to rave about everything Jack sets on the table.