ISYL and TYT join forces to train the yacht chefs of the future with the Yacht Chef Master Programme

A new training opportunity for professional chefs wishing to pursue a career in the yachting industry will be previewed at the Monaco Yacht Show 2026, taking place from 23 to 26 September.

True Yachting Training by NAVIGO, Fondazione ISYL ITS Academy and Love to Italy Academy LLC are launching a new executive programme for chefs who wish to enter or further specialise in the superyacht sector. The programme will be presented at the Monaco Yacht Show on 25 September and will make its debut in Viareggio from 1 to 4 December 2026, with the first edition led by Superyacht Executive Chef Marco Tognon.

The project is the result of a collaboration between True Yachting Training (TYT), the training division of NAVIGO, a service centre for the yachting industry and Europe’s leading business network for companies across the sector, Fondazione ISYL ITS Academy and Love to Italy Academy LLC.

The Yacht Chef Master Programme, conceived by Grace Deagazio, Project Manager of the initiative, has been developed together with Love to Italy Academy LLC, a Miami, Florida-based organisation specialising in the promotion of Italian food culture through masterclasses, training courses and programmes for chefs, sommeliers and hospitality professionals, with a particular focus on Italian ingredients and culinary traditions.

The aim of the partnership is to develop a highly specialised programme capable of providing chefs with the skills required for onboard catering, a constantly growing sector that increasingly requires well-rounded professionals.

“This project responds to a concrete need within the industry. The yachting sector increasingly requires highly skilled professionals who can combine technical, organisational and interpersonal abilities. Through True Yachting Training, we want to make available the wealth of knowledge that NAVIGO has built over more than fifteen years of working alongside companies in the yachting industry,” said Pietro Angelini, General Manager of NAVIGO. “Thanks to the network of the Tuscan yachting district and the relationships developed through YARE, our international event dedicated to captains and industry professionals, we can create training programmes closely connected to the real needs of the market. Our collaboration with Love to Italy Academy represents another step in this direction, bringing together complementary expertise to create new professional opportunities and support the development of a culture of Italian excellence within the yachting world.”

The Yacht Chef Master Programme is an intensive, practical executive course aimed at professional chefs wishing to enter or further develop their careers in the private and charter superyacht sector. The programme prepares participants to work according to the high standards required by international luxury clients, developing key skills such as operational precision, discretion, the ability to work under pressure and personalised attention to guests’ needs.

The programme covers the main areas of the profession: galley organisation and management, onboard food safety, cold-chain management, international provisioning, service planning, the creation of different menus for owners and charter guests, management of last-minute requests, leadership, team coordination, and knowledge of onboard hierarchy and protocols.

Through practical exercises, analysis of real-life situations and a simulated charter service, participants will be prepared to deal with the practical demands of life onboard with reliability, flexibility and professionalism, and to present themselves effectively to captains, yacht managers and recruitment agencies.

The programme will be led by Marco Tognon, Superyacht Executive Chef, winner of the Superyacht Chef Competition 2023, Private Chef for high-profile clients and former Executive Chef of the M/Y Silver Fox, a 72-metre superyacht built by Sanlorenzo. Drawing on his extensive experience in international yachting, he will guide participants through practical cases, first-hand experience and exercises based on the real demands of life onboard, sharing methods, operational skills and professional standards developed throughout his career.

“Love to Italy Academy was created with the aim of promoting Italian food culture around the world through training. Our collaboration with NAVIGO allows us to bring together the excellence of Italian cuisine and one of the most dynamic sectors of the international luxury market, creating a bridge between Versilia and Miami, one of the world’s leading yachting hubs. Our goal is to train professionals who can bring onboard not only technical expertise, but also the culture, quality and identity of Made in Italy,” said Alessandro Sofroni, CEO of Love to Italy Academy.

The first course will take place in Viareggio from 1 to 4 December 2026 at the Hotel Esplanade and will be the first step in a project aimed at developing an international training offer dedicated to yachting professionals.

The initiative will be officially presented on Friday, 25 September at 5:00 pm, during the Monaco Yacht Show, at the NAVIGO stand AL19, Quai Albert Ier, as part of a networking aperitif reserved for industry professionals.

For registration and participation, please visit the dedicated page: https://tyt.navigotoscana.it/en/yacht-chef-master/