Yachts for good

As he was coming of age, that idyllic childhood came to an abrupt end, however. “It was interrupted by the turmoil and the civil war in the Balkans, and I specifically remember the summer of 1991,” Selakovic recalls. “We were visiting friends on the seashore and the news broke out of the barricades and the beginning of the conflict.

“Essentially, for the following weeks, we were under siege. I remember the contrast of being trapped, unable to leave this area on one side, and on the other side the tranquillity, the peace, the calm of the sea and spending those days on the beach or on the cliffs looking out to sea and thinking there was a whole world out there and I wasn’t alone – there was hope, and that one way or another, things would be okay in the end.”

Selakovic went to study in the US, in California, and it was there that his love of the sea was not only rekindled when he decided to take up sailing again, but positively ignited. He did his various skipper’s tickets, and cruising and racing became part of his life. It led him to make friends in different parts of the world, including the Caribbean, and it was his friends’ experience when hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the Caribbean that reshaped Selakovic’s future once again. “I was deeply affected by the hurricanes in 2017 that impacted my dear friends there.

“Irma and Maria completely devastated entire communities,” he says. “My friends lost everything – their homes, their businesses, their boats, everything they had. I was trying to send them care packages, which were very much needed, but it made me realise just how inadequate that was – it really put into context how much devastation had occurred and how little one person could do.”

In desperation, he turned to the internet to find information on how he could help more. “That’s when I met Mark Drewelow, the founder of YachtAid Global (YAG), who lived quite near me,” he continues. “We got together, and he spoke about YachtAid Global and the yachting community participating in efforts like this – I offered to help, and within two weeks we had over 100 superyachts reaching out from across Europe.”

It made Selakovic realise that more intentional and strategic engagement would be needed, which led to him working full time on planning and carrying out relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts and then, taking on the role of Director at YachtAid Global – an organisation that works not only in disaster relief but also across science, conservation and humanitarian projects worldwide.

Selakovic is quick to point out, however, that YachtAid Global is merely the facilitator, and it’s the yachting community itself that forms the core of the various relief and humanitarian efforts.

“YachtAid Global has, from the beginning over 17 years ago, always been a superyacht community organisation,” he confirms. “We exist because the community wants us to exist, and we could never do that without the direct support and participation from the community.

“In many ways, YachtAid Global is a collaboration and altruism sustainability platform through which we connect and work together to carry out these initiatives in a way that means they are truly sustainable.

“Our initiatives,” he continues, “have included building the first public library in the Galápagos, which 10 yachts were involved in; Operation Swimway, which focuses on the protection of marine corridors where marine life migrates; build back better programs and initiatives to combat the impact of climate change on coastal communities; educational programs; and clean water access for remote communities, to name just a few.”

Selakovic is somewhat reticent about taking credit for the extraordinary work YachtAid Global does, preferring the actions of the yachts, their owners, crews and guests to take the limelight. But that didn’t stop the superyacht community from recognising the importance of his work and nominating him for a Bowsprit award at the inaugural Honours event, held on the eve of the 2023 Monaco Yacht Show. The award – which celebrates the exceptional and inspiring people of the industry who are inspiring change within and beyond it – was a fitting reminder that yachting and those who enjoy it have a heart.

That’s reflected in just how involved the yachting community has become – to date, more than 300 yachts have taken part in various YachtAid Global initiatives – and it also suggests there’s more to the yachting community than pure consumerism, which so many believe to be the case. “There’s a growing momentum,” Selakovic confirms, “and growing interest among yacht owners to participate and see how they can give back and be part of change.

“The challenge in the past was perhaps a lack of knowledge about how to do so, but many yacht owners are already familiar with giving through their own family foundations and other philanthropic interests.

“For some, the idea of a yacht and crew being part of that portfolio wasn’t a natural fit, but now, with information available about how the crew can participate and be an extension of these philanthropic interests, there’s awareness.

“Superyachts do a lot of good,” he continues, “and it doesn’t get as much coverage as other news and media does. The capacity that we as a community have is tremendous for doing good, but a number of our initiatives are also done discreetly and anonymously because many owners have a desire to really do good but don’t necessarily want to be getting public recognition for it.

“In fact, many superyachts exist to be a part of the movement in protection and conservation of the ocean, and many have saved lives in the aftermath of hurricanes. People don’t realise it, but there’s much more to superyachting than meets the eye.”

As for Selakovic himself, his connection with the sea that started in childhood is no less diminished in adulthood. “Sailing is still a big part of me, and I own a sailing yacht,” he concludes with a smile. “I love to get out there whenever there’s an opportunity – it’s the best way for me to relax, to connect with what makes me tick, and to spend time with my friends and my family.”

yachtaidglobal.org