CREW

Captain Alain Guillaume

A native of Reims in the Champagne region of France, Alain's love of sailing led him to move to the Mediterranean to pursue his passion.  He started his professional yachting career as a sailing teacher, receiving his Master Certificate of Competency in 1988 and skipper's license in 1992.   He has been doing yacht deliveries since 1987 and made his first Atlantic crossing that year.   The beauty of the Caribbean and year-round sailing drew him to settle in Guadeloupe, where he has lived since 1991.  Over the last 15 years, Alain has captained charter yachts, primarily catamarans, from 55 to 78 feet in length, performing all the technical maintenance onboard as well as being a charming host and tour director. 

Alain loves to share his sailing experience and skills with his guests on Alidade.  He has been sailing in the Lesser Antilles from the Virgin Islands to Venezuela since 1991 and is still discovering all the beauty of this wonderful area.  He loves sports, especially water sports, and true to his earlier career, is an excellent teacher for those new to sailing and snorkeling.  Alain speaks English and Spanish.

Chef Eric Tournier, age 41, French, born in Paris.
 
Eric began cooking with his grandmother, when as a child he spent his holidays on her farm in Normandy.  She taught him many techniques and recipes of traditional French cuisine. 

Through school and travels he continued to enjoy sampling many different cuisines.  While working four years in Spain as an estate agent for the British firm Wimpey he added authentic Spanish dishes to his repertoire.  Seizing the opportunity to take a position with the Company in the Caribbean office, Eric first arrived in Guadeloupe, French West Indies in 1991.  A year later he took a special course on Caribbean cooking and began cooking on charter yachts with the Jet Sea Company in November of 1992, giving him the opportunity to sail around the Caribbean islands, while cooking and meeting interesting people. 

In 1995 Eric returned to Spain and work with Wimpey and then went on to work in hotel management in Paris from 2002-2006.  He missed the slower pace of life and year ‘round sun in the Caribbean and in November 2006 he returned to Guadeloupe and cooking on charter yachts.  Eric joined Alidade in February 2007.  

He speaks fluent English, Spanish and French and also workable German and Italian. His hobbies include reading, scuba diving and soccer.  Eric loves to sail, travel, meet people and experience new cuisines – making working as a charter chef the perfect job for him!