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The Future Of Pilates On Yachts
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Do you want to offer world class Pilates to your charter guests? Do you have a Pilates reformer onboard and no idea how to use it? Do you want to teach Pilates on yachts? Are you wondering what qualifications you’ll need and how long it will take? Has your boss asked for a Pilates reformer to be delivered to The Galápagos? How do you teach Pilates to high-profile clients with different cultural boundaries?
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Any questions about Pilates + Yachting?
Let’s talk.
Pilates & Super Yachting
Over the last decade, we’ve seen a huge rise in the popularity of Pilates in the luxury hospitality space. Pilates is everywhere… on yachts, at luxury hotels and in exclusive villas around the world.
Vogue Magazine has called Pilates on the reformer the ‘insider-favourite’ with celebrities & elite clientele.
The only problem is: Not many know what they’re talking about in this highly specialised and constantly evolving field of Pilates & Super Yachting.
We’ve got insider’s insight into this exclusive world: from 100m+ new builds with fully equipped Pilates studios onboard to crew who get told to ‘watch some YouTube’ videos and ‘go teach the boss’.
We’ve met the Pilates teachers who travel with their celebrity clients and we’ve seen reformers flown in by helicopter.
We’ve helped our clients open their own Pilates studios in the Middle East and we’ve taught some very, very high-profile people (no names mentioned).
If you’re looking for unbiased, bespoke and expert advice, talk to us!
Meet Founder Bianca Ljungberg
Bianca has worked in yachting and luxury hospitality for over 13-years, with 10,000+ hours experience teaching Pilates to prestigious families and elite clientele. She founded The Studio Côte d’Azur in 2015, an exclusive Pilates studio on the French Riviera that welcomes HNWI and UHNWI from around the world. Her passion and expertise in Pilates has brought her into conversations with the world’s largest yachts & players in the Pilates industry. She works discreetly and with utter professionalism!
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Our Areas of Expertise
We are at the forefront of the exciting intersection between Pilates & Yachting. We regularly consult with our trusted group of experts in this space to ensure that our clients experience the absolute best Pilates offering onboard! Our 360-degree consulting service covers: Studio Design, Pilates Equipment (purchasing, servicing & maintaining), Crew Safety Training & Recruitment, Yacht Charter, Retreats, & any unique requests.
We Never, Ever Compromise On Quality
We intuitively understand the level of service that’s required onboard… and your Pilates offering is no different. From the quality of the teaching, to the quality of the apparatus & equipment, we will guide you step-by-step, paying attention to every, little detail.
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Want to know more about Pilates + Yachting?
Let’s talk.
“Exceptional knowledge in yachting!”
“It was great to be able to work with someone who understands the yachting industry and understands the kind of clientele that we’re working for. Bianca has knowledge that you will simply not get anywhere else. “
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Chloe, New Build, Pilates Teacher
“It was a pleasure working with you Bianca!”
“We are so grateful to you for doing such wonderful sessions with our clients onboard.”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Events Organiser, 70m Motor Yacht, Cannes Lions
“Our guests are in great hands!”
“You have such a beautiful way of teaching. You’ve taught me that being gentle is such a strength. I am so grateful that the guests who pass through my hands will get to experience what I have experienced learning from you.”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
— Micaela 100m+, Service Stewardess/Pilates Teacher
Quick Answers
Common Pilates + Yachting Questions
Help! We have a Pilates reformer onboard! And our guests want to use it. What should we do?
As far as we see it, you have 4 different options ⬇️
1️⃣ DO NOTHING (but this will cost you hugely)
➡️ The day will come when guests ask for Pilates on your beautiful & expensive apparatus in the middle of charter, but you don’t have anyone onboard who knows how to use it. OOPS! Fail! 🙊
2️⃣ TRAIN UP SOMEONE ONBOARD (€2,500-€8,500):
➡️ Have an existing crew member who is already interested in Pilates, yoga or fitness? This is a great option (🙋🏽♀️ and we can help you!!) Remember: You can’t rush this. It takes about a year in total and you’ll need to give your crew member time to study & practice. Who pays for it? Well, that’s up for discussion.
3️⃣ BRING IN A FREELANCE PILATES TEACHER FROM ASHORE (€500-€1,200 PER DAY)
➡️ This is an option (especially if you only need a teacher every so often). It can be expensive though and also a challenge finding someone, arranging flights, accommodation etc ⭐️ Speak to us, we’ll point you in the right direction.
4️⃣ EMPLOY A CREW MEMBER WHO’S HAD AN EXISTING CAREER AS A PILATES TEACHER (COST: DEPENDS ON THE SALARY)
➡️ If your guests/owners are crazy about Pilates, this is your only option. Bring someone onboard full (or part-time) who can travel with the guests and teach Pilates. ⭐️ Speak to us, we’ll point you in the right direction.
I am an experienced crew member and I want to start teaching Pilates onboard. Where do I start?
⏰👇🏾 NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO BECOME A PILATES TEACHER ONBOARD !!
(📌🌍 Find out more by booking a FREE Consultation with us over Zoom)
Really, there is no better time to learn this new skill if you’re a crew member who is:
✅ Already passionate about movement, the human body and wellbeing
✅ Wanting to diversify and offer additional skills onboard
✅ Thinking about transitioning out of yachting and moving shore-based
✅ Wanting to get independent and solid career advice on where to start and which education is right for you
⬇️⬇️ BUT.. and there’s a big BUT…
🌴 🦥 🦜 It’s a TOTAL JUNGLE out there !! 🙈 🍒
🤷🏽♀️ You’re seeing so many Pilates accounts on Instagram, everyone looks like they have it all together and the world is ‘perfect’ (we all know it’s not)…
🤷🏽♀️ You’ve thought about studying with one of the BIG SCHOOLS but you’re not sure which one to choose…
🤷🏽♀️ Then there’s all these ONLINE Pilates qualifications that have great reviews but … do they really make you a Pilates teacher?
🤷🏽♀️ How on earth can you get teaching experience when you’re moving around all the time? (The answer is easier than you might think…)
🤷🏽♀️ Can you make money teaching Pilates? (My answer here might really surprise you)…
🤷🏽♀️ You’re not really even sure if Pilates is your thing…
🌊 If you’re just dipping your feet in the ocean with this…
🙋🏽♀️ Hi! I’m Bianca and I want to meet you!!
🌺 I’m an ex-crew member and Pilates studio owner who’s been teaching elite clientele for over 10-years on the French Riviera.
🌺 My client list includes famous families, royal families, HNI and UHNI from all over the world!
…And I’ve learned some really interesting things along the way that I can’t wait to share with you.
Click on the link below to Book a FREE Consultation over Zoom and meet me.
Our boss has asked us to buy Pilates apparatus. What brand is best?
Balanced Body, BASI Systems, Merrithew, Align Pilates, Bon Pilates… the list of Pilates apparatus manufacturers is endless! And a ‘quick’ Google search definitely won’t help you! Do you get the Balanced Body Allegro II with legs or without legs, with tower or without tower? And what’s the difference between a Wundu Chair and a Combo Chair? What about the small apparatus? Should we get a soft or a hard foam roller? 90cm? Buying Pilates apparatus is a lot more complex than you might think. (And you’ll be surprised how many yachts we’ve seen get it totally WRONG). We’ve partnered with the best in the business when it comes to Pilates studio installation onboard. But we can also give you advice based on our own hands-on teaching experience with what works, and what doesn’t.
Book a FREE Consultation with us to find out more.
Is it better to bring a Pilates teacher in from ashore or should we hire a crew member who works in a dual role?
This depends completely on your budget and also HOW your guests wish to enjoy Pilates onboard. Will the Pilates teacher be teaching 3-7 hours per day to guests who expect a high quality practice? Or will she be teaching a few times every charter trip or only once every-so-often?
Outsourcing Pilates to studios like ours is more costly if your guests are practicing regularly (freelancer teachers cost anything from €500-€1000+ per day). It can be inconvenient if the yacht is travelling from location-to-location. Where does the Pilates teacher sleep if the yacht is out at anchor for example? In a guest cabin as supernumerary? Is there space in a crew cabin? Otherwise, senior crew or the purser will need to take time to find a new teacher in every port or location… and your guests don’t get a consistent Pilates experience on charter.
Offering Pilates ‘in-house’ (i.e as a ‘dual role’) is our ultimate solution. This saves the yacht time and money. Not only does this give guests a consistent training experience with the same teacher every day, it also improves the guests’ overall charter experience (with hopefully better tips!)
Pilates offered by a crew member working in a dual role also improves crew morale and the overall physical and mental well being of everybody onboard.
I’ve signed up for a 5-day online reformer training in my off rotation. Is this enough to teach Pilates onboard?
In our opinion, a 5-day online reformer training just won’t cut it! No matter how much you fit into 5-days!
To become fully skilled as a practitioner on all pieces of Pilates apparatus takes a minimum of one year full time study and 500+ hours of training and observation with a certified Pilates authority. The best teachers go on to continue their education and specialise in certain populations including pre-and-postnatal, injuries, men or women, sportspeople or working with older clients.
The most you will learn is on the job and this is why it is essential to build up your teaching experience working in a reputable and busy studio.
Pilates practitioners teach on average 5-7 hours a day. Famous author Malcolm Gladwell said it takes 10,000 hours to master a craft and gain true expertise, and Pilates is no different. According to Gladwell, this is a commitment of three hours per day for nine years!
For yacht crew, this kind of training and time commitment is often not possible, and they lack the support onboard to fully focus on their education.
A fundamental lack of knowledge about Pilates also means that training in this area is overlooked. (I had a stewardess who was told to ‘watch some YouTube videos on Pilates’ before teaching the boss on the reformer).
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Want to know more about Pilates + Yachting?
I’m here to help. Let’s talk.
Consulting Hours
Mondays
12:00-13:00 CET
Tuesdays
08:30 CET
Wednesdays
12:00-13:00 CET
Contact
Email
bianca@thestudiocotedazur.com
Phone
(+33) 7 86 79 45 64