TRUE NORTH CY

Glen Smith - Captain
Raised just outside of Southampton on the South Coast of England, Glen has always loved yachting and the ocean. Educated as an electrician, he began his career in the yachting industry as a Deckhand/2nd Engineer in Turkey 27 years ago. Glen advanced to Mate/Engineer on sport fishing yachts travelling extensively throughout the Bahamas and the Caribbean then became Chief Engineer on mega yachts cruising the same waters. He went on to earn his 200-ton MCA approved Captain’s license and has since captained charter as well as private use yachts in the Bahamas and Caribbean. Glen is passionate about motorcycles, is an avid sport fisherman and loves to snorkel.

Claire Dodd - Chef
Born in Bournemouth on the south coast of England, Claire was raised bilingual, in English and German. Having family throughout Europe, she began her love of travel and meeting people from an early age. Claire graduated from Plymouth University with a degree in languages and went on to gain employment in customer relations within the banking sector. Wanting a change, Claire took on the management of a B&B overlooking the historic town and castle of Corfe, situated on the English Jurassic coast. Here she also started a restaurant, catering lunches and evening meals for guests. Claire spent a few years traveling and working in a variety of hotels, bars, and restaurants in different countries around the globe before beginning her yachting career 10 years ago. Claire’s interests include art, music, and the outdoors.

Valentina Trunina – Stewardess
Born and raised in the USSR Valentina began her career on the water in 2006, working for river cruise lines, and progressing to Carnival Cruise Lines after her college graduation. Valentina went on to complete a 2-year master’s degree in the Maritime field before moving to Brooklyn, New York where she worked for high end catering companies. Through this she also gained experience and a love for event and party planning. Valentina then moved to Fort Lauderdale where she was able to combine all her skills and experience in the position of stewardess she holds today. Valentina’s interests include outdoor activities, self-education, arts and crafts, and travel.

Trey O’Connell – Mate/Engineer
Growing up in New England and being around the water Trey became an avid surfer, fisherman and boater. While he was earning an accounting degree from Salve Regina University in Newport RI, Trey was introduced to the yachting world. It wasn’t until 2008 that he took his first job on a 50’ sportfish. Being primarily a program that revolved around fishing, Trey became very familiar with the waters extending from New England to South Florida and throughout the Bahamas. Since then, Trey has worked his way up to much larger yachts and enjoys sharing his passion for surfing, fishing, snorkeling, and diving in the waters that he loves.

Ben Davis – Deckhand
Born in Alabama, into a Military family, Ben has already traveled much of the world. At an early age he took up sailing. With a new-found love and enthusiasm, he convinced his local Sailing Centre to take him on as their youngest dock hand, paying him in experience and sailing lessons. Ben also discovered he had a passion for Airsoft which led him to full time employment after high school, where he quickly progresses to a senior member of the team, training others and refereeing games. His sense of adventure and love of the outdoors, coupled with his former aquatic adventures drew him to try a career in yachting. Ben was noticed and quickly picked up during his yacht training and then joined “True North” as a permanent crew member.
Ben’s other interests include: Rock climbing, water sports, fitness, strategy games and reading.