​
Meet the Crew
Dardanella's impressive Captain and crew are a hand selected team of the industries finest. The extensive experience of the crew and their genuine enthusiasm and embodiment of the adventure lifestyle gives an exceptionally welcoming and authentic environment for even the most intrepid of journeys.
PIOT RACHALEWSKI
Captain
Born in Poland and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. Piot grew up around the ocean and started sailing competitively at a young age. He has been committed professionally to yachting for the past 15 years, over this period he has worked on a wide variety of yachts, ranging from small composite race boats to large Super Yachts and wooden classics. Yachting has taken Piot around the world a few times, through the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Pacific, North Sea, Indonesia and SE Asia. Piot's unparalleled character create's an atmosphere rarely found in Super Yachting and will lead you on adventures you couldn't have imagined in your wildest dreams.
GILLES HERANT
Relief Captain
Born in France to Franco-Dutch parents, Gilles was brought up around yachts in Greece
and has spent much of the last 50 years messing around with boats. After studying boat
building in the UK, he started skippering a gaff-rigged schooner in the 1980s before
going shore-based to raise his family. Running a shipyard in the eastern Mediterranean,
he eventually turned his career towards superyachts and has been an engineer for
over 15 years. Gilles is a dedicated world traveller with a passion for the outdoors and
remote destinations; he has been with Dardanella for the past 8 years and is also the
vessel’s relief captain.
MOLLYAN MARICHAL-TAYLOR
Chief Stewardess
Molly is a British-Canarian who has been a hospitality professional for over 10 years.
She has a love for the sea and enjoys surfing in spare time. In 2021, whilst travelling
in Thailand, she completed her SSI advanced diving and is due to complete her dive
masters next year. Molly is also a passionate mixologist and particularly enjoys working
closely with her chef colleagues to effectively pair her beverages with their creations.
MICHA HUGLI
First Mate
Mischa grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa; at the age of 18, he �led a city life for a career in Yachting and never looked back. Leaving SA on an Atlantic crossing to the Grenada some 5 years ago, Mischa has been based in the US and wider Caribbean basin ever since, working on yachts of all sizes and progressing at a fast pace up the ranks; he is now a quali�ied Of�icer of the Watch and Divemaster, as well as a keen �isherman. With a fair bit of experience, passion and a lifelong martial arts training he’s a good
guy to have around come rain or shine!
EMILIA STRZALINSKA
​
Stewardess
Emilia was born and raised in Poland. She has always had a love for the water. Growing up, she swam competitively. After graduating, she went to work in the Canary Islands, where she fell in love with travelling and boats. She spent seven years living on the Spanish and Greek Islands. During this time, she worked as a fitness instructor, a holiday representative in a travel agency, and in a diving centre. She can’t imagine her
life without sports and travelling. She loves to cycle, dive, and explore new places. Her favourite place to be is by the sea.
cHRISTOFFER HANSEN
Engineer
Christoffer was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has lived on the sea since the age of 12, when his parents opted to move the whole family on board a 55 feet sailing yacht. A few years later, Christoffer combined his love of the sea with a passion for engineering, and became an engineer on board support vessels in the North Sea. After seven years in this harsh and unforgiving environment, Chris recently converted to yachting in order to fulfill his interests in world travel under more gentle climates. Naturally, Chris enjoys all sorts of water sports and is a keen fisherman.
MICHAEL WALL
Deckhand
Michael was raised in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean on South Africa’s eastern coastline by a family integrated in the water-sports community, and developed into a con�ident waterman at a young age. After studying History and Law, he turned away from a corporate career to pursue a path closer to nature and his passions. This led him to guide clients in world renowned safari parks and diving areas. Michael recently transitioned to the yachting industry, and is an accomplished PADI Instructor and experienced surfer.