Sasha Romashova: "Málaga is the Florida of Europe, but also with the open character of the people of Andalusia"

Born in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, but has made Spain her home. Recently, she moved to Malaga from Barcelona to become ... the commercial director of the megayacht marina. Sasha Romashova has spent more than half of her life in the nautical world, first as a crew member on large yachts, and now in the management of large marinas like IGY Malaga Marina.

–How did you start in the world of megayachts?

–Working on board the ships, as a stewardess. I worked on very interesting boats of different sizes. The last one was the Palladium, 90 meters long, but also on iconic boats like those of the Getty family (magnates of the image world). After seven years sailing around the world, I decided that I wanted to stay in the industry, but from the other side, and I joined the Port Vell marina.

–Why did you decide to change your life and move to Malaga?

–Malaga is now in a growth phase and has a lot of potential in general, but also in the nautical world, I see that it is going to go up. Malaga is like the Florida of Europe, where the weather is always good. But also with the people from Andalusia. I've been here for four months and the first thing I noticed is that everyone is very open, everyone is willing to help and this attracted me from the first day I landed here. And to that is added that it is a very safe city for clients. It has all the positives of growth, but without the negative side of insecurity.

"Owners are now much more environmentally aware; no longer sending a helicopter to pick up a handbag"

–What are the owners of the megayachts like?

–It's like in any field, you find people who spend more and others who are more normal. If we talk about families, people who have lifetime wealth, they tend to be more interested in cultural issues than in spending. But yes, obviously, they are people with a lot of money.

–You must have experienced many moments and anecdotes on board.

–I worked on a yacht years ago where the owner said she had forgotten a particular handbag in London, and sent a helicopter to pick it up. But I also tell you that after 20 years that is an exception. This was when I started, in the 2000s. People are now much more environmentally conscious, with a lot of education and they understand what is happening in the world. Now a helicopter is not sent to pick up a handbag.

–You mean that the consciousness of the billionaires has also changed.

–Yes, of course. And there has also been a generational change: now there are many young owners, around 50 years old, who have a global education and who are aware of sustainability. That's why more and more hybrid boats are appearing on the market. Or like this sailboat here (the interview takes place at pier one of the port of Malaga), which is made of carbon fiber and is very light, thus using less fuel. In general, the new owners are a different story from when I started 20 years ago.

"If you don't live with the local people as always, it won't be a comfortable city for either newcomers or those who are already here"

–What is your life like in Malaga, what do you like to do?

–I'm a fan of kitesurfing and snowboarding. In general, I like sports and that's a plus living in Malaga. It's a very healthy city, people love sports, there are many outdoor gyms. For surfing, Tarifa is nearby, and for snow, I have Sierra Nevada. I also play golf, and Andalusia has more courses than anywhere else in Spain. So, returning to your previous question, why do I like Andalusia so much, well, how do you say it? "tick all the boxes." That is, it meets all the requirements to be well.

–Although you've just arrived, how do you imagine Malaga will be in 5 or 10 years?

–Good question. For me the most important thing is that I hope the local people can coexist with the change, because in the end if you don't live with the local people as always, it won't be a comfortable city for either newcomers or those who are already here. I think Malaga is going in the right direction, which is that the local population can coexist with all the changes that are happening. From what I see, so far it is going in the right direction, but of course, it is the role of politicians to find solutions to the problems of the citizens.

–One thing many people wonder, do the wealthy owners of the boats really come to Malaga, or just the crews?

–In the summer the owners do come. All the short stays we have in the summer are from owners, to get to know Malaga. But in the long stays, when the wintering season starts, there are only crew members.

–Do you know of anyone famous who has come recently?

–They are not well-known, but there are owners who are repeating because they really like Malaga, and that makes me very happy: that these people who travel on megayachts come back is very important. How many people have money in the world and no one knows them, because they are not famous. For example, I have a friend who worked on a very large boat, and the owner became a millionaire by inventing Amazon's packaging. This person is not recognized on the street. And this happens a lot, especially in the United States, they go unnoticed. Once it happened to me that I was talking to someone who was wearing a fishing shirt, flip-flops, and a cap, who looked like he was 30 years old, and it turned out he was the owner of a large yacht...