Our Team
OUR TEAM
Tansel : "Big Chief"Chief InstructorWise Guy
Having over 25 years of sailing experience, Tansel is the chief instructor of the school. You can frequently find him offering brief but wise advice about life, often in a creative and unexpected way; thus his nickname “Big Chief”. When asked about his past life, he always responds with a knowing grin: “Been there, done that. My life’s been a rollercoaster!” He is also known to always have a positive outlook on any situation and to regularly captivate people with short and funny stories from his colorful past.
People are always surprised by his patience level and some try to reach his limits… You can find a smile upon his face at any time, even when students destroy a 5000€ radar dome or repeat the same mistake for the hundredth time in the last 10 days. But somehow, he always finds a way to teach students the required subject, sometimes in a unique way.
He has lived and done business in Europe and the USA. He has owned both motor yachts and sailboats. Sailing more than 50,000 miles, he has sailed in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans; not to mention countless passages around the Mediterranean Sea. Besides sailing, he is a qualified pilot (FAA Pilot License with High Speed Endorsement), PEDI Scuba Diving License (with Search & Rescue endorsement) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.
People are always surprised by his patience level and some try to reach his limits… You can find a smile upon his face at any time, even when students destroy a 5000€ radar dome or repeat the same mistake for the hundredth time in the last 10 days. But somehow, he always finds a way to teach students the required subject, sometimes in a unique way.
He has lived and done business in Europe and the USA. He has owned both motor yachts and sailboats. Sailing more than 50,000 miles, he has sailed in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans; not to mention countless passages around the Mediterranean Sea. Besides sailing, he is a qualified pilot (FAA Pilot License with High Speed Endorsement), PEDI Scuba Diving License (with Search & Rescue endorsement) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.
After the decision to escape corporate life, Tansel migrated to the beautiful seaside town of Marmaris and opened up the Smart Sailing Academy. Since then, he has focused on teaching sailing and its philosophy. “Sailing is not just a sport, it’s not just a theory,” he states, “It’s a way of life.”