The Maclean Brothers - a video to everyone at V. from the Pacific

V. has been supporting the three brothers as they row nearly 9000NM across the Pacific at time of writing they are just about to complete their incredible challenge.

Jamie, Lachlan and Ewan made great progress in rowing the Pacific and sent us a personal update with only 730 NM to go until they reach Australia. They had rowed around 7753 NM over 128 days by that point.

It's been a tough voyage for them and taking longer than expected. From today's blog:

"If it’s not two on one off on the oars during the day then we “treat” ourselves to three up for a few hours to punch through some of the stickier patches. There’s very little time to rest. All of our bodies are feeling the fatigue, but our backs and bums are taking the brunt of it. We just need to keep it up for a few more days until the weather turns more favourably in our direction. It’s not the first on this crossing we’ve held out this sort of hope.

"With our snack packs dwindling we’re eating everything we can to fend off a calorie deficiency. With arrival estimates to Cairns currently at 27th August to 3rd September we will just have enough freeze-dried provisions. Just."

Lachlan has recorded a short video for us all at V., and we're looking forward to them coming into the Glasgow office when they are back in Scotland. We will share their presentation live to All Colleagues, so that everyone gets the opportunity to hear what they have to say about this amazing journey.

In the meantime, hear directly from the Pacific in the link below.

The Maclean Brothers are doing this in support of The Maclean Foundation, with every donation funding clean water projects in Madagascar.

https://givestar.io/gs/record-row-to-australia

Record Lift Achievement – SFE Hercules

The V.Ships Offshore managed SFE Hercules crane ship set a project record by lifting a 3,557-ton load during the Taipower Phase II offshore wind project in Taiwan in 2025.

The SFE Hercules, a DP-2 heavy lift vessel specialising in windfarm service and installation, has been under the full technical management of V.Ships Offshore Asia (VSOA) since May 2024. Currently engaged in pin pile installation in Taiwan’s offshore windfarms, the vessel achieved a remarkable milestone on 8 August 2025.

On this date, the Hercules successfully completed its piling scope and proceeded to install the topside module of the OSS (Offshore Substation) — a record-setting 3,700 MT dynamic load lift using the vessel’s 4,000 MT capacity offshore crane.

This operation was executed under technically challenging conditions and against a narrowing weather window caused by approaching typhoons. Through seamless collaboration between our offshore and onshore VSOA teams, along with close coordination with clients and Marine Warranty teams, the lift and installation were completed safely and successfully.

This achievement stands as a testament to our teamwork, technical expertise, resilience, and ability to perform under the toughest conditions.

Bravo, Team Hercules, and kudos to our offshore crew!

The 2025 Safety Culture Survey - Your opportunity to improve overall safety

The V.Group annual Safety Culture Survey is open for 2025, developed in collaboration with our trusted partner, the Occupational Psychology Centre.

The survey helps us better understand how our people perceive safety practices, performance, and culture – and most importantly, your feedback helps us identify opportunities to further enhance the safety and wellbeing of everyone at V.Group.

This year’s survey is smarter, faster, and more relevant than ever—designed to capture what’s working, what needs improvement, and how we can continue building a proactive, learning-oriented safety culture.

Your Voice Matters

We invite every colleague – regardless of role or location – to help shape the future of safety at V. This is your opportunity to share honest feedback about how safety is experienced and practiced onboard and across V.

The survey is anonymous, and your feedback directly shapes how we evolve, improve and strengthen our safety culture. Let’s make sure every voice is heard!                                         

🎥Watch Ian Trebinski, COO of V.Ships, share why your participation to the Survey matters

How to Complete the Survey

• Online: Click here this secure weblink below
• Email: You will also find the link in an email sent in your personal email inbox
• Offline: If you face accessibility issues, you can request an interactive PDF version. Reach out to: Group HSSEQ (artemis.kazantzidi@vships.com) or your local HSSEQ Manager.

Every response counts. Every insight helps.

Let’s work together to shape a safer, stronger future for everyone at V.

#haveyoursay

V.Ships Secures 12 more Vessels in July Across Tanker, Bulk, LNG and Leisure Segments.

V.Ships continued its strong commercial performance in July, securing contracts for 12 vessels across a diverse mix of segments, including tankers, bulk carriers, LNG, and leisure. The month saw both new client partnerships and repeat business, reinforcing our broad expertise and trusted relationships across regions and vessel types.

• Alphard Maritime awarded V.Ships the management of four bulk carriers, strengthening a valued partnership and highlighting our cost-effective, high-quality solutions delivered via our Chennai office.
• Silk Sea Road signed a contract for one oil tanker, continuing our successful collaboration through the Piraeus office.
• Successfully retained Seaways Visayas through new owners MM Marine, who entrusted V.Ships with its ongoing management following a competitive process where our tailored solution stood out.
• Asteria Global Limited appointed V.Ships Leisure (Monaco) for the management of M/Y Asteria, marking a new partnership in the private yacht segment.
• Marella Cruises appointed V.Ships Leisure under a new five-year agreement to manage five cruise ships, marking the start of a new partnership. Two vessels are expected to join in Q4 2025, with the remaining three scheduled for the first half of 2026.

These July wins reflect our continued ability to support clients with flexible, high-quality ship management services tailored to their specific needs.

Celebrating Safety Excellence: Meet July 2025 V.Group Safety Catch Winner!

We are happy to announce that Chief Engineer Siyuan Huang of m/v LI DA SHENG (China Cluster) is our July 2025 V.Group Safety Catch Award winner!

Siyuan will receive a certificate of appreciation, personal commendation letter and a $200 GMT Travel Voucher. This also marks a milestone for the China Cluster, securing their first V.Group Safety Catch award under this enhanced programme – congratulations to the entire team!

What happened?

During maintenance on the Main Engine’s axial vibration monitoring system, no warning signs were placed near the Engine Control Room control cabinet after power was turned off.

⚠️Siyuan acted swiftly — warning signs were placed immediately to prevent accidental power restoration, an example of proactive safety leadership.

Siyuan raised a critical safety observation that that highlights the importance of the Lock Out - Tag Out (LO/TO) process.

LO/TO prevents accidental start-up of machinery or the release of hazardous energy during work. Always ensure systems involved are properly locked, tagged and listed on the LO/TO board (photo of the V. Lock-Out Tag-Out Board attached).

Want to learn more?

Watch the Lessons Learnt video on Siyuan’s submission and visit the Learning Library for more resources that support safety awareness across V.

Remember: V. empowers and supports any decision to STOP WORK.

Every V. colleague has the right and responsibility to exercise the Stop Work Authority if, in their opinion or judgment, such activity is deemed unsafe and may lead to potential  incident – safety always comes first.

Looking ahead: All eligible, non-anonymous entries are considered for the monthly Safety Catch Award.  Each 2025 monthly winner will be enrolled in the poll for the 1^st Annual Safety Catch award at the end of the year.

Let’s keep building a strong safety culture together. Encourage your colleagues to raise safety observations and participate in the Safety Catch programme.

Together, we make V. safer — one observation at a time.

Stay safe, stay empowered

What is the Safety Catch Programme

In response to your valuable feedback from the 2024 Safety Culture Survey, we proudly launched the enhanced Safety Catch Awards programme this year. For the first time, the initiative includes both Monthly and Annual Group Safety Catch Awards presented by the Executive Team, with recognition across all of V.

This programme is a key step in celebrating the proactive safety actions taken by our colleagues—through sharing best practices or examples of stopping an Unsafe Act / Unsafe Condition —that strengthen our shared safety culture.

How It Works

Criteria:

• Safety observations submitted via the Safety Observation App.
• Special consideration is given to observations that demonstrate the use of the Stop Work policy.

Selection Process:

• Each month, HSSEQ Managers nominate the standout ‘safety catches’ from the safety observations submitted from their cluster vessels.
• Nominations are shared in an open poll on Viva Engage, where shore colleagues can review, learn from, and vote for the observation they believe made the most impactful contribution.
• What do the Group Awards include

🎥 Following the successful launch of the enhanced Safety Catch programme in January 2025, we are proud to have identified 6 monthly winners so far – marking the halfway point to our first Annual V.Group winner! Let’s take a moment to look back at six impactful rounds of the refreshed programme and celebrate this milestone together.

More Than Just Awards!

The Safety Catch programme is about more than prizes—it's about building a culture where everyone feels empowered to speak up and take ownership of safety. Every observation shared helps us improve not only our wellbeing but also the quality of service we deliver to our customers.

Let’s continue to look out for one another, share what we see, and celebrate the actions that make our fleet safer—every single day. Your support makes a difference.

Building Excellence: Global and Regional Training Highlights

Continuous learning and development is a cornerstone of our organisation’s growth—and this year, we’ve seen that commitment come to life across multiple locations.

Recently, the V. Officers Conference was held in Wuxi, China, where around 50 senior officers took part in a three-day event focused on leadership, safety, and operational excellence. The conference received positive feedback, with participants rating it an average of 4.2 out of 5.

At the same time, our Chennai, Mumbai, and Philippines offices have also been actively engaged in similar training through local webinars and in person sessions. These initiatives focused on the same core themes, helping teams strengthen their knowledge, sharing best practices, and reinforcing our strong safety culture.

Whether at global conferences or regional sessions, our focus remains the same: empowering our people with the tools and insights they need to lead effectively and support each other across locations.

Together, we’re growing stronger every step of the way!

V.Care Wellbeing Webinar - Mental Health for Leaders

In this month’s wellbeing webinar, ComPsych psychologist Alexandra Reyes provides training on Mental Health Awareness for Leaders.

Managing individuals who may be struggling with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns can be a difficult balancing act. Your role is to manage performance and to bring out the best in your workforce, but accomplishing this often requires you to express concern and support when employees struggle emotionally. 

Leaders often feel uncomfortable in this aspect of their role and may lack the important skills of “emotional management.” This training covers ways employees may present their distress and offers insights and strategies on forging supportive empathic alliances within the role of leader.

The webinar will help attendees:
• Spotting the signals - Recognising warning signs in your team and when help is needed.
• Captain your own wellbeing - Strategies for taking care of your own mental health.
• Sailing together - Steps for supporting your crew/staff to  create a safe environment for all.

V.CARE: Wellbeing Webinars

You can catch up with the rest of EAP orientation and previous webinars below:

https://vimeo.com/1049342320?share=copy

V.Care Voyage of the Month: Social Sustainability Matters for Seafarers

Each month we wish to share a recent article to provide a wider perspective on your careers at sea.

Beyond training for decarbonisation: What seafarers say truly matters in social sustainability

ISWAN’s Talking point this month invites Alina Prylipko, a maritime expert and educator, discusses whether the shipping industry’s social sustainability actions are truly informed by seafarers’ needs and priorities. She shares some fascinating insights from her research with the World Maritime University.

This research offers a vital look into the human side of sustainability in shipping, highlighting a clear gap between industry priorities and seafarers’ real concerns. While regulators and shipowners often emphasize training for decarbonization and compliance, seafarers place far greater value on health, safety, fair treatment, family support, and decent working conditions.  Based on extensive interviews and surveys, the findings reveal deep dissatisfaction with social security, work–life balance, and living conditions at sea—issues that, if unaddressed, threaten the industry’s ability to attract and retain talent.

The author’s insights challenge the industry to rethink its approach: true sustainability must place people at the centre, not just economics and the environment. Policies that exist only on paper or overlook seafarers’ lived realities will not build trust or long-term resilience. For readers interested in the future of maritime work, this perspective makes a compelling case that improving security, dignity, and family life at sea is essential to the industry’s survival and growth.

V.Care aims to address many of the key areas highlighted that can improve the social sustainability amongst our seafarers.  Our promise to our seafarers remains: a life at V. means a better life at sea.

Are you aware of all the wellbeing resources available to you?

Both the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and inspiration for your wellbeing can be found on the V.Care website, or available through the V.Crew Connect App.

You can also join the V.Care Facebook page to hear from other V. seafarers and families about their journey with V.

ShipMoney - Your Digital Payment Solution

Did You Know? You Get Free Transfers with ShipMoney

Each month, you get:

✔ 1 free wire transfer (up to $20,000)

✔ 2 free ATM withdrawals, anywhere in the world

That’s $0 in fees for sending money or taking cash out.

Use the ShipMoney app to schedule your transfers, or ask your crewing team for help.

From Ship to Shore: V. Dual Career Path Development Practices

At V. we consistently adhere to the "talent-first" development strategy, providing seafarers with sustainable career futures through a robust internal recruitment mechanism. This month we meet Captain Xu who recently completed the transition ashore and he shares his career growth story.

"Hello everyone, I’m Chief Engineer Wu.

"I graduated from Shanghai Maritime University in 2010 and worked at the school-affiliated company Yu Hai for nine years, rising from a trainee to Second Engineer. In 2019, I passed the Chief Engineer examination and obtained my Chief Engineer’s certificate in 2020.

"In 2021, I joined a vessel managed by V.Ships as Second Engineer. Working on a V.Ships-managed vessel, I quickly noticed the professionalism of this global company—its standardized management, user-friendly Shipsure system, and comprehensive VMS framework. The vessels were well-maintained, allowing me more time to study during my tenure, with ample personal time.

"In 2024, I passed the group’s Chief Engineer assessment and was promoted to Chief Engineer onboard.

"On June 18, 2025, I joined V.Ships’ Shanghai shore team. Transitioning from sea to shore has given me much to reflect on. Many of us started our careers right after graduation, spending over a decade at sea. Like Red said in The Shawshank Redemption, we became "institutionalised"—the longer we work onboard, the less we engage with the outside world. The older we get, the harder it is to adapt to shore life.

"Having worked ashore for over a month now, I’ve found that the role of an Assistant Superintendent is entirely different from that of a Chief Engineer. My colleagues have been incredibly supportive, and the company provides extensive training for assistant superintendents. I truly appreciate this work environment. For me, challenges and opportunities go hand in hand—though the challenges feel more pronounced at the moment."

We wish Chief Engineer Wu every success in his new role. As he mentioned, V.’s digital platforms are exceptionally powerful. Clients can access real-time vessel data anytime, anywhere—monitoring machinery performance, lube oil consumption, vessel efficiency, and environmental metrics to gain insights into fleet operations.

Beyond this, we’ve introduced the Sentinel system, our machine-learning risk prediction tool. It accurately forecasts and manages vessel risks, enabling prioritized fleet management to reduce technical downtime and enhance safety.

V.Ships’ Shipsure database contains over 20 years of detailed vessel activity records. Continuously upgraded, its AI now flags potential risks in real time, prompting immediate corrective actions. This powerful tool empowers ship and crew managers to intervene proactively, ensuring sustained navigational safety and operational efficiency.

Bring Your Sea Experience Ashore - Your Next Step Starts Here!

Are you currently sailing with V. and considering a move ashore?

We’re inviting our own talented seafarers to apply for future shore-based career opportunities across our global offices.

Your knowledge of life at sea is invaluable and we believe it belongs at the heart of our shore-based operations.

Whether you're passionate about vessel management, crew support, safety compliance, or training, your next role might be waiting just ashore.

The Ship to Shore Programme is designed to support and encourage V. seafarers who are ready to transition into shore-based careers.

Your sea experience is your strength — let’s bring it ashore!

If you’re passionate about continuing your maritime journey from a different vantage point, one where your expertise helps manage fleets, support operations, or train future seafarers, we invite you to apply.

We’re continuously looking to match sea-going talent with onshore roles.

Submit your profile below, and we’ll reach out when the right opportunity comes along.

Voyage Loyalty: Recognition and Rewards

Healthy Corner - Cut Sugar & Boost Energy

A Healthier Way to Cut Sugar & Boost Energy

Meal planning and preparation play a vital role in maintaining health, especially during long voyages. A well-balanced diet not only helps manage added sugar intake, but also supports sustained energy levels and reduces the risk of health issues linked to excessive sugar consumption, such as energy crashes, weight gain, and metabolic concerns.

Well-Balanced Meals

A well-balanced meal should focus on slow-digesting carbohydrates (whole grains, oats, brown rice), lean proteins (chicken, fish, legumes, eggs), healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds), and plenty of fiber (vegetables, salads, beans). These components work together to stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing down how quickly sugar enters the bloodstream. As a result, energy remains steady, appetite is better controlled, and there is less temptation to reach for sugary snacks between meals.

On the other hand, meals that are too high in refined or added sugars, such as white bread, sweet sauces, desserts, and sugary drinks, lead to rapid increases in blood sugar. This triggers a surge of energy, followed by a sharp drop.

Limiting added sugars through thoughtful meal choices can enhance mood, focus, and endurance on board, all of which are essential for performing well during long shifts.

Smart Snacking

Snacking is important onboard to maintain energy between meals, but it is also where hidden sugars can easily creep in. Planning smart snacks can significantly reduce sugar intake.

• Choosing homemade over readymade snacks is one of the most effective ways to reduce hidden sugar in the diet. Readymade foods often contain more sugar than you might expect, added not just for taste, but also for texture, shelf life, and appearance.
• Homemade alternatives provide you with full control over sugar content, enabling you to reduce added sugars, avoid artificial sweeteners, and incorporate natural ingredients such as fruits or spices for a healthier sweetness. This approach helps prevent the energy crashes and mood swings often associated with sugary processed foods.

Benefits of homemade choices for reducing sugar intake:

• Control over sugar content

You can manage exactly how much sugar is added to foods.

• Use of natural ingredients

Healthier ingredients such oats, nuts, seeds, and fruits offer natural sweetness and added nutrients without relying on added sugars.

• Better portion control

Preparing food from scratch allows you to serve appropriate portions and avoid oversized, fully sugar servings.

• Improve blood sugar stability

Homemade meals are less likely to cause sharp spikes and crashes associated with processed foods high in sugar.

• Healthier overall nutrition

Cooking from scratch encourages the use of whole, nutrient-dense ingredients that support long-term health.