I’m Gabriel, the founder of Yachtmaster Course Australia and YouSail.
My background is marketing. I’ve spent more than a decade in SEO and app store optimisation, and I was one of the first people to treat ASO as its own discipline. In 2013 I launched the first ASO course on Udemy, then wrote one of the first books on the subject, the ASO Bible, followed by ASO Ninja. More than 10,000 students have been through my courses.
Along the way I ran a marketing agency and worked with companies like Red Bull, Disney, EA Games, FreshBooks, PBS and Xerox. I’ve helped more than 500 developers and app companies get found, and spoken at conferences in London, Singapore, China and Thailand. I also bought an ASO company, Appmind, which was later acquired by Mobile Action, where I stayed on as a consultant and ambassador.
Not everything I write is about marketing. Zero Excuses is my book on how to live a beautiful life. The Lazy Bastard is a productivity guide for procrastinators.
I build around the life I want to live.
When I worked as a diving instructor, I built diving websites. Now it’s sailing.
My partner Kristy and I are working towards buying a yacht, moving aboard and sailing Australia and the Pacific. Planning a life aboard means learning how to handle a boat, make good decisions and build experience. It also means working out which courses and qualifications fit the journey.
Where do you start? How do Coastal, Offshore and Ocean fit together? What experience do you need before an exam? How do you find a school that suits you? The information was scattered, so I did what I know how to do. I collected it, organised it and put it online.
That became Yachtmaster Course Australia. It sits alongside YouSail and the rest of our sailing network: Top Marinas, Sailing Schools, Sailing Courses, Sailing Clubs, Top Charters and Buy Sails.
Research, not a claim to know it all.
I’m not an expert sailor or a Yachtmaster instructor, and I haven’t trained with every school in Australia. What I’m good at is finding information and making it easy to use.
That’s the role of this site: help learners understand the pathway, practise their knowledge and ask useful questions of qualified instructors. The lessons and quizzes support learning; they don’t replace time on the water or formal assessment. Our editorial policy explains how we approach sources and the limits of our guidance.
Moving onto a yacht is me running out of excuses.
I’m based in Merimbula, on the NSW South Coast. If you run a sailing school, represent a marine brand, or just want to talk boats, email me at gabriel@yousail.com.au.
You can follow the full story at yousail.com.au.
Gabriel