Heavy/NBCUniversal Captain Sandy
“Below Deck: Mediterranean” star Captain Sandy Yawn has always supported the crew members that she works with both on and off the show. Yawn spoke with Heavy ahead of “Below Deck: Med”‘s eighth season (which has an anticipated 2023 premiere, though Bravo has yet to announce a date) to promote her partnership with Chips Ahoy for the cookie brand’s 60th anniversary, and touched on one relationship from her time at sea that has seen some turbulence over the years.
Malia White appeared on Yawn’s crew for seasons two, five, and six of the show. She started as a deckhand and by her last two seasons was working as a bosun. In the Summer of 2021, Yawn (herself gay) shared a cameo video where she said that she and the “Below Deck” production team suspected White was “secretly gay”, comments which “shocked” White, who is straight. Yawn later apologized for, claiming her comments were taken out of context.
Now, when asked about “ups and downs” in her relationship with White by Heavy, Yawn confirmed, “I’ve never really had ups and downs with Malia. Ever. I’ve always been team Malia. She is focused on one thing, a career at sea. And she has not stopped, and I’m really happy for her. Like I will always support Malia 1000%.”
Malia White Shared Her Perspective
In February 2023, White revealed on her “Total Ship Show” podcast that she and Yawn are in a good place, telling her guest (and season six chief stewardess Katie Flood), “I love Captain Sandy. I love her, absolutely. I admire her — she’s what made me want to get in the industry, like stick in it.”
Yawn and Malia have always supported each other’s yachting careers. In fact, the pair ran into each other in April 2022 while taking a licensing class at Maritime Professional Training, with Yawn tweeting at the time, “Keeping up our certifications and advancing our maritime careers! If you’re looking for a school, check out Maritime Professional Training in Fort Lauderdale! #BelowDeck #BoatingMeansBusiness #GirlPower 🛳 ⚓ 💪” with a screenshot of a selfie that White had posted to her Instagram story.
Keeping up our certifications and advancing our maritime careers! If you’re looking for a school, check out Maritime Professional Training in Fort Lauderdale! #BelowDeck #BoatingMeansBusiness #GirlPower 🛳⚓💪
Captain Sandy Shares Plans for BravoCon 2023
During the interview with Heavy, Yawn was very excited to share her partnership with Chips Ahoy during their 60th anniversary. For their birthday celebration, Chips Ahoy chartered a private yacht to give some lucky fans a one-of-a-kind experience. While Yawn did not drive the boat, she christened it ahead of its launch and got to have the full on-board experience. When asked why she was partnering with Chips Ahoy, Yawn said, “I grew up with Chips Ahoy in my house. […] To be a part of something that you grew up with is such a joyful feeling.
“I don’t care what kind of mood you’re in. You give them a Chips Ahoy cookie, they’re going to smile. You put cookies in front of them, how could you not smile? And so to be a part of their 60th birthday sweepstakes. Everything they do for their fans is incredible,” Yawn added.
Yawn also connected the cookies back to another fan experience: BravoCon. When asked if she was planning to make the trip to Las Vegas from November 3-5 for BravoCon 2023, Yawn confirmed that she was looking forward to it.
“Yes of course, and at the same time Adele is playing, I hope I can see Adele,” Yawn said, “But the reality is, BravoCon is the ultimate fan experience, and I hope that in that setting we got some Chips Ahoy cookies, because to be honest, it’s always a good match, isn’t it? When you have your favorite snacks, and your favorite fans.”
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