The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SKIPPERS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
K
I
P
P
E
R
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Captains" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case captains = skippers.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SKIPPERS mean?
SKIPPERS noun- The master of a ship.
- A coach, director, or other leader.
- The captain of a sports team such as football, cricket, rugby or curling.
- Agent noun of skip: one who skips.
- A person who skips, or fails to attend class.
- Any of various butterflies of the families Hesperiidae and its subfamily Megathyminae, having a hairy mothlike body, hooked tips on the antennae, and a darting flight pattern.
- Any of several marine fishes that often leap above water, especially Cololabis saira, the Pacific saury.
- A young, thoughtless person.
- The cheese maggot, the larva of a cheese fly, in Piophilidae, which leaps to escape predators.
- A barn or shed in which to shelter for the night.