I have been pottering about in boats for 78 years and have shared or owned my own boat for most of that time. Whilst at Sandhurst, I had to opportunity to take part in a 1957 Sail Training race from Brest to the Canaries aboard the Bloodhound, then owned by Myles Wyatt, and did my 1000 miles and joined the Ocean Cruising Club and later qualified for the RORC aboard the Bloodhound.
Luckily for me, the Army thought sailing was good for one's character (Adventure Training!). I was given leave for RORC races including for the 1961 season including the Fastnet and Admirals Cupaboard the Myth of Malham, and leave for the 1962 Bermuda race with Geoff Pattinson (in Bermuda I was fortunate enough to meet Penelope on the beach).Then a passage home to Poole aboard 'Springtime', followed by Cowes week aboardt he Bloodhound, then under command of Prince Philip. I sailed on 'Windfalls'(ex German forces meter boats) in the Baltic and secured a 3rd in the Kiel Week Fehman Regatta in Uomie, then owned by the British Kiel YachtClub.
I was on a team choosing the classes of yachts to establish the Joint Services Sailing Centre at Gosport and was given command of a Nicholson 55 in Gibraltar to 'find' Madeira and return to Lisbon.Thank you, tax payer! I was appointed an Army Offshore Examiner which then morphed into being an RYA Examiner.
All our children started sailing in their carry cots. We had the use of a 29ft Warrior in Puget sound in the 1980s and later I had the great pleasure of campaigning for four years an OOD 34 'Red Alert', with acrew of family and friends winning the occasional line honour. I co-owned her with Roland Notley. We bought Galliard, our HR 35ft Rassey, in 1994 and have explored the rivers, creeks and anchorages of the South Coast of England and the North and West Coast of France, taking part in most enjoyable Squadron Rallies. During the past 25 years we have chartered in Thailand, British Columbia, the West Indies and Scotland and have sailed with friends from the Kingdom of Tonga to North Australia, from Hawaii to New Caledonia, in the Chesapeake and Florida and the West Indies from Grenada to the BVI.
I was on the Committee of the Ocean Cruising Club from 2002 to 2014 rising to Vice Commodore and taking the lead in gathering and publishing Cruising Information for all navigable waters across the globe.
Penelope and I have been participants in the RYS Race Management team for 25 years, serving our apprenticeship with Peter Somers and Peter Hunter aboard Jennifer Anne. We enjoy liaising with the Chef to maintain the standard and variety of lunches aboard committee vessels.