“I learnt to sail in Eastbourne 12 years ago and I have sailed at Orford for two years. My favourite thing about sailing in Orford is also being able to go for a cruise and enjoy the more relaxing side of sailing.

When I am teaching sailing, I really enjoy watching the student’s progression and passion for the sport grow as they develop from beginners to sailors able to race competitively and/or pass on their newfound knowledge and experience on to others by qualifying as Instructors themselves.

My favourite boat is the 18 foot skiff as they are the pinnacle of dinghy sailing. I race regularly in Eastbourne, sailing my Laser for many years, and last year I enjoyed competing in an RS200 on the National Circuit with Miranda Cook.

My favourite moment on the water happened many years ago when I took my Laser out for its first sail the day after I bought it. It was my first time sailing my own boat.

My biggest sailing mishap was in a Dart 16, with Miranda, on a very windy and rough day. The traveller snapped and I had to fix it quickly so that we could tack and not end up on the beach!

My favourite sailing memory is having the perfect sailing conditions in Eastbourne: a good force 4 and flat water and flying downwind, trapezing with the kite up in a Laser 4000 skiff.

My best sailing memory of 2022 is sailing to the spit in Orford to swim in the sea.”

“I started out sitting in the front of a Mirror with my mum and did my first sailing course at OSC when I was 10. I like sailing at Orford because every time you go on the river it is different, and yet it always feels like home.

For me, I love teaching because I get to see other people getting excited and enjoying one of my favourite things in the world. I love getting to spread a love of the river and the sport.

My favourite boat is either a Pico (because they are practically indestructible and nothing can ever go too far wrong), or our little day boat ‘Bojangles’ because I love being able to sleep on the water and am really enjoying learning to sail and DIY her.

I don’t tend to race, and when I do I’m likely to finish rather near the back! I love the feeling in the evening after a day in the salt and wind and sun.”

“I like sailing at Orford because it is quick and easy for me to rig up my Feva and I can go out in my boat whenever I like and take out my friends too. I can sail to Aldeburgh or round the island if I’d like a longer trip. I know the area well and live in the village so to getting down to the water to sail is a short walk or cycle making it very convenient. I am also able to use my boat to sail up to Dove Point and stop on the Ness to have picnics etc in the summer.

I love seeing the joy on kids faces when they master a skill well and grow in confidence as they improve their sailing skills. I believe the importance of being taught well gives people the ability to go out sailing to practice, enjoy their leisure time safely or even take part in racing. Without well-established skills in sailing this is not possible to a high degree.

My favourite boat to sail with friends in Orford is an RS Feva XL. However, last year I very much enjoyed racing my new boat, an RS200 with my sailing partner Matt Riley and I love the sense of freedom and the adrenaline of a thrilling sail in strong winds.

My biggest mishap sailing in Orford is either getting rocks stuck in the dagger board slot jamming it halfway in when we went aground on the spit to go swimming in the sea and then couldn’t get the board back down for the sail back OR having my partner break the spinnaker whilst sailing towards Raydon and being unable to tack due to the sail being caught under the hull round the dagger board and so sailing helplessly towards Aldeburgh.

My best moments sailing in Orford was winning the Feva Cup in the Class racing, sailing up to the Ness in lockdown and swimming with the Seals and sailing in the Ten Footer race on Regatta Day with Hannah (Kunert).

My best sailing memory of 2022 is from my brief stint team racing with Annabel Nash on a session.”

“I grew up on boats, starting with Melody of Orford when I was two weeks old! Trips to Holland for our summer holidays and dinghy racing on the Orwell gave me a love of all things boating.

My racing career started in Optimists at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club and then progressed into Toppers. Latterly we moved to Orford Sailing Club where we raced Wayfarers, Lasers and Flying Fifteens at the Orford and Aldeburgh Regattas.

I worked up through the RYA Dinghy Scheme qualifying as a Dinghy Instructor in 1993 and working in Salcombe at the Island Cruising Club, teaching RYA Levels 1-5 in a range of sailing dinghies and keel boats.

In 1996 and 1997 I worked as a DI at OSC under the stewardship of Liz Feisbsch, with club stalwarts Hatty Spinney and Fi Hitchcock.

In 2000 I went to Australia and qualified as an Australian Sailing Instructor and taught sailing at the Pacific Sailing Club in Sydney Harbour. This also involved yacht racing on a range of boats from Farr 40s, Sydney 38s and as a bowman on an Open 60.

Powerboating has always been a love of mine from dinghies with outboards, to supporting students, racers and training Wakeboarders. I even have my Ferry Boat Licence which I have used to do Haversgate Island trips and Ferryman across the Deben Entrance.

I qualified as a Powerboat Instructor in 2022 to allow me to help improve safety and enjoyment on the water. With the freedom we all have to enjoy the water comes great responsibility and as RIBS and technology allows more and more water users, it is increasingly important that everybody has the skills and awareness to be safe. Whether it is ensuring safe operation of boats, or simply helping people have a stress free day out, I enjoy passing on the knowledge and experience I have been lucky enough to gain over the years.”

“My first experiences of sailing were at OSC.

I completed the RYA stage 3 at the age of 10, followed by the ‘start racing and spinnaker’ courses.

I then became a helper and then an OSC Assistant Instructor before gaining my Dinghy Instructor ticket in 2017. I was a DI at OSC for the following three summers.

I am now a professional sailor and currently work in the Offshore Wind Farm Industry on a 26 metre crew transfer vessel.

I have been able to combine my love of sailing with working in the Industry becoming a Commercially Endorsed MCA RYA Yachtmaster in 2023. Initially I worked in Greece as a Flotilla Lead Skipper. My work schedule in the Wind Farm Industry allowed me to recently deliver a Yacht from Guernsey to Lagos, Portugal and to return to Orford this year to teach for the first time in eight years.”

“I was taught to sail at OSC and I’ve been an Instructor for five years. Everyone is friendly, and it’s a real pleasure to be in Orford. It is very satisfying to see a person begin to enjoy sailing, and the camaraderie amongst Instructors is lots of fun. As sailing is such a dangerous sport, it’s clearly important that students are properly taught.

I race and my favourite boat is a Laser. I love the freedom and the peace on the water (even when it’s blowing a gale).

My worst moment on the water was turtling a Wayfarer and my favourite moment was the 2018 Sea Race in my Laser, and the exhilaration of sailing over large waves.”

“I learnt to sail at OSC. I’ve been an Instructor for six years, but I started helping out on the courses when I was 14.

If you can sail in Orford, you can sail anywhere and you’re never short of generous and supportive people to help you learn.

Teaching people to sail is about making sure they’re comfortable in the boats and on the water. Often, they are in the water too! If a student loves sailing or had a fantastic time with us, then we’ve done our jobs, whether or not they’re the most technical, fastest or most competitive.

I would have to say my favourite boat is a Topper, because it’s the first boat I single-handed and I grew up sailing them. A Laser One is probably a more sensible boat, now that I’m not quite so little anymore.

I used to race a fair amount; however I don’t love it in the same way that I love going for a pootle down the river, but I will always do the Instructor’s race at the Junior Regatta!

I love the relaxation and comfort I get from sailing. I was so young when I learned to sail that it’s second nature to me now and possibly the least stressful activity I can think of, and even in strong winds, it’s just, really good fun.

I’d have to say my biggest mishap sailing was getting my topper stuck under the Lady Flo” (The Lady Florence). Thankfully she was moored at the time!

There are so many best moments sailing, but my favourite memories are doing the sailing courses at Orford, with Rachael, my best pal and fellow Instructor.”

“I started sailing Topper Ones when I was seven. This will be my third summer as an Instructor, but I have been helping on the courses since I was 13 and I think I got my AI at fourteen.

I love the community around OSC and I think it is a great place to sail. It is also very convenient for me as I live in the village.

I don’t race, but I really like sailing small boats like RS Fevas. I love being surrounded by the water and nature and I love sailing with another person.

Luckily, I haven’t had too many mishaps but one time my kicker strap snapped and the boom wouldn’t stay on the mast because it was pretty windy so I had to sail without the boom.

My best moment sailing was probably when I saw a porpoise in the river, but some of my other favourite moments have just been sailing up or back down from the spit with friends whilst listening to music.”

“I love Orford because it is such a beautiful place to sail, and also quite challenging. It is such a lovely environment with a lovely community surrounding it.

I like watching the children get better and gain confidence because that is what the club allowed me to do and it is amazing to watch others start to love sailing.

My favourite boat is probably a Hartley.  I sometimes race, but not seriously. I love the excitement of going fast and feeling in complete control of my boat.

My biggest mishap actually happened on my DI training course. It was February, very cold and my boat turtled, with me in it, while tethered to the safety boat. The rope snapped and I started to drift down the river holding on to a capsized boat with no rudder. I lost the centreboard and by chance, hit the buoy of the only moored boat on the river. I thought this might stop my boat but the boat actually went over the top and forced me underneath.

My best moment was sailing home from the spit, the sun was setting, and it was beautiful and calm and my favourite moment on the water was winning a race with Ruby Brint. It was such fun as it was quite a tight race in amazing conditions.”

“What I primarily enjoy about teaching is improving people’s confidence on the water. I have found that most of the kids I have taught can be quite nervous after only sailing once before, and it’s really rewarding to be able to encourage them and build on their confidence until they are able to sail comfortably on their own and further develop their skills.

At the moment, I would have to say a Topper is my personal favourite boat, as that’s what I sail the most in, however, I am keen to gain more experience in RS200s and have been sailing in one with a friend at the Royal Harwich and my plan is to continue sailing in one during the school summer term.

Daisy has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean … twice. The return to the UK across the pond was just her and her Dad equally sharing their watches (Daisy’s parents sailed round the world before having children).

My favourite moments on the water would have to be the night watches while crossing the Atlantic in 2019. I would be on deck alone for 4 hours between 8-12 and I really enjoyed being able to sail on my own and keep look out. The sky was also incredible as there was no light pollution so it felt like I could see the entire Milky Way.

Our worst moment was probably when the kicker snapped when we were sailing across the Atlantic. My father and I had to fabricate a replacement that would support the boom for the last 300 nautical miles. I think this repair did not last so if I remember correctly, we just sailed with the jib and mizzen.

A favourite sailing moment was when I did my DI course in 2022. While all five boats were on a dead run, everyone capsized in almost a synchronised manner and one of the people on my course attempted a dry capsize but ending up sliding down the side of the boat which was hilarious. I also really enjoyed helping out at the East Anglian Sea School during the summer as an assistant instructor, as I gained so much experience with teaching children and helping them achieve their goals.”

“I learnt to sail in Orford and Alton waters and started to race when I was eleven. What I really enjoy about teaching is being out on the water and passing on my experience and knowledge to the new, young sailors. I also enjoy being in the sun with friends, out on the estuary, having a good time.

My favourite boat is my Laser, but I also like my Dad’s old Wayfarer. I love to race and can get quite competitive. When I was younger, I also did some racing for the RS Tera Eastern Squad.
A favourite moment a couple of years ago was running down the pontoon with Raffi and taking the Safety Boat to help a sailor.

My biggest mishap is turtling a Wayfarer dead down wind and having to right it on my own.”

“I learnt to sail at Orford Sailing Club ten years ago on Toppers. Sailing at Orford is good as the conditions there are constantly changing, so each sail is never the same. I enjoy teaching as it is good to see students becoming more confident in themselves as they learn new skills.

My favourite boat is a Laser, as they are a very competitive racing class.

Immie raced her Laser 4.7 at the Laser Nationals in late August 2023.

My favourite moment on the water was my first big competition in Weymouth. There were 125 lasers racing over the weekend and the weather conditions were really challenging with winds up to 32 mph.

My biggest mishap on the water was nearly losing both my daggerboard and rudder during an east Laser training session at Brightlingsea in February. It was really windy and I turtled at sea and luckily managed to get the Laser back up and sorted quickly as the sea was very cold.

My best sailing memory was the Orford SC Junior Regatta in 2022, where I won the under 17s cup and the parents cup with my Mum.”

“OSC is a place like no other where you find a community spirit which is so accepting and welcoming, that by the end of the summer you feel as if you re leaving behind your family. Teaching or sailing in Orford always feels like home and it never fails to put a smile on my face. There are such a wide range of ways to participate at the sailing club: lessons in the classroom and out on the water, racing, family sailing Wednesdays, delivered talks from the experienced sailors of the community. Never will you find OSC boring, there s always something for everyone. Personally, I fell in love with the competitive side of sailing and don t mind a good race. However, I would never say no to a good old dove point picnic. My biggest mishap was definitely the time where, during the junior regatta, I got stuck in the immense wind shadow of the Lady Flo resulting in a few dents in my topper.”

“I have been sailing at OSC all my life and did my first Topper 1 course with the club when I was 8. I love everything about Orford and it is an amazing place to be and to teach. I love teaching especially watching a nervous new sailor find a newfound confidence.

I am definitely not a racer and have often been heard saying that it was a good race if I crossed the finishing line! My favourite boat to sail is definitely my RS Feva as I can either sail it alone or take friends out for an adventure.

My favourite moment on the water last year was entering the Sea Race and leaving the river by dinghy for the first time, although the conditions could only be described as the perfect storm and it resulted in a tow home for many, I was still incredibly proud of myself for staying upright out at sea!”

“I have been sailing since I first did Topper One and enjoyed every second of it. It was that summer when I decided that sailing was my passion and have been pursuing it ever since. It has been the highlight of my summer every year since then. The people there, both teaching the course and learning it alongside me, really helped me make the most out of the experience. They have helped me make many of my favourite memories there on the water with games and exercises that make it worthwhile. For me, teaching the kids and helping them learn the skills needed to sail is one of the best bits as I can see how much they enjoy it, reminding me of the fun I used to have when I was learning to sail, and the things I experienced during that time which ignited my passion for the sport.”

“My first experience of sailing was here in Orford at the age of 10. I have thoroughly enjoyed working my way through all the courses starting from Topper 1 and finishing with some more advanced courses such as Seamanship Skills.

It s great to be part of such a warm community with lots of young keen sailors. At the moment, I would say my favourite boat to sail is a Laser however toppers are what I have spent most of my life learning to sail on. I am more of a fair-weather sailor myself, so I only find myself sailing when the suns outs.

There have definitely been some minor mishaps in my time sailing. One example where things haven’t necessarily gone to plan was when I found myself on the helm on a Feva being asked to land it having never landed a boat before. This did not go to plan as I ploughed through the pontoon with an audience watching me from the clubhouse.”

“I’ve been sailing in orford for my entire life and I’ve always enjoyed being on the water. Around 2 years ago after finishing all of the courses OSC had to offer I decided that I wanted to be an instructor as wanted to pass my knowledge onto the people who are just as keen of sailing as I am.

My favourite boat is a feva, which I love to race in as a crew. I have race in the National Schools feva regatta at Hayling Island and have also sailed many other regattas as well. I also enjoy sailing Toppers, which are the boat that I first learnt to sail in.

My biggest sailing mishap was when I turtled a topper in the middle of the river and lost the daggerboard. The daggerboard wasn’t attached properly to the boat so I was left lying on top of the upturned boat as it drifted down the river until another boat came to rescue me.”

“I’ve grown up sailing in Orford, from Topper 1 all the way through every course, I became an AI in 2021, and am now on my third year of teaching. In the autumn of 2023, I became a DI and am now looking forward extending my teaching for many years to come.

I love a cheeky bit of Feva or Hartley sailing, and my family have recently purchased a Hartley as well, at the request of myself, and it has quickly become my favourite boat to sail in.

However, it has definably not been all smooth sailing for me, and of course, there have definitely been a couple mistakes I’ve made along the way. To name just one of many, I remember capsizing a line of toppers which were all getting towed back from the floating pontoon. This made for an awkward moment with my colleagues watching on from the club house, but also taught me a valuable lesson about towing boats and thinking on my feet.

Aside from this minor mishap, I have loved sailing in Orford and am absolutely buzzing to pass on my excitement and love for sailing onto the students in courses to come and can t wait to get my first season as a DI underway in the 2024 season.”

“I have been sailing in Orford for as long as I can remember. I first came to Orford as a very young child and have been involved with the river and the sailing club since the very first day. My grandfather, Michael Pearce, was commodore of Orford Sailing Club the year I was born and has been heavily involved in the sailing club and my sailing ‘career throughout my entire life.

I completed all the courses that were possible as I grew up as this was encouraged by everyone in my family and I absolutely loved doing them. Once completing the courses, I started helping at 14 and have recently become a DI. I have raced in Aldeburgh Regatta the last few years however tend to take a much more relaxed approach in comparison to many of the sailors in Aldeburgh.

I have two favourite boats, one being a Laser Radial and the other being a Topper. I have sailed Toppers my whole life and have many great memories in these boats. My favourite memory being completing the ‘Round the Island challenge set by my grandfather with a £30 reward for completing it, and my worst memory being between drifting out the river with 8 people all crammed onto a Topper or when me and my older cousin nosedived a Topper on a windy and choppy day, causing it to jump out the water and flip. However, I did enjoy these moments despite being very scared at the time.”

“I have been sailing at Orford all my life and started the Topper Courses aged 8, progressing through to seamanship skills, Helping and then becoming an Orford SC Assistant Instructor. I qualified as a Dinghy Instructor this year.

I love sailing at Orford as I have grown up here and the location gives you enormous freedom. You can sail down to Aldeburgh for fish and chips or to Dove Point for a picnic and a swim in the sea.

My favourite boat to sail is either my Topper ‘Dodger’ or my Mum’s Mirror ‘Tinkerbell’. However, when I was younger I definitely would have said James Robinson’s Optimist ‘Tally-Ho’.

My favourite moment last year was attempting the sea race in our Mirror with my Mum. Although it ended in a tow when the wind died on re-entered the river, we had to cope with a ‘perfect storm’ whilst at sea. It was really exciting leaving the river in a dinghy for the first time.

My biggest mishap sailing was a while ago and taking my friend out in the Topper in quite strong winds on the way back from Dove Point. We decided to beach at first landing after capsizing a few times in the strong gusts and waited for a tow back from my parents in the rib. It was still really fun and we went mud sliding whilst we waited.

I’m really excited to teach this year as I love being out on the water.”

“I have been on boats at Orford Sailing Club since 4 months old and since then I have gone through most of the courses from Toppers to Fevas to doing my Seamanship course. After completing the courses I always wanted to teach and pass down the knowledge I had learnt about boats and the river we sail on.

I have been sailing in Toppers for the large majority of my life and have recently switched over to my Laser. I love the thrill of racing at Orford as well as the relaxing manner of cruising around the island or going to Dove Point.

My favourite moment at Orford was when I won the Topper Series Gold class and came second Overall. I was so proud of myself as I raced in all conditions over the course of the summer. Although there have definitely been highs in my sailing career, I have definitely had some mishaps. The one that comes to mind the most would have to be when I was fixing the back of a topper during a tow back from Raydon; where I fell into the river just before the start of the slipway and had to do a swim of shame back in!”