The Crew

Skipper Karen (well at least on paper)

Karen holds an RYA Yachmaster Ocean Qualification, is the most qualified sailor on board, and hence is the named skipper on paper (although in reality the role is shared with Patrick). She started sailing when she was 24 thanks to a friend who took her on a delivery trip of an IMX 38 froom Fort William, through the Caledonian Canal and down to Blyth via Edinburgh. After racing locally on the River Crouch she then met her husband on Zest, a Rob Humphries one off whilst competing in JOG Cross Channel races. On gaining her RYA Yachtmaster qualification she spent a summer season working for Sunsail in Greece before completing Yachtmaster Ocean training in Australia and then crossing the Atlantic West to East  as navigator on a Swan 46. 

First Mate Patrick 

Patrick has been sailing all his life, is by far the most experienced crew member despite no formal qualifications. He sailed dinghies as a child, then had a crack at windsurfing before getting involved with Tall Ships, both in the UK and overseas in Western Australia and Canada. This included sailing as Watch Leader and Watch Officer. He then started offshore racing in the JOG and RORC races including the '93 Fasnet Race.  He has completed two transatlantics, as well as racing his own Kim Holman designed Stella, a wooden classic, on the East Coast of England.

Cabin Boy AJ
AJ has also been sailing all his life, first aboard our classic Stella, and then later on Laurin. He raced with us when he was 6 months old, beating Richard Mathews to the first mark in the East Coast Classics Regatta and coming second in class over the weekend. He first crossed the North Sea to Oostende when he was 1 year old and since then has become a valued crew member in his own right, with 2 further return North Sea Crossings under his belt.











Able Seagirl Esmé

Esmé has also been sailing all her life. We bought Laurin when she was 4 months old and I remember with horror, climbing up the ladder to view her with Esmé strapped to me in a baby carrier. She had her first night aboard as a baby in February 2011 and has loved being on board ever since. She is now starting to follow in her brother's footsteps as a valued crew member, interested in learning all she can about how our boat works. She has also enjoyed our last 2 holidays where we crossed the North Sea to spend the summers in The Netherlands.