Double award for charity sailing instructors

Turn to Starboard CEO Shaun Pascoe and sailing instructor Dan Fielding both passed the RYA Yachtmaster Instructor assessment © Mark Hardaker

Two sailors from a sailing charity in Cornwall have passed a coveted Royal Yachting Association (RYA) exam.

Turn to Starboard CEO Shaun Pascoe and sailing instructor Dan Fielding both passed the Yachtmaster Instructor assessment at Falmouth last week.

The five-day course is for candidates who are already experienced RYA Cruising Instructor skippers and was a combination of tuition and assessment. The qualification enables the pair to instruct the practical course of Coastal Skipper and the Coastal and Offshore preparation courses, as well as the navigational courses in the classroom up to Yachtmaster Offshore level.

The top-level course was a blend of assessing the candidates' knowledge and ensuring the pair have a structured framework to instruct, coach, observe and deliver constructive feedback to students.

Shaun said: "We were fortunate to be assessed by two amazing and supportive RYA Yachtmaster instructor trainers, Andy and Chris, who were incredibly knowledgeable and made the week surprisingly fun. It was also reassuring to see that the training message we deliver at Turn to Starboard is the same as what the RYA expect, and focuses on safety, quality instruction and fun."

Turn to Starboard help military personnel affected by operations to gain sailing qualifications and help start new careers in the marine industry. The Falmouth-based charity also offer sailing trips for Service families to spend time together on a skippered yacht.

Former Royal Marine Dan said: "Gaining this qualification feels fantastic and makes all the hard work in preparation worthwhile. To be validated by such highly experienced instructors adds confidence and self-belief, while the expert training honed my tuition skills which I can pass on to beneficiaries who sail with us."

www.turntostarboard.co.uk