Testimonials
Just some of our happy sailors
May I second Nanette’s sentiments and thank all at Windward for getting us safely and swiftly round a rock and back. It may have felt fun all the time but it certainly is something I will look back on with pleasure and pride. Also genuine thanks to all my fellow inmates/crew who each played a part in making it happen and were a pleasure to sail with. And my excuse for being a party pooper...found the wife and dogs, had a quiet drink in the village, decided our best plan was to find somewhere open selling dog food then drive round to the Barbican.....what could go wrong! Well, on the drive I realised how much I wanted to sleep and how sore I was when the tablets wear off....sorry. I too will share a few pics later (to the appropriate group) if I find any decent ones....Philip I definitely want the “sun through the storm one” from Sunday.... Shame I couldn’t share a celebratory drink once rested and clean but would welcome the chance to do so with each and all in future. Here’s to future adventures and hope your return journeys are safe and smooth.
let me thank all of you as well as team windward for getting me through this season of most diverse sailing experiences. Barely knowing a single English sailing related word, and changing from Mediterranean climate to the British coastline provided for lots of learning and memories that will remain. I am glad I had the opportunity right by your sides. looking forward to meeting all of you in the future around the world in random places
I'd like to add my thanks to Derek, Sandra, Mark, Josh, Guy and Hazel for making this possible. This was my first season of offshore racing and you all made it an amazing experience. I almost quit after the Le Havre race but I'm so glad I stuck with it. I also wanted to congratulate and thank the rest of the crew and apologise to those whose footwear I vomited on. The day I got off Venomous at Plymouth I thought for a moment "never again" but with each day that has gone by since I'm missing it more. As it stands now I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing some of you again on the water (if you'll have me of course).
It was an absolute pleasure taking part in this 2019 edition of the Fastnet. The lead up to the race was great and Fastnet 2019 was fantastic with enough “spice” to make it memorable! I have a lovely memory of Josh aka Spider-Man being hoisted up to the clew to change the sheets. The fact that we then had to hoist him to the top of the mast upon arrival in Plymouth seems now very fitting 🙂 I love the fact that a bunch of people who did not know each other to start with ended up becoming a real band of brothers and one sister and this is a true testimony of the great spirit the Sanders family infused into us all. It was fun and a great pleasure sailing with all of you and I look forward to us all crossing paths again on the seas and oceans that have drawn us all together.
Many thanks for enabling and guiding me through this fantastic and memorable sailing adventure. I have learned a lot in such a short but wonderful time such as race-, big-boat-, storm-sailing and a lot of other things, all very useful to my hopefully progressing sailing-life. Sandra thank you for the preparation. Derek thank you for your calm and responsible skippering and introducing me into differentiating race-/storm-/survival-modus, nevertheless, I always felt safe on board. Mark thank you for your motivating art complex manoeuvres getting done safe, right, quick and calm. Josh thank you for your steering and your easy-looking but surely hard to do foredeck-and mast-"gymnastics". The day I got off Venomous at Plymouth I thought for a moment "never again" but with each day that has gone by since I'm missing it more. As it stands now I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing some of you again on the water (if you'll have me of course).