Meet the Team

Jane Sanders - Your first point of contact

Chances are that Jane will be your first point of contact when you call or e mail us. She is expert in getting back to you ASAP, able to give you full up to date information on availability and to answer any questions you may have.

She is skilled in her ability to help you from her days of being a travel agent, both high street and on line and the greeting you get will be warm and friendly. If you need assistance in sorting your travel arrangements, Jane’s passed experience and her friendly nature will soon be able to guide you where to look for the best deals etc.

If you have any “special” requirements, eating preferences etc, she will ensure you are well catered for when attending your course.

Mark Sanders - Chief Instructor

Mark is the chief instructor and you’ll be in very safe hands as he has over 50 years sailing experience in all types of craft. Having left school at 16 he joined the Merchant Navy and studied as a navigator. In the MN for 10 years (Jane was there for 5 years too) he learnt his navigational skills on 25,000 tonnes Product Carriers, travelling worldwide and, didn’t get lost once!

He joined Herne Bay Sailing Club in 1988 and enjoyed sailing and racing all dinghies, especially the Dart 15 catamaran, (2-up National Champion in 2002 with daughter Elizabeth, 2nd in 2004 with daughter Freya – Freya and Alice going on to have careers in the Superyacht industry - sailing runs in the family). In 1996, he and the family set up HBSC as an RYA training centre and grew it to be one of the largest in the county, teaching school children and adults alike how to enjoy the water safely.

Mark & Jane set up Learn2Sail in 2008 and thoroughly enjoy their work. “We specialise in teaching those completely new or with little experience in sailing the joys of sailing a cruising yacht and in a fantastic location that genuinely offers a 12 month sailing season”. Add in a good measure of humour and empathy and that’s what we are about.

Jane & Mark have been a “team” for over 40 years and complement each other in their skill sets so that you will have a fantastic and stress free start to your sailing adventure.

Brian Almond – RYA Cruising Instructor

Brian is like your favorite uncle, calm, reassuring and unflappable. He’s been instructing with us for 6 years and is helpful & cheery at all times.

As a Cruising instructor, Brian teaches the Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses and can confidently move between our boats teaching on monohull or catamaran.

He has a wealth of experience behind him with having skippered his own boat for over 30 years.

He is passionate about people, the sea and sailing.

You are always sure of a warm welcome from Brian.

Simon Melhuish – RYA Cruising Instructor

Simon has been sailing with us for over 10 years, having passed as a YachtMaster Offshore with us in 2011. He is a Cruising Instructor and teaches the Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses which he loves.

He has years of experience and sailing miles under his belt having now owned several yachts including a 45 ft catamaran.

Passionate about sailing and in seeing people succeed, his calm and relaxed manner will quickly put you at ease and with his sympathetic nature he will always get the best from you . Very conscious as regards making you feel at home and in creating a positive learning experience for you.

You’re guaranteed to thoroughly enjoy your time onboard with Simon as your instructor.

Dave Horrocks – RYA Yachtmaster Instructor

Dave’s from Aviemore in Scotland and loves the chance to get his shorts on and to come instructing for us.

He’s a fully qualified YachtMaster Instructor and recently passed his MCA Master 200 examination, so there’s very little on the technical front that he doesn’t know about. Coupled with the fact that he’s been sailing for years on his own boat and with SportScotland National Watersports Centre, he revels in the practical aspects of teaching sailing.

He thoroughly enjoys his instructing and that shows with the many students that have sung his praises after completing their courses. Able to take you from Competent Crew to YachtMaster, you’ve got a great guy looking after you on your course with Dave.

Piero Moschetta – RYA Yachtmaster Instructor

Piero Moschetta is from Milano and new to the team for 2021. He brings with him the Italian passion for sailing and pure joy of teaching those new to sailing. With a wealth of sailing experience behind him you will thoroughly enjoy your learning/sailing experience onboard with Piero.

Steve Fowler – RYA Cruising Instructor

Steve has recently retired from being a commercial airline pilot (33 years) and has also been a flying instructor and PPL examiner since 1978. He’s been a dinghy sailor since 1986 and instructed sailing for the BA Offshore Sailing Club.

Sailing cruisers for 36 years in UK waters, the Mediterranean, Caribbean and BVi’s. His strengths are patience and empathy, especially with those starting out in their sailing career, something he s brought over from his flying days. With a wealth of experience and able to teach it in a good humoured way, you’ll thoroughly enjoy your time aboard with Steve “Top Gun” Fowler :).

Luis Rodriguez – RYA Cruising Instructor

Luis has recently found his love of instructing sailing after several years working in the yachting industry. Being Portuguese himself he loves sailing in his home waters and is a mine of information when it comes to knowing about the area we sail in.

As a professional skipper doing charter work, he has experience on many different types of boat including monohulls like Jeanneau, Bavaria and Dufours and also catamarans like Lagoon, Fontaine Pajot and Sunreef, including a trans-Atlantic to Panama on a Sunreef 60.

He is mature and enthusiastic, yet calm in his approach to instructing and has the patience of a saint when it comes to teaching new skills to students. He loves to work with you and at your pace to achieve your goals.

You will thoroughly enjoy your time onboard with our “local sailing guru”, Luis!