Background

We first met Ryan when he was struggling to work out which berth he was supposed to mooring in, and Will rushed over to help. 

Will went on to provide some own boat coaching for Ryan and his family, focussing initially on manoeuvring in tight spaces, then progressing to more advanced sailing techniques. 

How White Dot Sailing helped

As Ryan's experience grew, so did his ambitions and before long he had set his sights on the ARC. White Dot Sailing worked with Ryan to help him get his boat and crew ready. 

Some of his crew were less experienced so we encouraged him to arrange a full-crew session focussing on safety, especially man-overboard recovery the day before their big departure.

As the crew mastered these drills, you could see their confidence blossom as they began to trust themselves and know they could handle an emergency.

Ryan says

"Will's focus on safety probably saved my life. Let me explain: At the very beginning, when I wasn't a very experienced sailor, I asked Will if he thought I could safely take my family across the Atlantic. He said it's a big undertaking, but if you are going to take the preparation seriously, then yes, you can do it.

So we went through a process to get the boat specced up and he also helped me realise that my wife and daughter weren't ready; they needed to feel comfortable on board and to know how to handle an emergency. They needed training to become competent crew, and he found the perfect instructor for them.

The day before we left we spent 4 hours reviewing all the safety equipment and the MOB procedures. 

And then on our very first day, in the middle of the English Channel, I fell overboard! But my family leapt into action going through the process perfectly. I knew before I hit the water that I would be ok, and sure enough I was back on board within 5 minutes.

I was a bit cocky at the beginning, but Will fundamentally changed our view on how to do something fun safely."