How long have you been sailing?

I started sailing on a school trip to Gratham Water when I was 14 so that is a little over 40 years, on and off. Sometime I'll get the hang of it.

What do you sail?

Basically anything I can get my hands on, but normally my Dart 18. A great simple, stable man and a boy cat. My Nacra 6.0 should be fully functional soon so, providing we don't hit too many other boats, it should be a good season. Have you ever sailed anything else? Oh yes. Smallest was a sinker, a tiny windsurfer which only got going in a force 6, countless times I had to swim it back as the wind died. I still have a short board and a long board which is almost too heavy to get on the car roof-rack. The biggest was a Dutch sailing barge, 100 ft long, 22 turns of the wheel lock to lock, mainsail weighs in at ¾ ton, also only got going in a force 6. Favourite was a 42ft ketch which I hired many times in San Francisco bay and repeatedly broached while doing man overboard drills in honking winds and 21ft swells. Toppers, Picos, Wayfarers, cruisers of 27ft to 34ft.

What is your best/worst sailing moment?

Worst was in a topper on a large welsh lake when I realised what I thought was a duck quacking was actually a lone swimmer having an asthma attack. She was getting floppy before I could haul her aboard and set off for the nearest beach, but recovered by the time we landed. Although I was too shaken to appreciate her translucent white vest etc. So was it the worst, or best?

Got any top sailing tips you'd like to share?

Yes, sail with someone who can really sail, like Jill or Trevor or Shane.

If you'd like to share your sailing self with the rest of the club, please write your answers to the five questions outlined above and mail them, hopefully with a photo, to mainsheeteditor@googlemail.com.