About Classic Sailing

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Adam & Debbie Purser
Co-Founding Directors of Classic Sailing

They met on the Malcolm Miller while exporing the Western Isles of Scotland and are now considered the experts in sailing adevntures aboard traditional boats.

Adam: I grew up sailing in St Mawes Cornwall but only started tall ship sailing in 1990.

That first voyage on the STS Malcolm Miller changed my life. It changed my career from a successful toy entrepreneur to a salty sea dog. From living in the  Midlands to living in Cornwall. From one wife to another and ultimately to the creation of Classic Sailing. Friends I made twenty years ago on that first voyage are still with me.

The thrill of going aloft and deep sea sailing is still with me. Proof is in my recent adventure reducing sails aloft as we sailed passed Cape Horn this March! The beauty of traditional sailing for me is that there are always new experiences and different adventures to look forward to.

Debbie: Running away to sea on a tall ship at 19 had a profound affect on me.

 Not exactly a troubled youth, I was suffering from depression and looking for a good reason for becoming an adult. Sail training on square riggers was all about personal development, self esteem, and creating a spark of motivation for school leavers and socially excluded youth.

I became more hooked on traditional boats and I began to see that they could have huge benefits for adults too and teenagers did not have a monopoly on angst.

Debbie by Sam Morgan Moore

I have stowed sails 90ft above the deck with a slight 70 year old ex ballerina, stood alongside a blind lady as she helmed a 600 ton sailing ship into Alderney Harbour by audio compass, and played Russian roulette with icebergs on lookout at night with square sails towering above my head. Not bad for a day job. I am very proud of Classic Sailing and how it enables everyday people to be ‘heroes on holiday’.

Please call 01872 580022 to speak to Adam or Debbie or email them at skippers@classic-sailing.co.uk