Office Staff

Becky and Adam trying out our new Classic Sailing Smocks - available with different vessel names to suit your favourite.

Classic Sailing International HQ -A Rural Affair

We accidentally downsized in 2008 during the height of the recession from a huge office, classroom and workshop to just one end of the building. Ironically since then we have been expanding rapidly. Our current office in Gerrans near Portscatho is tiny but we manage to squeeze four people into what used to be our workshop. If Eve's skipper comes ashore too, it gets really cozy. Outside is a perfect bit of rural Cornwall, but when the SE gales blow you can hear the surf on the Roseland coastline and taste the salt in the air. We can nip just outside the door for a coffee and a bit of fresh air and watch the horses cavorting in the wind or the Cornish Black pigs in the orchard.  Telephone conversations about sailing are often drowned out by our landlord's chickens.

Pop in for a Cup of Tea

If you find yourself on the single track road to St Anthony Lighthouse then you really should pop in for a cup of tea.  We can do Italian coffee, builders tea, earl grey, herbal tea, rooibus tea, cows milk or soya milk on a good day. Look out for Parton Vrane (means 'Field of the Crows' in Cornish)  on the left, about 0.75 miles beyond Gerrans Church.  Look for a low timber clad building with 6ft high 'Classic Sailing' painted in white on black workshop doors.

The office normally comprises Adam and Debbie Purser, Georgia Witchell and Becky Treneer with Catherine Thomas as part time doing the bookkeeping.  Out of the window about two miles to the east we can watch sailing ships heading along the Cornish Coast past Nare Head and Gull Rock. 

Georgia - Our Adventure Travel Consultant

Georgia is the continuity in the office especially when Adam or Debbie or both are at sea. She is a keen sailor and has sailed modern and traditional yachts and also on Eve of St Mawes and Bessie Ellen in the Canary Islands. She is looking forward to sailing on more of our fleet and passed her RYA Yachtmaster Offshore on Eve in 2012. She has travelled widely from the North West Passage in Canada to Nepal and has considerable experience in the travel industry -working for adventure trekking companies like Explore and Steppes Travel. Georgia enjoys researching new destinations and keeping Classic Sailing directors on their toes and will be glad to answer any of your questions. This winter (2012-13) She helped sail a gaff cutter from Canaries to Cape Verde and accross the Atlantic. In 2013 we are encouraging and training her to skipper Eve as an extra relief skipper.  In her spare time Georgia loves running, leads a regular aerobics class in St Mawes and has just started racing Falmouth Working Boat Evelyn.

Photo: Georgia helming 100 year old Falmouth Working Boat Evelyn

Adam & Debbie Purser - Co Founders & Eve Skippers

Far too much has been written about us. The team above are the real workers in the office. If you really must know read co founders or Eve Skippers

Catherine - Another Woman of many Talents

Accounts are always bang up to date thanks to Catherine. It helps that she lives next door and is our landlady. Catherine has also sailed on Eve of St Mawes and Annabel J and her own Martin Heard 28ft gaff cutter. With her husband Chris they charter yachts in places the rest of us have never been too from Thailand to Croatia. She also enjoys racing on Evelyn (a historic Falmouth Working boat built in the 19^th century and still racing) and looking after the growing number of farm animals around Parton Vrane.

See a very un-nautical photo below.

Melissa Williams - Eve Skipper and occasional office staff

Melissa spends most the season on Eve, but when she is in the office answering the telephone she is well travelled and knowledgeable about quite a few of vessels we promote and sailing destinations around the world.  Melissa has a History of Art Degree and left the art world for a sailing career after having sailed around the world on the Clipper Race. She has worked in sail training for both youth charities in the West Country and Gourdonstoun School on their 80ft Oyster and traditional rowing luggers on the Moray Firth.

Read more about Melissa and her sailing and career adventures in Eve Skippers

In short, I can't think of a nicer bunch to work with.

View from Debbie's Office Window: Catherine feeds the new arrivals - 4 Cornish Black Pigs