Denis Johnson, Senior Instructor

Denis has been an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor since he founded South Coast Sailing fifteen years ago in 1993. He starting sailing in 1972 after gliding and instructing glider pilots; both of which activities he combined with his professional career in engineering and building technology. He and his wife and family have cruised from the Baltic to Biscay and in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. He has three married children all with their own boats and six grandchildren on the water! Denis is a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation and is a member and committee member of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club.

Gordon Agnew, Chief Instructor

Gordon has been sailing for 40 years. He is a Yachtmaster Instructor (Sail and Shore-based), a Cruising Instructor (Power) and an Authorised Examiner for ICC & CEVNI (Power & Sail). He is the Principal of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club's RYA shore-based Training Centre. He has cruised extensively in the UK, Mediterranean and Caribbean as well as participating in the ARC and other Atlantic rallies and crossings. He is a member of the RSYC Sailing Committee.

Bob Trimble. Principal / Instructor

Bob is an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean, Cruising Instructor and a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation. He's sailed for around 35 years and has been instructing since 2002. He was a keen dinghy sailor, diver and windsurfer whilst managing seismic survey ships and crews world-wide in the 1970's and 80's. Over the past 20 years he's sailed the UK, Mediterranean and Caribbean with his wife Jan whilst pursuing professional career in IT. They're keen double-handed racers with the Royal Southampton Yacht Club. He is on the RSYC's Racing Sub-Committee and is part of their Cowes Week Race Officer team. He is a volunteer Mate on Ocean Youth Trust South's sail training boat John Laing.

* Photograph reproduced by kind permission of John Greenway ©2007 Marine Action