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What
our Clients say about Northern Child
MORE THAN 60% OF OUR BUSINESS COMES
FROM
REPEAT BOOKINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Below are some of the comments/feedback we have received from our clients. We
are a relatively small company that enables us to offer our guests a more
personal service. Northern Child is run and managed by full-time professional
Skipper and crew, who are backed up by a solid shore-based team. Our crew always endeavours
everything to meet your needs and make sure
that your event is a resounding success. We differentiate ourselves by our
ethnic sense, our flexibility, our professionalism and our dedication to ensure
that all our events are successful.
Transatlantic Antigua to the UK 2008 - May/June 2008
Rob: 'Beginning to slowly
get back into home life! Can't quite cope with daily events not being @ 45
degrees! Thoroughly enjoyed the experience on the whole and the combination of
skipper and boat is, I would suggest, unique on the circuit. Wish you both well
and continued success.'
Antigua Sailing Week 2008 - April/May 2008
Geertje: 'Back in real life, I want
and have to tell all of you, how much I enjoyed the time over there at the other
end of the world, with all of you! The sailing, the dancing and the singing.
What a wonderful crew ! It clicked! and that was something very, very special !'
John: 'Both Debbie and I had a great time in
Antigua with Julian and team, as normal maintaining the high standards of care
& hospitality....I think the team sailed well and I got to see other
parts of the boat rarely ventured into!'
Peter:
St Maarten Heineken Regatta 2008 - March 2008
Patrick: 'Sailing on Northern Child
during the Heineken Regatta was an excellent experience, by all means. We really
enjoyed it and had a great time. Both Julian and Kate did a great job in hosting
and training/guiding us. I think we made a good team all together. Branding was
marvelous too.
Thanks.'
Caribbean cruise - January 2008
Catherine and John: Cath
& I had a wonderful holiday and will no doubt bore our friends for some time
to come! Everything went as planned - we visited Islands we might not have done
on our own. Had it not been for Julian's enthusiasm we might not have considered
tackling the Victoria Falls in Dominica had we been on our own but this was one
of the high points! Both Suzie and Kate were excellent company and superb in
their respective roles. Quietly both Cath and I learned a lot from observing
Julian's approach to "skippering" and boat handling in general. We
would be happy to provide a reference to anyone making enquiries about a similar
charter.'
Transatlantic ARC 2007 - November/December 2007
Alistair: 'I know this email is long
long overdue but thanks to you both for a great trip. The experience you gave me
Julian was one, that for me, is hard to define in a few words. Looking back
on it now, some four months later, I still get such a buzz from it.
For me it is one of those defining experiences and turning points in
life.'
David: 'I cannot adequately describe
what the ARC on Northern Child meant to me, I loved every second of every minute
and in terms of life experiences it was right there at the top. All credit to
you both, great organisation and great execution, great company, it could
not have been better! I read Kate's blog on your way to St Maarten and
immediately wished I hadn't, life here is sooooooooo dull in comparison!'
Tim: 'I really enjoyed the ARC and the
experience. You together put a programme which was first class quality, and made
every effort to ensure our enjoyment of the crossing.'
Delivery cruise St Tropez to Las Palmas - October 2007
Arthur: 'Just a short note to
say thanks to the crew for a great trip. I only got to spend a week on
Northern Child pre-Gibraltar, but it was great fun and a fantastic experience.
Something I would definitely like to repeat on another trip in the future.'
Barry: 'I have just returned to Kazakhstan and
would like to thank you for all the effort that went into making my trip
from Gibraltar to Lanzarote such an enjoyable event. The sailing
conditions were quite different from the trip I made two years ago - two years
ago, I can't believe that it was that long ago. The boat really does look spectacular
in its new livery. Please reiterate my thanks to the crew for all
their work to make sure that we enjoyed the trip.'
Rolex Fastnet 2007 - August 2007
Johan: The Rolex Fastnet campaign 2007 was for me a
tremendous experience and it has given me a hunger for more events like this. I
want to thank you both for your hospitality and service mind as well as a
confident leading style, I was very impressed.'
Corporate sailing day - CISCO - Cowes Week- August
2007
Ian:
I just wanted to extend my thanks to you, Julian
and Kathy for making our day yesterday so enjoyable. Everyone was involved
and everyone had great fun. Julian and Kathy made it very easy for
everyone to feel involved and relaxed in what was for many a very unusual
experience.
Corporate sailing day - Prostate Cancer Charity - August
2007
Nigel: 'May I thank you and all your colleagues for a wonderful time on
Northern Child. The crew made everyone feel so welcome and even if I say so
myself our timing with the weather was perfect! Once
again, many thanks for a truly memorable day.'
Round the Island race - 23rd June 2007
Charlotte:
'I just wanted to thank you for all your
organisation and then Julian, Pewee and Cathy for looking after us on the event.
Their job certainly wasn't easy with those conditions and a fairly novice crew.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend and have spent most of the morning
chatting about it. Once again, thank you all again for a fantastic sail and
wonderful hospitality.'
Transatlantic Antigua to the UK 2007 - May/June 2007
Edd: 'Just a quick email to say
thank you very much for the past 7 weeks. I had a great time on board and felt I
learnt a lot on the trip as well which is an added bonus, even if the suntan
didn't develop quite as much as hoped! I'm missing being on the boat already and
can't wait to go sailing again! (In fact I'm still struggling to sleep or stay
awake for more than 6 hours in one go at the moment, but it's a good excuse for
afternoon naps).'
Antigua Sailing Week 2007 - April/May 2007
Lisa: 'Just wanted to thank you
for giving me the most exciting, fantastic and amazing experience ever at
Antigua
race week on Northern Child. I have never enjoyed a holiday quite so much and
felt so much pride in our achievement as a crew.
I have definitely got the sailing bug, loved every minute of my time on
Northern Child and simply can’t wait for the next challenge.'
Adrian:
'Thanks guys for a great week - hope you had fun at the prize giving and that
Northern Child is proud of her 3 new trophies! I had a wonderful time and learnt
lots - stood in the back of the boat like a sponge, absorbing new stuff. Anyway
fair winds and safe sailing to England - see you in August'
St Maarten Heineken Regatta 2007 - Feb/March 2007
Bas: On behalf of the whole crew I can already say that it
was (again) an experience of a life-time and was way too short! We will be back!
Caribbean cruise - BVIs - Christmas 2006
Deborah, Noel and their 3 boys: 'We
can't believe that our brilliant holiday has finished and it was only a couple
of days ago that we were enjoying our pina coladas, threatening your teak and
bringing the beach back daily to Northern Child - we had sooooo much fun. Yet
although our scars are fading (!), our memories are still in the forefront
of our mind and I'm sure will stay with us for a long time - you did a brilliant
job and we all agree this is probably the best holiday we have ever had!'
Transatlantic ARC 2006 - November/December 2006
Ian: 'Arrived home yesterday and would just like to
thank you for making the ARC such a memorable trip. You have been always both
prompt and helpful ( and eternally upbeat). I wish you, Julian and your family all the best for the future and that
you continue to enrich the lives of all who sail on Northern Child.'
Richard: 'Thanks once again for a
super 3 weeks on board. Looking back, it was especially great to lead a
watch and be so involved in running the boat with Julian'.
Les Voiles de St Tropez regatta - October 2006
Simon: "What a week!!! - a disparate group from
cultures as foreign to each other as
Finland
and
Wales
(well, Wales/Swedish cross, actually, but that only serves to confuse things!!)
or even
England
and
Wales
....and Northern Child worked its magic on us all. After a hard day's practice,
Julian moulded us into a crew more than capable of keeping up with the French
total disregard for any kind of rules or discipline. To be fair, we only
disregarded the rules that we thought they might want us to disregard, and only
after protracted and detailed discussion with the skipper, but the spirit was
there from day 1, and that's what counted. I have so many fantastic
memories of such a short week - table dancing in La Carafe, Sardines and live
Blues on the St Tropez jetty under the stars, the firework display, La Ponche
restuarant with its extra meal in each course (respect, Anthony!), the price of
a Mount Gay in La Sube!!, Paella and Steamed Sea Bass at the villa (more
respect, Anthony!), Wine Club!!, Late night body surfing on the foredeck (no, it
was all above board!!), frantic starts under blowy conditions, the excitement of
taking a buoy hemmed in by boats and with a helicopter so close overhead you
can't hear anything anyone's shouting at you, the relaxation of a day becalmed-
waiting around for a start that finally came too late to finish the course!, the
exhilaration of trimming a sail right to the limit and seeing boats broaching
all round, Kimmo's Dancing, Helen's birthday bash and the last comment to
Marco, of course - HAH!!! Thank you so much, Julian and Magali for providing
such special conditions for people to enjoy themselves - we had a ball, both on
and off the water. On the water, we were looked after, and kept right up to the
mark by a man who understands his job thoroughly, and does it brilliantly -
thanks Julian. Off the water, we were fed and led into the entertainment by two
of the most amazing "ship's assistants" it will ever be your pleasure
to meet - Kitty Kat and Kath, more fun to the ounce cannot be had legally
anywhere in the world, and I'm so pleased to have met you both - thanks for
making it such a great week."
Delivery cruise St Tropez to Las Palmas - October
2006
Young Tom: I'm now back in the UK
wishing I was still there. Oh well, May will come along pretty quick. This is
just a quick note to thank you all so much for such a terrific 3 weeks. The best
ones I have ever spent sailing. I very much enjoyed our "days of
hardship" in the gale and was very honoured to share them with you. I will
never forget you Julian, throwing a wobbly at crazy lady and "two o'clock
in the fucking morning." I am very pleased challenge business cancelled on
me. Had they not, I would have had to wait another 6 months before being
aquatinted with you guys. Kat - Your food was incredible.
I don't actually think most people could produce food even half that good in the
ready steady cook kitchen - let alone a tiny galley at 45 degrees. You will
never cease to astonish me. On a less professional note, you have been an
excellent companion during the 3 weeks and you are a top girl. Cathy - I am most
indebted to you for being not only such a marvellous sailing coach but also a
friend. A better "deck hand" in the country I do not know. You really
have a special talent for sailing and making people feel welcome. Julian
- lastly, the skipper. I could not have felt safer than I felt on Northern Child
and this is mainly down to you. However, just as importantly, you have provided
me with an example that I would be proud to follow and it has been a pleasure
sailing, eating, drinking and (almost) kissing you!'
Cruising day - Solent - 12th August 2006
Roberta and Richard: 'We had a
really lovely day with you yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed our sail in the
Solent. We were most impressed with Northern Child and all she has to
offer as a cruising and racing yacht. As you have no doubt been told I am a
nervous sailor, but I did not have even a twinge of nerves due to your expert
captaincy! Thank you so much for looking after us so well and for a truly
great experience.'
Cowes Week 2006 - Corporate entertainment - August 2006
Tony: 'Just a quick email to thank
you again for all your efforts last week. All the clients and staff that stepped
on board had a wonderful time and we hope we can charter the yacht sometime
again in the future, possibly even Cowes again for next year. The
professionalism and dedication that yourselves and Nina showed really impressed
everyone involved. It was the first time as a company we have tried something
like this but such was the success I'm hopeful we'll do it again.'
Transatlantic Antigua to the UK - May/June 2006
Adrian: 'I thoroughly
enjoyed the Northern Child experience (and I think that holds good for the whole
crew) and would heartily recommend N.C. to anyone that wanted to do something
similar.'
George: 'The trip was
everything I expected it to be and I thank both yourself
and Julian for a trip of a lifetime. I met some very nice
people and I hope to keep in contact with them.'
Ed: 'Thank you for
forwarding all my emails on and generally keeping my parents happy, and
especially for your help in organising this trip, its all worked so well and
been fantastic, the experiences I've had and the people I've met.'
Antigua Sailing Week 2006 - April/May 2006
Peewee: 'Antigua:- What a
great week again, weather was fine not too windy, a lovely crew - boat
looking better again and a chilled out skipper, what could be better. Many
thanks to all, especially you Mag's for the backroom work that goes unseen'.
Adrian: 'Thanks
for the photos of Antigua and Julian thanks so much for a great week - you may
not think you are teaching anything but you are very wrong! - I learnt so much
about boat handling and crew work both from you and from watching the other
boats - sailing at a level higher than usual is a wonderful thing! We went out
and took a second in the first local distance race of the season thanks in no
small part to the week spend on Northern Child.'
David: 'Thank you for arranging everything so well for ASW – as usual.
We had a terrific time and enjoyed every minute of it'.
Glenn: 'I meant to let you know what a great time I
had on Northern Child in Antigua week…the boat was great and the crew gelled
well, Julian did a great leadership job, it was no mean feat gelling 4 Russians,
7 English, 1Yank, 1 Aussie, 1 Scotsman, 1 South African, however practiced you
are at it. I particularly enjoyed crewing on the foredeck, I had blisters on my
blisters and bruises on my bruises, but as I said to Julian it’s the
type of holiday you get out what you put in…I had a ball. I learned a lot
about racing and skippering too so will put that to good use sometime too.
The acid test of course...Would I do it again…? almost certainly…maybe with
a bit more comfort break fitted in…ie a few nights off the rum and a bit more
sleep…!!'
Errol on ODIN II: 'We had
a wonderful time in
Antigua
. We were very pleased with the boat and everything went extremely
smoothly. In particular we found Christian and his wife to be delightful
people. All in all a wonderful experience.'
BVIs Spring Regatta 2006 - March/April 2006
Suzie and Roger: 'Thanks to everyone for making it a
fantastic week - Roger and I had a great time and it was a real treat to sail
with you all. Hope to do it again.'
BVIs Spring Regatta 2006 organised on ODIN II, X-412- March/April 2006
Ron:
'I would like to thank you for a fantastic
vacation!! Kristian and Hanne Marthe (of ODIN II, X-412) are the
nicest people and made that happen. For sure I will be back!'
Marc: 'We had a 200% great time on board Odin II. Kristian and Hannah are
a wonderful couple and very good sailors. We definitely want to sail again with
them and we ARE indeed very proud of our second overall. Greetings and thanks
very much for the perfect arrangements and organisation behind the screen.'
Transatlantic ARC 2005 - Nov/Dec 2005 - Northern Child overall winner of
the ARC 2005
Neil:
'Magali. Thanks
very much for all the effort you put into organising the trip.
You made it very easy for us all with a good flow of information which
gave us confidence in what we were doing. A good first impression is important
and you certainly created that. Thanks for everything. Julian. Great skippering. Your knowledge and skill was without a doubt a
key factor in us achieving what we did. As with Magali your communication
skills are excellent...most important for someone giving instructions.
Keep writing the logs. Everyone loves them. Thanks for everything'.
Craig: 'Without hesitation the
ARC has been the highlight of my sailing to date. We often said “this was not
in the brochure “ and I would not have wanted it any other way .
As I trudge through the snow and ice it is difficult to erase the
fantastic adventure just completed. Northern Child
is a fine yacht and was very understanding to a bunch of rookies like us I
believe she will take you many miles securely and in style.'
Paul: 'Just a note to thank you both for such a
superb, well organised, well managed and professional trip. It's been the most
fantastic sailing experience of my life and one that I would repeat tomorrow if
I could get leave from work! Julian, you were superb ! I hope one day although unlikely that
I would be able to run a boat with such professionalism and skill as you do.'
Mike: FANTASTIC - MASSIVE THANK YOU Julian &
Magali !!!!! - JUST SEEN OVERALL RESULT...... LOST
FOR WORDS............ By almost a day too!
Lawrence: 'It was a wonderful experience only enhanced by the knowledge
that we were in the capable hands of a thoroughly professional skipper ,but we
did have fun with the rest of the crew... I wish to thank you most sincerely for
an unforgettable experience and send my best wishes to you, your family and all
who sail on Northern Child.'
Don: 'I had a great time, too. After we
landed in St. Lucia, Frank said something like, "After this experience,
surely we won't be the same people." I'm not sure yet how the passage
has changed me, but I really believe it has.
Maria: 'I am amazed about the great results, and perhaps even more
so by the passage as such. This is no doubt a major experience in my life.'
Franck: Julian, tu es vraiment un sacré renard Julian, sous tes airs décontractés
tu as fait preuve d’un grand professionnalisme
- Tu mérites cette belle victoire et les prix qui l’accompagnent
- Je suis très fier d’avoir partagé de bons moments à tes côtés
- Je ne regrette pas mon choix, quelle fantastique aventure
- C’était une grande chance pour nous d’obtenir une telle ambiance et une
entente aussi formidable entre nous
- Tu as su nous aider, nous encourager et nous accompagner dans les efforts
quotidiens
- Merci Magali pour tout le travail fourni, les conseils et votre (ta)
disponibilité, Julian a beaucoup de chance de t’avoir à ses côtés
- En quelques mots je suis tout simplement très heureux d’avoir vécu cette
aventure, j’ai beaucoup appris, j’ai encore tellement à apprendre, c’est
sûr je vais continuer et j’espère revenir sur le «
Northern Child
» pour une autre expérience
.
Nicholas and Julia, children of one of our ARC 2005 guests:
'Thank you Julian and Magali for all your hard work in keeping
those of us left at home feeling very much part of the
race. The daily logs have been brilliant and much looked
forward to by all our family. It has made being away from
Daddy for a month a lot easier . Thank you for getting him safely to
the Caribbean and please can you make sure he gets on the plane to Gatwick
on Sunday! Mummy says please can she come next year!'
Delivery cruise UK to Las Palmas - Oct 2005
Barry: 'I would like to express my sincere thanks for all the effort that
you and Julian put into making my trip on Northern Child a memorable event.
I had an excellent time. I was made to feel welcome
from the moment that I arrived and I believe that Julian’s personality and
charisma played a vital role in achieving such an excellent atmosphere both
onboard and ashore. Magali, I had a really great time on
board and I think that the thing that I shall cherish the most was being back on
shore and being asked by my friends and colleagues how was my trip, and the only
thing that I was able say was that I had a fantastic time. The reason for
saying so little about the trip is because although we were laughing and
enjoying each other’s company, the laughs were ours and were only humorous at
the time and in a particular situation and, to me, that made the trip a very
personal experience that I shared with a special group of people.'
2005 Rolex Fastnet Campaign
Tina: 'Well I can't quite believe it is all over after all
the months of anticipation. But it is, and I am still flying high.
As Julian said in his log it was as much about the people as the event,
and I must confess to feeling quite sad on Friday. Thank you very much Magali
for your organisation, Julian for your inspiration and instruction and to you
both for creating a magnificent experience for me, you are the best.'
Peewee: 'Another
thank you note for another great week on the good ship Northern Child. Special
thanks to Julian for getting us safely around the Fastnet course for the second
time and coping with us day trippers. I'm sure we will get the hang of it one
day. Special thanks to you Mag's for putting up with him (who must be obeyed).
It must be your time soon to do some skippering and muppet 1 & 2 will
definitely sign up for that!! Once again many thanks to you both for making many
peoples lives seem so much more worth while.'
John: 'Can I thank you for Fastnet - I enjoyed the trip and the company. We
did not do too badly! Julian, I am always amazed at your professionalism and ability to
pull a team together...'
Lynn and Kevin: 'Thank
you again for all your hard work and dedication over the last couple of months
to make the Fastnet campaign such a success. We have both had a fantastic time
and look forward to seeing Northern Child again some time in the not to distant
future.'
Hans: 'The Fastnet Race was a
great and unforgettable experience for the Swiss chocolate caddie who lives 600
km from the nearest Atlantic coast.
Your fine comradeship on Northern Child was a very special honour and treat to
me, and, hopefully, we’ll get another opportunity to sail on this most fair
yacht.'
Polly: I had a fantastic week. I guess that some may say that we did not
endure the conditions that many associate with the Fastnet race but I'm sure
that we had a lot more fun! And hey, we have got the T-shirt and the
certificate!
Simon: 'Thanks for a great introduction to
off-shore sailing.....all the lead up races and then the Big One.....it was such
a great feeling to sail around the Fastnet rock. I still cant believe the
weather we had. I thought it was supposed to be 50ft waves and 40 knot
winds....but I guess we can't complain.'
Hen night party - July 2005
Gwen: 'We were all up early on Saturday for the
sailing which was really lovely. It was very calm first thing which was
good as it gave the girls a chance to get used to being on such a large boat and
get over their nerves! Pretty much everyone had a go at helming and three
of us went swimming! I completely loved it - the weather was perfect in
the afternoon. Your crew did a great job of making us all very welcome and
the food was lovely! And we got through a few bottles of
champagne!'
JOG Cowes-Dartmouth - Second qualification race for the Fastnet race
2005 - 15th to 17thJuly 2005
Tina: 'I had an excellent
weekend thank you, I learned lots of things. I am so enjoying all the sailing
and the people, I will miss it for sure when it's over, so I think I will be
looking for an opportunity to join the boat in the future.'
RORC Cowes-Dinard race - First qualification race for the Fastnet race
2005 - 1st to 3rd July 2005
Lynn: 'Once again we have had a
fabulous weekend on Northern Child. Thanks for all the organisation.'
Swan European Regatta - 19th to 25th June 2005
Wouter: 'I do want to
let you know that I had a great time last week & enjoyed it very much.
Thanks for the great organising!'
Nicola: 'Sailing this
week was fabulous!!!!!
This was such a good week and happy time!!
I enjoyed it so very much that I would like to apply for the Swan World's
Regatta in Porto Cervo in 2006.'
Peter:
'Thanks for a great week in Cowes. Your organisation as
normal was superb and you managed to arrange good weather as well!'
Fastnet Campaign - Summer 2005
Lynn and Kevin: 'Lynn and I have
just got back from the training weekend and would like to say a big thankyou to
the whole team of Northern Child for a fantastic time. Julian and Kate made a
top rate team and we can't wait to get back on the boat and put into
practice what we have learnt. We would also like to say a big
thankyou to you for all your hard work behind the scenes. It is very much
appreciated how efficiently all our requests are dealt with and just how well
the whole operation seems to work.'
Transatlantic Antigua to the UK - Northern Child - May
2005
Michael: 'As I have said
already when leaving Northern Child in Cherbourg: It was one of my two best
sailing journeys I ever had. The other one were two weeks in the Mediterranean
Sea around Corse and Sardegna, which was a completely different one. Thanks
again and best regards to Julian.'
Steve: 'Hi Julian - Just to say
a big thanks to you and Kate, for the wonderful time on Northern
Child, it was informative, entertaining, safe and above all bloody
good fun. You are a wonderful skipper and I hope your new
crews have as much fun as I did. All
the best and happy sailing.'
Transatlantic Antigua to Gibraltar - Milanto, Swan 46 MkII
- May 2005
Charlie: 'Just a quick note to say thanks for
organising everything the whole passage on Milanto was
excellent, with a great crew, and some awesome sailing.'
BVIs Sailing Festival and BVIs Spring Regatta - March
2005
Catherine and Helen: We
would like to thank you for a wonderful week's sailing - we're still smiling!'
Peter: 'I must say what a great time I had in the BVI's. The weather was
a bit hotter than last year but the venues at Nanny Cay and Bitter End are
wonderful. It was also a nice change for Jim and myself to be the youngsters
amongst the crew and even with an inexperienced team we got a very good result.
Everything ran so well that most people wouldn't realise the amount of hard work
it takes behind the scenes to come up with your finished product so lots of
praise to the Northern Child Team.'
Caribbean cruise from Grenada to St Maarten - February
2005
Andrea and Wolfgang: Wolfgang and I
just would like to send you a big thank you for the wonderful Caribbean Cruise
we had during the last two weeks. We really enjoyed staying on Northern Child
and you have really an exceptional team! Both your crew did an
outstanding job - highly professional, always friendly and never losing nerves
with us!!!! The Skipper was excellent. He navigated perfectly and even with
the stormy weather during our night trip, we always felt safe. He knew all the
nice spots to see along our route, so we could really enjoy the Caribbean. And
the cook - with her delicious meals she can really compete with Jamie Oliver - no
doubt! Thanks a lot for all!
Caribbean cruise in the Grenadines - February
2005
Aafke and John: 'We all
had a really great time on Northern Child in the Grenadines and decided it is
our favourite area for cruising. Your crew were both superb. Mathew knew exactly where to take us and Jill produced some simply sensational
meals - her red snapper cooked in salt was the best fish any of us
could remember! And she mixes a pretty mean Rum-punch as well. We
had Lobster BBQed on the beach ( two each! ) in Tobago Cays, and caught 2
Barracuda on the last day sailing back to Grenada.'
Mary and David: 'Just
to say we had a fantastic week on Northern Child. We feel that we couldn't have
been better looked after by your crew, who made every effort on our behalf.
Sailing and food fantastic, and we were very impressed with your boat. Many
Thanks.'
ARC 2004 (17th November - 12th December 2004)
Jonathan on Milanto: 'The
ARC on Milanto was fantastic and Valerio a top skipper and person! Thank you for
your superb organisation.'
Charlotte on Northern Child: 'I
have meant to email you to say a big thank you to Julian and
of course you, for the ARC transatlantic on Northern Child. It was a great
experience - a wonderful group of people, good laughs, tasty food
and any hardships were wiped out by the fantastic sense of
achievement as we crossed the line in St Lucia. Seeing whales, dolphins
and a shark were real highlights as was Matthew's fishing (and fish
impressions!) It's fantastic that we came first in class -
Julian was right not to motor! I can't wait to get back out on the
water and am wishing myself back to the Caribbean as I face another cold day in
London. I think 2005 is going to involve a lot more sailing for me.'
Mike on Milanto, Swan 46 Mk II: 'Just
a small and somewhat belated note to thank you both so
very much for arranging such an exciting Atlantic crossing
on board "Milanto". As you are aware I had
originally booked on a boat that was subsequently withdrawn
and the World Cruising Club immediately suggested I try
you guys. What a correct decision that was! Although I was
rather disappointed that I was not on "Northern
Child" your arrangements for "Milanto"
could hardly be bettered. The boat was great, even more
importantly the skipper Valerio is an exceptionally tallented individual who
knows how to extract the very best from his team, even the mottley crew we
presented ourselves as. You will recall I was somewhat concerned about my age
and lack of experience but, thanks to all of you, including Maurizio, who was a
bonus, the experience turned out to be a "once in a lifetime"
opportunity.'
Voiles de St Tropez - October 2004
John:
I want to thank you for the
most wonderful week's sailing on Northern Child. We were lucky with the weather
and I
thought
you did a marvellous job training up the crew - after the first spi gybe in
practice, I
wondered how we would ever get round the course! By the end, the crew
were
ready
for anything, thanks to your skill and patience.
Northern Child
took it all in her stride (like a Swan) and behaved impeccably - a joy to
steer and
very close-winded'.
Hans: 'Let me thank you all for the excellent
week in St. Tropez. I enjoyed every minute of it, as these were my first big
regattas. Checking through "Yachting World", I realise that we were
sailing next to some rather fancy and extra fast boats. It was a great honor for
myself, a landlocked person, to share the week with this very special crew and
some of their delightful wives and partners.'
Peter: 'Thank you both very much for organising a wonderful week not only
for the sailing but the villa as well. I thought it turned out to be an
excellent event and certainly for me ended a great year of sailing on Northern
Child. Once again
we had a great crew that seemed to get on with the art of enjoying themselves
and mucking in.'
Harris: I thoroughly enjoyed my time in St.
Tropez, it was a really great crew who all got along really well together. You
did well to put us all together.
RORC race Falmouth-Cascais - August 2004
Peter: 'Great trip down to Portugal, I have already forgotten the bad weather and just remember the good bits.
Seeing whales in the
Bay of Biscay, sunshine on the last day and of course my new waterproof socks. Is it possible
to have a bad trip on Northern Child? Many thanks to Julian for looking after us
and also Matt (Pockets) & Jill who did a wonderful job, it is all much
appreciated.'
Katherine: 'I can not think of a better way to spend a holiday than
sailing on Northern Child from Cowes to Cascais in Portugal, an adventure of a
lifetime and one which I will cherish for years to come. It’s an ideal way to
meet like minded people and if you are as lucky as we were, you will see
dolphins swimming in the breaking waves, sperm whales on the continental shelf
and even catch some tuna. The sunsets are breathtaking and the sailing
outstanding!'
Race RORC Cowes-Falmouth - August 2004
Rebecca: 'I wanted to drop you a quick line to say thank
you for such a lovely weekend. A little wet in places but hey that's all part of
the fun. I met a lovely bunch of people and sailed further than I have ever
sailed before.'
Corporate hospitality - August 2004
David: 'Many thanks for
arranging a great day out on Northern Child. It really couldn't have been
better. We set off in sunshine and tacked over to Osborne Bay for a
great lunch, beautifully presented by your Cook. Five out of nine of us swam. And we
had a super sail back with the wind behind us. It was just right for the level
of sailing our folks were ready for, and everyone really enjoyed
themselves. They also said how nice and cosy it was below, and there were lots
of comments about how immaculate the boat was looking. It really was brilliant.'
Corporate hospitality - July 2004
Ginnie: 'We had the most marvellous day on Northern
Child and your crew looked after us excellently. The boat looked trim and neat
as they did, the Skipper did just the right amount of chat about safety and the
Cook produced a delicious meal - even the weather was great! Thank you very much for
organising it all - our guests all had a wonderful time.'
Jim: 'We had a wonderful time on your most impressive and luxurious boat
on Wednesday. It is one of the best equipped and laid out boats I have even been on
board. '
JOG Cowes-Alderney race - July 2004
Colin: 'I very much enjoyed sailing
with Julian and the crew and we had a most relaxing day on Alderney. I'm
more accustomed to sailing in lashing rain and sleet but I'm sure I could get
used to sunshine if I really tried.'
Charlotte: 'It was definitely a good experience. Obviously the
other crew were much more capable than me but it was a good chance for me to
learn and build up a bit of confidence and everyone was very patient.'
Round the Island Race - June 2004
Simon: 'Thank you very much indeed
for organising our RTI adventure. The boat was perfect and the skipper and crew
excellent. Catering was just right and the shirts and gilets a great success. We
had a great sail in blue skies and sunshine on Friday, then a good night at the
Southern. We left Boomerangs at 12:45am, so we were a little groggy on 4.5 hrs
later when we arrived on board but the bacon rolls seemed to fix that. Nobody
was sick but a couple of the less experienced sailors were wondering what it was
all about after 2.5 hours of beating in the rain up to St. Cats. They soon
cheered up when we put the kite up upon turning the corner. Everybody ended the
day very tired and I think they had a really good time.'
Cruise in the West Country - June 2004
Roger: 'Our little cruise was a great success and we all enjoyed it
enormously. Your crew looked after us splendidly and really were the
'making' of the whole trip.'
Ben: 'We thoroughly enjoyed our week and were lucky with good winds.'
Grenada Sailing Week - January 2004
Tom: 'Just a quick line to thank you for a fantastic week, can't
believe it is only 3 days since I was drinking Carib
in the sun. It was such a nice trip, beautiful weather,
nice people on the boat and fun sailing.'
Andy: 'Thanks a lot for all your efforts in organising a great
regatta/cruise in Grenada. I had a fantastic time and I will definitely be
coming back to book some of the summer events. It was a really great mix of
people and I hope everyone had as much fun as I did - I suspect they did!'
Transatlantic
ARC 2003 - Nov/December 2003
Hans: 'I
should like to thank you for the excellent ARC 2003 sailing. Thanks to your
most experienced seamanship everything went absolutely perfect and beyond
expectations - with the extra dividend of coming into Rodney Bay first in
class!'
Francois :
'Thank you to the all crew and to our skipper Julian for making this a great unforgettable trip! Very proud to be Number 1
in class and 14th overall.'
Mark:
'I would like you to know that the passage with Northern Child has been a
very unique and special experience for me - better than I could ever imagine'.
Liz:
'Firstly, I would like to thank you both so
much for giving me the opportunity to do the ARC. It was more than amazing
and I am realising that even more so now that I have returned home. The
whole month that I spent on Northern Child was fantastic. Even when we had
to prepare & wait for the 80knot squalls I knew I'd rather be on Northern
Child with Julian and Craig (as my watch leader) than on any other yacht.
I learnt so much from the trip and not just about sailing. The whole
experience has been so good for me ! '
RORC Cherbourg race - Sept 2003
Jim: 'Firstly, thanks for a fantastic weekend! The race was great -
especially as it was dark, clear, comfortably cold and windy enough to shift the
Swan at speed. As ever the varied crew proves interesting and insightful.'
RORC Cowes-Dieppe race - August 2003
Jo: 'I had such a great weekend, felt like more than 3 days, we
managed to pack in so much! Everyone was so nice, a great group to spend a
weekend with.'
Rachel: 'Just wanted to say a very big thank you to Northern Child for
such a fantastic weekend. For all us novices, it was the perfect introduction to
sailing which enabled us to learn enough to feel part of the weekend, and leave
us with the urge to learn even more. Julian, in particular, is clearly an
excellent skipper and made us all feel comfortable and at ease, even when our
sea legs were tested to the max when trying to go down below in slightly
chopping conditions! '
Antigua Sailing Week 2003
John: 'Just to say thanks for a
great week with Northern Child at Antigua. The boat was
excellent and I think that we ended up with a reasonable result 6th overall.'
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