Introducing the Crew!

One of the most astonishing features of the Project it is almost entirely volunteer based. We employ only four full time staff to run the Project. Each voyage is run by the volunteer Afterguard, which normally consists of a Skipper, a Mate, two Watch Officers and two Watch Leaders.

Safety and Security

The Afterguard on the yachts are qualified for their rank as required by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). It is a condition of sailing on the Project yachts that all the Afterguard have an up to date clearance with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The Afterguard

The Afterguard is the collective term for the volunteers on the boat, and typically made up of 6 people. On a Sail Training Voyage (STV) there can be up to 13 young people, referred to as the ‘Crew’ or the ‘Trainees’, on board in addition to the Afterguard. The Trainees are normally divided into two Watches during the voyage.

To be a member of the Afterguard, each volunteer is expected to participate in one refit weekend, one familiarisation voyage and one Sail Training Voyage per year. They are also invited to make a voluntary donation.

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Roles Onboard

The Onshore Team

As well as our highly experienced Afterguard, the Rona Sailing Project has the onshore team who organise the voyages, fundraise and ensure the maintenance of the fleet!

Bríd Barrett (Project Director)

Bríd, who comes from Cork on the South Coast of Ireland, joined the Rona Sailing Project as Project Director in October 2014.

After completing an MSc in Development, she started working in Africa, overseeing humanitarian response programmes. She subsequently spent 12 years working in a variety of contexts in West Africa, DR Congo, Chad and Lebanon.

A lifelong love for sailing and an ambition and determination to work in Sail Training motivated her to gain her RYA Yachmaster Offshore ticket in 2012. Soon after, Bríd started working as Mate on traditional Sail Training vessels on the South Coast of England.

Before joining the RSP, Bríd logged more than 20,000 NM. When she gets the opportunity, she volunteers in the RSP as a Watch Officer.

Email: brid@ronasailingproject.org.uk

Ann Bowers (Project Secretary)

Ann, who has lived in Southampton for the majority of her life, joined the Rona Sailing Project in 1998 as the part time Project Secretary. Before this she had worked at a commercial sailing school and then taken a sabbatical to raise her family.

Ann’s role has grown alongside the Project and she became full time in 2003. During her time with the Project she has seen many changes and improvements, and has also taken up the opportunity to sail on a few trips in the position of Supernumerary.

Outside the Project, Ann is involved with raising awareness and funds for Group B Strep Support, a cause close to her heart.

Email: ann@ronasailingproject.org.uk

Jason Howell (Project Engineer)

Jason started with the Project in 1985, working alongside his father who was the Fleet Officer. Jason is the Project Engineer and as such has been involved in the build of both Rona II and Merrilyn. Before joining the Project he was a sheet metal worker.

Jason has, on occasion, sailed as a Watch Officer in the RSP. Outside of the Project Jason has a passion for steam engines and motorbikes.

Joe Sparkes (Project Bosun)

Joe started within Universal Marina as an apprentice furniture maker working alongside Simon Harvey back in 2009, since then he has worked for the Yacht Care team as a yacht joiner as well as working self-employed for a couple of years to design and build a custom interior for a brand new 47-foot yacht.

He has a passion for working with wood and building furniture for home improvement projects; as well as being an avid music fan and playing fingerstyle guitar self-taught for over 20 years.

Email: joe@ronasailingproject.org.uk

The Trustees of the Rona Sailing Project

William Whitehouse-Vaux

William has been a Trustee since 1995 and has been chairman since November 2012. He practiced shipping law as a barrister after university in Italy. He has cruised and raced various boats onshore and offshore.

Alan Richardson

Alan joined the Project in 1962 as a Watch Officer. He became a Skipper in 1963 and Skipper Emeritus in 2006. He became a Trustee in 1987. Alan read Law at university. His career was in the printing and packaging industries. Alan was a Sea Scout.

Giles Thorley

Giles has been a Trustee since 2002. He is a barrister by training with careers in banking, business and private equity. He managed the fundraising for both Merrilyn and Lady Shona. He has sailed many classes of dinghy from Laser to Hobie Cat.

Duncan Farrant

Duncan joined the Project as a Trainee in 1971, becoming a Skipper in 1985 and a Trustee since 2005. He worked as a chemist at the University of London from 1978 – 1984, then joined the Pharmaceutical Industry working for Wellcome (later Glaxo Smith Kline).

Chris Matthews

Chris joined the Project in 1969 as a trainee, becoming a Skipper in 1980. He became a Trustee in 2012. Chris studied construction management and has worked for residential developers. He was a Sea Cadet.

William Heathcoat Amory

Billy became a Trustee in 2012. He read Business Management at University. After 10 years at an investment bank he now runs his own business in London marketing investment funds.

Becky Shaw

Becky became a Trustee in 2013. She is Chief Executive of East Sussex County Council and has worked in local government throughout her career, primarily in London, before moving to East Sussex in 2000. She read Politics and Economics at Bristol University.

Dawn Bishop

Dawn became a Trustee in 2013. She currently works within Education in Hampshire. Prior to this, Dawn was involved in maritime events, including Tall Ships Races, and also worked at the Royal Yachting Association promoting opportunities for disabled sailors. Dawn enjoys cruising with her family.

Chris Beane

Chris joined the Project more than 25 years ago as a ‘Supernumerary’ and has been a Skipper since 2000. Having initially qualified as a Chartered Engineer, Chris moved into Human Resources and for most of his career worked for a major contractor in the Oil Industry with a particular focus on International Projects. Chris lives in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight where he races a Folkboat and is frequently on the quayside to take the mooring lines of the Project boats when they visit.

Andy Wright

Andy started his outdoor education career as a kayaker, but in 1993 was introduced to the Rona Sailing Project and after his first voyage received an Amory Award and was recommended for Watch Leader training. This started his passion for yachting, coaching and volunteering with the RSP. Andy became a Skipper in 2007. Andy is now a self-employed Maritime Trainer and holds the RYA Yachtmaster Instructor Trainer appointment, amongst other RYA qualifications.

The Rona Sailing Project (RSP) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We need to hold and process personal data in order to support the safe running of the RSP and comply with our legal obligations. We do not assume your consent but ask for it in the form of a General Data Protection Consent that you are asked to approve and sign before sailing or volunteering with us.

This policy explains, together with the General Data Protection Consent, when and why we collect personal information about you, how we use it, how we keep it secure and the circumstances when it may be disclosed to others. The policy also explains your rights in relation to that personal information.

This policy also explains how we use cookies on our website www.ronasailingproject.org.uk

If you have any questions, concerns or comments please email us: office@ronasailingproject.org.uk

We keep this policy under regular review, and may change it from time to time, so please check this page for any updates. The privacy policy was last updated on October 3^rd 2019

Who are we?

We are the Rona Sailing Project, based at Universal Marina, Crableck Lane, Sarisbury Green, Southampton SO31 7ZN

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that can be used by web sites, like www.ronasailingproject.org.uk to make a user's experience more efficient and to help you access our site faster and more efficiently.

When you visit a site that uses cookies for the first time, one is downloaded onto your PC or device. When you next visit the site, your device then checks to see if it has a cookie from that website and sends the information from the cookie to the website, the website then ’knows’ that you have been there before.

When created, cookies normally don't contain any personal information. They don't scan your computer or do any kind of investigation to find out your personal information. Any personal information they might contain is a result of your own input on a website's form. When a cookie does store personal information, this information is coded in such a way that it is unreadable to any third party who happens to access your cookie folder. The only computer that can read and decode the information is the server that created the cookie in the first place.

Cookies enable us to identify when you are logged in to our website www.ronasailingproject.org.uk and the device you are using. We only use cookies that are strictly necessary to provide you with certain features and for you to move around our site. Some of our cookies are used to enhance the functionality of our website by storing your preferences, for example. We also use cookies to help us to improve the performance of our website to provide you with a better user experience.

The RSP does not sell any information collected by our cookies, nor do we disclose the information to third parties unless requested to by law.

Personal Information

When do we collect your personal information?

We collect personal information at different times. These include when you:

Sail with the RSP;

Become or continue as a volunteer with the RSP in any capacity whether ashore or afloat;

Undertake training through the RSP;

Ask us to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on your behalf;

Ask us to renew your commercial endorsement on your behalf;

Donate to the RSP

What type of information do we collect?

Common information we ask for includes:

Your name, address, e-mail address and phone number in order to contact you;

Financial and credit card information which is deleted one we have proceeds an order for you

Photographs, for instance in connection with DBS checks and commercial endorsements;

Health information including any particular health conditions or mental or physical impairments you may have which may impact on your role with the RSP;

Any relevant dietary records and details of your dietary requirements;

The name, address, email address and phone number of your next of kin and/or emergency contact;

Details of your sea faring and other experience relevant to your role with the RSP;

Details of any relevant training records and training plans;

End of voyage reports and any other reports made as part of your involvement with the RSP (such as promotions or disciplinary action).

Information which may be provided on your behalf or at your request, for example if:

you are a minor and your parent or legal guardian provides us with information about you on your behalf;

we take up references for you (including completing DBS checks) or seek verification of any of your qualifications or experience from any referee you may have put forward.

Why do we collect this information?

When we collect information from you directly we explain the reason for collecting that information at the time of collection. This is usually to facilitate the safe operation of the RSP and your role with the RSP. In addition, when we have obtained your consent to do so:

sending you newsletters and other information relevant to your role with the RSP;

when dealing with ‘special categories’ of information such as medical data, biometric or profiling data, passport data or similar as defined by the General Data Protection Regulation, for instance medical information gathered to participate in an event, or to hold a particular qualification or licence.

When do we share your information?

We may share your information with certain third parties including:

The Disclosure and Barring Service;

The RYA, MCA, STI, ASTO or other training or regulatory bodies where necessary for training or regulatory purposes or when required to do so by law;

The afterguard on any voyage you sail with the RSP (and who may need to pass it to race organisers or emergency and medical services providers, who may be located outside of the EEA);

Examiners, inspectors, assessors, trainers and coaches who require the information in order to complete training, examinations or other activities for you.

We may also disclose your personal information to third parties:

If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal information in order to comply with any legal or regulatory obligation, or in order to enforce or apply any contract or terms in force between you and us; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of the RSP, its volunteers and those who sail with the RSP.

If you ask, to provide any verification of your qualifications or experience.

We will only disclose as much information as is required for the third party to fulfil the particular function and where required to do so we will require third parties to keep your information secure and not to use if for their own purposes.

We may ask for your consent to use your image or certain personal information for publicity purposes.

How long do we keep your information?

We may keep and process your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, or for as long it is necessary to do so for legal reasons.

We will review your personal information regularly to establish whether we are still entitled to process it. If we decided that we are not entitled to do so, we will stop processing your personal information to the extent that it is appropriate to do so and securely delete or anonymise it.

To determine the appropriate retention period, we will consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of that information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, and whether we can achieve the purposes for which we process that personal information through other means.

In some cases you can ask us to delete the personal information we hold about you. Please see the section below titled your rights.

Where do we store your personal information?

Your information may be held at our office in fireproof and lockable cabinets, or on secure servers either owned by the RSP or an appropriate provider. Certain information will be carried on each voyage you make with the RSP. We have in in place reasonable technological measures and operational procedures to safeguard your personal information from unauthorised access.

Transferring information outside of the EEA

In some circumstances it may be necessary for limited personal information about you to be transferred outside the EEA, for instance crew information carried on Tall Ships races.

Your rights

You have the following rights in relation to the personal information we hold about you:

to access your personal information;

to be provided with information about how your personal information is processed;

to have your personal information corrected;

you have the right to request the restriction or suppression of your personal data in certain circumstances. This can be requested verbally or in writing.

You have the right to take any complaints about how we process your personal information to the Information Commissioner:

https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

0303 123 1113.

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow SK9 5AF