Our Sailors
Let us introduce you to the sailing team who are taking the beautiful new boat, WINDSONG, on tour around the east and south east coast this summer!
Josh Donley
Home for Josh is in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire (perhaps an unlikely place to start sailing - a good 65 miles from the sea). Josh first started sailing on a small pond in Rickmansworth with the local Cub Scout group but soon dreamt of wider waters and more competitive racing. Grafham Water Sailing Club quickly became his second home. After a a few years in Toppers, he moved on to a Laser, and most recently in a Laser 3000 which with his brother, Josh took - and won - to the nationals in last year! Josh has spent the last year growing the sailing club at Swansea University as Commodore while studying Mechanical engineering and now can't wait to get back to sailing Windsong!
Josh comments:
“Windsong is easy to sail yet rewards those willing to learn how to tame such an exceptional rig! I've yet to find another vessel so powerful and composed that delivers the same effortless fun. She is a joy to sail! Windsong isn't the first powerful craft I've sailed but none can match her elegance and presence on the water.”
Charley White
Charley was born and raised in Norfolk, in the small village of Ingworth. He first got into sailing on the Norfolk Broads when he was eight years old. Since then, sailing has become a huge part of his life, progressing through the Topper Zone Squads and eventually leading him to the University of Portsmouth, where he’s part of the university sailing team and will be taking on the role of Commodore of the club from September. He also works as an RYA Senior Instructor at his local sailing centre, helping others develop their confidence and skills on the water.
Charley comments:
“The Windsong boats are unlike anything else I’ve sailed. They are beautifully crafted works of art that are incredibly exciting to sail. They plane effortlessly and feel alive on the water, making every sail unforgettable. It’s impossible not to have a smile on your face when you’re flying along in one.”
Millie Deacon
Millie is at Exeter University, but home is Suffolk. Her love of sailing came from her parents, as she grew up watching them race their RS400. Somewhere between rewatching Arthur Ransome's 'Coot Club' on repeat and learning to sail the family’s Mirror, Titmouse on the River Burn, it didn't take long before Millie’s first Optimist Nationals led to racing every other weekend on the 29er circuit - known for being fast, competitive, and seriously fun.
Millie comments:
“Windsong is such a unique design with a beautifully crafted hull, filling a gap in river sailing that no other boat quite manages. She's stable and manageable, but still fast, exactly the kind of boat that makes every sail memorable. I cannot wait for a summer of sailing with the team.”
Hanna Dahlborg
Hanna grew up just outside Gothenburg in Sweden, but now calls Geneva, Switzerland her home. Her sailing story began at age six in Budskär on the Swedish west coast, following in the wake of her brother, father, and grandfather. It has been a constant in her life ever since!
As a young competitive sailor Hanna won the Swedish Championship in an Optimist and was placed in the top ten at European level before moving on to the 29er class with some strong results at championships at the Nordic, European, and World level. She has also competed in ice sailing across Europe.
Hanna comments:
“Windsong appeals to me as a meeting of old and new: a wooden boat with a lug rig, worlds away from the sporty 29er, yet connected by the same love of speed, simplicity, and craft. The founding team speaks of it as an art project, and that metaphor resonates with how I think about sailing now. Beyond the water, I am passionate about all outdoor sports. These days I am attempting to learn wing foiling on Lake Geneva, and spending as much time as possible hiking and climbing in the mountains surrounding it.”
Fenn Austin
Fenn grew up living in Bath and each year would summer in Blakeney in Norfolk and Gorran Haven in Cornwall. Day were spent sailing, motoring or rowing on the water. He now lives at Knapton on the North Norfolk coast.
After a RYA stage 1 dinghy sailing course he Fenn was hooked and he went on to complete all the sailing stages, bought a laser 1 and completed his competent crew, powerboat level 2 and began racing. Since 2020, his life has pretty much revolved around the sport and he is now studying sailing at the United Kingdom Sailing Academy.
Fenn comments:
“The idea of this classic rig being repurposed into a modern planing dinghy that aims to be a tribute to the past is what really interests me about Windsong. The Windsong team have created a truly marvellous vessel that will change people’s perspectives on these older, more forgotten ways of sailing.”