About us

Welcome to Ventus Sailing

There are so many questions to be asked when getting into sailing, where do I go? How do I learn, how do I build up miles and with who? How do I get into racing? These are the questions that lead us to create a company that provides a multitude of sailing opportunities.

Our goal is to allow anyone who wants to sail and learn the opportunity to do so. While having a ton of fun in the process, because that’s what sailing is all about after all!
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Whatever it is that you want to achieve, we will be here to help you meet your goals.

We can tailor-make mile building trips or days out in the Solent. Want to race? We have you covered. We offer an extensive inshore and offshore racing programme, along with specialist courses for spinnaker handling to aid in your racing experience. Have you just passed your RYA Day Skipper but still feel like you need a little bit more help with close quarter boat handling? We have a course designed especially for that, to help build your confidence and enhance your skills.

We want you to come away from Ventus Sailing, having learned new skills and experienced new adventures, but most importantly, we want you to leave with a smile on your face!

Meet your skippers

Bob Mechem

Bob has been sailing for most of his life, starting as a dinghy sailor then moving onto yachts. He regularly cruises UK waters, the French coast, the Channel Islands and Dutch waterways, putting tens of thousands of nautical miles under his belt over the past 25 years. Bob went onto racing yachts and has completed two ARCs (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), this year (2023) will be his fifth Fastnet Campaign.
The St Maarten Regatta in the Caribbean and numerous corporate regattas and RORC races, numerous Round the Islands and Cowes Weeks.
He still regularly races dinghies in his spare time. His dinghy racing background gives him a great understanding of race rules and tactics, so is one to watch on a race start line!

Besides racing and cruising, Bob is also a Yachtmaster and Powerboat instructor teaching both practical and theory RYA sailing courses. He has been teaching for the past ten years, including for his local council and numerous sailing schools.

It is often commented that Bob never loses his cool or shouts, even in the hairiest of situations. He creates a total sense of calm control and builds teams around him that all work and play together!

Tanya Sullivan

In 2002, Tanya had a lightbulb moment while cruising in Greece for the first time, and knew that this is what she needed to do. She immediately came back and booked her RYA Competent Crew and has worked her way through the RYA syllabus, and is now an Offshore Yachtmaster instructor. During this time she has raced across the Atlantic twice, completed Five Fastnet campaigns, competed in the St Maarten Regatta, Antigua Week, Caribben 600 and taken part in so many channel races it’s hard to keep count! Not to mention all the inshore racing in the Solent including Round the Island and Cowes Week.

But it’s not all about racing for her. She equally enjoys the cruising side, spending any spare time exploring the south coast (or just pottering on Sidney II). She was lucky enough to spend six weeks cruising around the Caribbean islands after completing the Atlantic crossing. Her passion for sailing is evident when talking to her, and this is reflected in her teaching style. She wants to allow everyone the chance to learn and enjoy the pleasures of sailing.

You can’t help but join in with her infectious enthusiasm, and you will come away with the same permanently smiling face that she has!