Martin Fordham MRIN, Yachtmaster Ocean (RYA Instructor) Principal

Martin is married, with 3 grown-up children.

He is a professional mechanical engineer with over thirty five years experience in the oil and gas industry, which was mostly spent managing projects in design, construction and offshore commissioning in the North Sea.

He was born with a love of the water and boats and has a wide experience in sailing matters. Over 25 years dinghy racing in club, open meetings, national and masters championships as a member of Wraysbury Lake SC where he served in several capacities including Commodore, Sailing Secretary, Fleet Captain and Optimist Trainer. Over 25 years yachting, including delivery trips from Norway and west coast of France, to Germany and Denmark, cruises to the Azores, Ireland and the Baltic as well as prestigious racing events such as Round Britain and Ireland, seven Fastnets and several other offshore and inshore races. He has skippered a yacht in the Engineering Challenge Cup seven times including in Spain, Croatia, Greece and Turkey. He is also a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club. More recently he has been competing in two handed yacht races such as the Triangle to Torquay, Cork and Treguier with his son Matthew who is senior instructor at Sailing Ventures.

Martin is member of Royal Institute of Navigation, teaches a navigation class at night school and is Principal of Sailing Ventures, which he set up in 1995 in Lymington and is now a fully recognised RYA cruising establishment.

He can usually be found sailing out of Lymington, in his Sweden 38 yacht with a group of like-minded sailors.

Needless to say we hope Martins enthusiasm, experience and love of the sea will enhance your sailing.