Stuart and Judi King learnt to sail in dinghies and keelboats whilst living on the island of Jersey in the late 1970s. As their young family grew up, they worked through the RYA training scheme and chartered boats for holidays in the West Country, Holland, France, Channel Islands and the Caribbean. Now, in spring and autumn, they race their Westerly Fulmar, ‘Slipstream’, in the Solent with the Chichester Cruiser Racing Club and cruise extensively in the summer months.

Stuart, a commercially endorsed yachtmaster, qualified as an RYA-shorebased instructor in 2005 and opened the Swift Valley Sea School in the same year. The Swift Valley Sea School is run from home in Leicestershire where Judi, who also runs a successful bed and breakfast business, provides the hospitality, keeping the students well fed and watered during the day. The afternoon tea with ‘ship’s cake’ is a particular favourite

Stuart has just gained his cruising instructer qualification and hopes to be able to run the practical courses in conjunction with an RYA recognised cruising school in the near future.