About
A family-run sailing school, built on forty years at sea.
The Spirit of Cruising
We believe it is important to get into the spirit of cruising — to enjoy the new destination, the arrivals, the departures and the journey itself. It matters to us that you sample the culture, the food and the friendship. Enjoy the waters.
Our team commitment
We are a family-run teaching centre with a commitment to genuine sail training. This is a passion, not just a business. The RYA school is built on forty years of yachting and industrial training experience, and we are determined to work with you to achieve your maritime goals in an enjoyable way.
The Sense of Adventure
Yachting is about developing your sense of adventure in a safe and controlled way. You decide the pace of development with us. We can take you through the RYA syllabus and enhance it with personal experience and coaching.
Professional approach
We take a professional approach to everything we do — from Start Yachting to Ocean Yachtmaster training, yacht management and the interior skills. Our experience in professional development training has been recognised in UK National Training Awards, and we apply that same standard to our yachting.
Relaxed style of continual learning
We have trained crew from some of the largest, most demanding yachts in the world — alongside families and school groups. Whatever the level, the approach stays the same: time on the helm, time on the chart, time to actually learn.
The team
Who you'll be sailing with
Michael
Principal & Ocean Yachtmaster Instructor
Michael is the principal of the training centre — an Ocean Yachtmaster instructor qualified to teach sail, motor cruiser and powerboat. He has been yachting, both sail and power, for over 30 years in many countries around the world, racing and cruising extensively in the UK and Europe. Before setting up Maritime Training Fornells he had a career in accountancy and commerce with technology companies. He is passionate about yachting, has an easy relaxed style of tuition that helps people feel at home, and loves to try new things in his cooking on board.
Paddy
Senior Skipper
Paddy is an experienced skipper looking after skipper development programmes and sourcing ways to enhance the learning and the entertainment. He skippered with Yacht Week over four seasons, and previously delivered yachts and sailed in Ireland, Scotland, Biscay and the Mediterranean. Fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, he has taught everyone from complete beginners to superyacht captains on both RYA and professional STCW courses.
Other team members
International instructors & skippers
We draw on a pool of international, multilingual instructors and skippers — not only experienced, but friends who share our approach to yachting.
Our Academy
Continue learning online
Alongside the practical school in Fornells, we run MT Sail Academy — an online learning space for RYA theory, pre-course preparation and refresher material. It's a simple way to keep progressing between passages.
Visit MT Sail Academy