Meet the Team

While management of the activities of Sail Training International depends heavily on volunteers, the staff team is critical to the success of the organisation. This includes:

• The commercial team responsible for marketing and publicity, contract and project management, finance and administration.

• The race directorate, responsible for the technical management of races for sail training Tall Ships.

Biographies and contact details for each of our staff members can be found below:

Paul Bishop
Head of Race Directorate
Paul joined Sail Training International in July 2006 from the UK national sail training organisation, ASTO, where he was Business Manager. Prior to that he served in various management functions with sail training providers, was a frequent competitor (skipper) in The Tall Ships Races, and Assistant Race Director for these races (1987-93). He is an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean Instructor and Examiner, and past member of the RYA Yachtmaster Qualification Panel. 

Paul started his career as a professional seafarer at the age of 21 mainly skippering sail training vessels around Europe. He has completed several trans-Atlantic crossings and went out to Australia and Tasmania during which time he skippered a vessel in the Australian Bicentennial Tall Ships Race.  He retains his commercial licence and regularly sails as a volunteer skipper for a UK sail training charity. He has been a keen racer entering regattas such as Cowes Week. He also regularly cruises his own yacht with his family and sails a Dart 18 catamaran with his wife. 

Contact Paul Bishop – paul.bishop@sailtraininginternational.org

Gwyn Brown
Head of Commercial Directorate
Most of Gwyn’s career has been in manufacturing and technology companies in various roles including Business Manager, Business Development Director and Managing Director.  Before joining Sail Training International he was General Manager of the European subsidiary of an American aerospace company where he was responsible for European marketing, business development, customer relationship management, strategy formulation and company administration.

Contact Gwyn Brown – gwyn.brown@sailtraininginternational.org

Paul Thompson
Deputy Commercial Director

Paul has worked in business development and client management across a variety of industries. He spent eleven years as Sales Director with The Challenge Business – the organisation behind the Global Challenge round the world yacht race. During this time he developed an active sponsor community of more than 100 companies.


Paul has been involved in sail training since his first voyage as a trainee in the early 1980’s. He has taken part in a number of Tall Ships Races, both as a trainee and in more recent years as a skipper with a UK sail training charity.


Contact Paul Thompson – paul.thompson@sailtraininginternational.org

Sally Titmus

Communications Manager

Sally is an Accredited Practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has a strong marketing and communications background that spans sport, youth development, community development, charity and the public sector. She's secured many awards for her publications, media and public relations work.

As an advanced BSAC diver Sally has spent more time under the sea than sailing on it, but with Sail Training International she plans to see marine life more from above than below.

Contact Sally Titmus– sally.titmus@sailtraininginternational.org

Sandra Arrioja
Marketing co-ordinator

Sandra Arrioja joined the Mumby Road team as Commercial Assistant in April. Originally from Mexico, Sandra holds a BA in Marketing, specialising in digital media. She moved to the UK in 2007, where she worked in the educational technologies field. Among other tasks, Sandra manages the technical side of the website and is working on project planning, in which she recently took the PRINCE 2 qualification.

Contact Sandra - sandra.arrioja@sailtraininginternational.org

Mike Bowles MBE CNI
Race Director
Mike served in the Royal Navy and then the British Army where he specialised in Port and Maritime Operations. He retired in the rank of Colonel following which he worked as a consultant in management and security in the marine field in the UK, USA and South America. An experienced dinghy sailor and an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore, he is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and a Companion of the Nautical Institute.

Contact Mike Bowles – mike.bowles@sailtraininginternational.org

Janet Gauntlett
Race Assistant and Administration
Janet joined Sail Training International in December 2002 when STI acquired the assets of ISTA. Previously she was Secretary to the Race Director from 1983.

Contact Janet Gauntlett – janet.gauntlett@sailtraininginternational.org

Tony George
Finance Manager
Tony joins us after a successful 30 year career working in the finance area. Most recently he worked at QinetiQ from 1994 -2006 in various finance and operational management roles. Prior to this he spent 10 years at sea in the British Royal Navy as a seaman officer.

Contact Tony George – tony.george@sailtraininginternational.org

Amanda Goodden
Race Directorate Administrator

Amanda joins Sail Training International  having worked for the Sail Training Association from 1999 to 2007.  Initially she was the Secretary to the Fundraising Director, and on the successful conclusion of the appeal to build the two brigs (Stavros S Niarchos and Prince William) she then acted as Membership Secretary and Fundraising Assistant to the charity.  Amanda sailed on the 1982 Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race from Falmouth to Lisbon.

Contact Amanda Goodden - amanda.goodden@sailtraininginternational.org

Alison Grace
Finance Assistant
Alison Grace was appointed Accounts Manager in August 2008 having previously worked as Office Manager for PR agency, Carswell Gould. Previously, Alison has worked for MEP UK Ltd as an Office Manager and Alldays Stores Ltd as a Management Accountant.

Contact Alison Grace – Alison.grace@sailtraininginternational.org

Peter Newell
Race Director
Before joining Sail Training International, he was Race Director for ISTA. Prior to that he was with the British Army where he rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel.

Contact Peter Newell – peter.newell@sailtraininginternational.org


Esther Tibbs
Race Assistant
Esther was employed by the Sail Training Association from 1981 until 2002, her final position being Marketing Services Manager, Public Relations Officer and Editor of STA News.  She has been a regular Tall Ships sailor, principally on the Schooners Sir Winston Churchill and Malcolm Miller.  She was also an occasional volunteer in the mobile Race Office for the mid-1980s.  Esther joined the staff of Sail Training International in 2009.