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. Biographies and contact details for all the Sail Training International staff can be found below.

Core Team

The wide ranging services and activities that we deliver globally is only possible due to the efforts and expertise of our staff team and volunteers. Biographies and contact details of the staff team and those volunteers serving as Trustees and directors can be found below.

Alan James

Chief Executive Officer (Sail Training International & TSRIL)

Vanessa Mori

Deputy CEO/Commercial Director

Magda Makowska

Race Director & Race Operations Committee Secretary

Alison Weston

Finance Manager

Laura Blyth-Brown

Office Manager

Samantha Leonard

Head of Marketing

Abi Haywood

Digital Marketing Executive

Tall Ships Races International Limited (TSRIL)

Tall Ships Races International Limited is the subsidiary company of Sail Training International and responsible for staff and office infrastructure. It is also responsible for organising all our Tall Ships Races and Regattas and the STI annual conference and seminars.

Alan James

Chief Executive Officer (Sail Training International & TSRIL)

Jan G. Van der Burg

Chair

Bjørg Johnsrud Western

Jack Dignan

Jan Reier Arends

Vernon Harten-Ash

Trustees

The Trustees are elected by the representatives of Member organisations and are responsible for managing the Charity’s affairs. They also appoint the boards of Directors of Subsidiary Companies and various committees and working groups for specific projects.

James George

Chair

Diana Galpin

Einar Corwin

Jack Dignan

Jill Hughes

Lena Weweler

Lucy Grodie

Murray Henstock

Phil Cotton

Youth Council

The main objectives of the Youth Council are to represent a youth voice in decision making within the sail training community and to inspire, support and promote the involvement of young people in all aspects of sail training. They also aim to support sail training communities in enabling young people to become active contributors. Through their discussions they create a positive environment for the exchange of ideas and innovations and to promote individual growth through international friendships and multicultural understanding.

Jack Dignan

Chairperson (United Kingdom)

Aaron Middleton

UK REPRESENTATIVE

Aoibhinn Lynch

Vice Chairperson (Ireland)

Cassandra Murrell

Australia Representative

Cecile Masquelet

France Representative

Eline Kristiansen

Secretary (Norway)

Francesca Edmonds

New Zealand Representative

Georg Fimpel

Germany Representative

Jelizaveta Ivanova

Latvia Representative

Jonas Willems

Belgium Representative

Katarina Suviniitty

Finland Representative

Kei Minamiyama

Japan Representative

Louise Olsen

Denmark Representative

Marta Carvalho Martins

Portugal Representative

Matilda Dagberg

Sweden Representative

Maya James

Canadian Representative

Merel van den Broek

Netherlands Representative

Milosz Kolec

Poland Representative

Rick Rohumets

Estonia Representative

William Wilson

US REPRESENTATIVE

Race Operations Committee (ROC)

The Race Operations Committee advises the board of directors on technical aspects of the races organised by Sail Training International, including course and port selection, racing and sailing rules and safety equipment requirements.

Jörgen Hansson

Chairman

Magda Makowska

ROC Secretary

Relive The Tall Ships Races 2025

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