About OYT South

David Salmon is OYT South's General Manager. He spent 18 years in aircraft engineering and 14 years in the motor trade, ending up as General Service Manager. He then had seven years in financial management. During this time he also started a business importing boats from France. He joined the Ocean Youth Club in 1999 and became assistant Fleet Manager. He has been General Manager of OYT South since March 2000.

Sally Croly is OYT South's part-time Office Administrator.

Chris Robinson will be taking over as General Manager when David Salmon retires in November; but he will be starting work with us in May in order to become throughly familiar with OYT South, as well as undertaking some important project work. Chris is a highly experienced manager with a strong background in business development, client services, sales and marketing and project management. His skills and experience will help to take OYT South forward over the next few years, as we seek to grow and develop, and as we face exciting new challenges including the New Boat Project. Chris will be starting work on Monday 19th May.

Brian Eyres

Brian is a former Ocean Youth Club staff skipper, who first got involved with John Laing immediately after the vessel's naming ceremony. He went on to sail as second mate and volunteer on most weekends through five winter refits. In 1993 he started working full time for the Ocean Youth Club, sailing through the season and refitting in winter. The highlight of this period was sailing as first mate / skipper in John Laing and James Cook, her sister ship, when the two boats sailed round the world between December 1995 and March 1997.

Now employed in the Accounts Office of the Lulworth Castle Estate, Brian is an active OYT South volunteer. As a qualified book-keeper, he does a lot of work on OYT South's administration and budgeting, as well as running the mates' register and organising CRB checks for volunteers.

Yvonne Taylor

Yvonne runs her own business, KTY Yachts, offering RYA and other courses to yachtsmen and yachtswomen. Among other things, she has a particular expertise in first aid and other medical courses, and in safety at sea. She sails in John Laing as a relief skipper.

Caroline White

Caroline first sailed with OYC as a young crew member in 1983. A journalist by trade, she is also a qualified fundraiser and a member of the Institute of Fundraising. She runs OYT South's e-newsletter and works on other marketing and communications projects, including managing this website, as well as organising sea staff bookings. She sails in John Laing as a first mate.

Andy Royse

Having started sailing dinghies aged twelve, Andy has had success competing at National level. He has worked as a Dinghy Instructor and Racing Coach and holds a Yachtmaster qualification. He first sailed with the OYC in 1995 as a young crew member, going on to become a regular member of the volunteer Sea Staff. He became a Trustee of OYT South in 2002.

Andy holds an honours degree in Materials Engineering and during a career break, completed part one of a Master of Research Degree. He has been involved with several international research projects and has qualifications in Risk Management, Financial Planning, Project Management and Health & Safety. He currently works for the City and County of Swansea in the Public Lighting Section. During his professional career he has been a member of the Institute of Materials, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is a member of the Institution of Lighting Engineers.

Steve Lacey

Steve is qualified as both a teacher and a youth worker specialising in outdoor education. He has extensive yacht racing experience, frequently as a race navigator. He currently works for Dorset County Council as a Senior Youth Worker. He became involved with OYT South by bringing a group of young people to sail in 2002, and quickly qualified as a second mate. He is OYT South's Child Protection Officer.

Jennifer "Phoebe" Swatton

Phoebe was elected as a Trustee on 18th February 2007.

She has been sailing with the Trust since the age of sixteen, in 2001. After leaving school, she worked as a full-time volunteer on a winter refit of John Laing, and has since qualified as a second mate.

A student at Southampton University, Phoebe had her 22nd birthday just days after joining the Board. Her election ensures that OYT South has a Trustee in the same (under-25) age range as the young crew members who sail with us.

Martin Skipper - Chair

Martin has recently retired after a long career as a police officer, and has started a new career as a teacher, with a particular interest in young people who are struggling at school. He sails his own boat, Cwac, and is one of OYT South's volunteer first mates.

He was co-opted to the Board of Trustees in June 2007, and formally elected at the AGM in April 2008.

Fiona Pankhurst

Fiona is International Marketing Communications Manager at Raymarine, and was previously UK Operations Manager with Beneteau. She also has extensive experience of the charity world through involvement with the National Trust, Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Marie Curie Cancer Care. She owns a small 1970's vintage sailing cruiser with her husband and, as an ex-World Champion dinghy crew, still gets pathetically competitive when passed by faster vessels (which happens a lot). She says: "I have seen the positive difference that learning to sail, becoming part of a team, and exposure to a completely different environment can make to young people and hope to play a useful part by bringing my business skills, contacts and knowledge to bear for the benefit of OYT South and the young people themselves.”

Jeremy Burnett Rae

Jeremy is a barrister with considerable experience of charity law. While working as a Legal and Compliance Director for Investment Managers, Jeremy helps on charity Trustee Boards including a School Society, a Citizens Advice Bureau and a Ugandan Children’s Choir. He says he has a Yachtmaster certificate so old that it included Morse Code. Living in Oxfordshire far from the sea and without a boat, he mostly sails small yachts but has tried everything from a scuba tow to a barquantine, which he says only sank later.

Fred Cole

Fred is UK Manager of the Yacht Division of International Paint, previously Sales Manager for International’s Commercial Marine Division. Trained as a Chemist, having worked for Unilever and Morgan Crucible plc in fields as diverse as cosmetics, emulsion chemistry and industrial lubricants.  He has experience in marketing, sales, project management, PR, sponsorships, business strategy, employee relations and general management. Outside of the workplace, he has been involved in local politics, voluntary organizations and supporting local schools. Fred has some experience of both cruising and racing sailing.”