Holly Vint
Instructor
Holly grew up land-locked, but got a lucky break when she fell into sailing as a young adult. She's spent over a decade since then encouraging others to feel empowered on the water too!
"There's space at sea for everyone: all abilities, skillsets, and characters can find purpose in sailing."
Holly grew up land-locked, but got a lucky break when she fell into sailing as a young adult. She's spent over a decade since then encouraging others to feel empowered on the water too!
Qualifications:
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean
- RYA Shorebased Navigation Instructor
- Used to be a Yachtmaster Instructor, before I moved back ashore full time
Additional Experience:
- Awarded MCA/ASTO Best Potential Skipper in 2019
- Was in Sky News documentary "A Plastic Voyage" (catch it on YouTube!)
- Has taught several celestial navigation-only ocean crossings
- Highest latitude skippered at: 78°39'N! In Svalbard
Instructor background:
I didn't know that I'd make a solid instructor until I fell into sail training: there I learnt that guiding inexperienced crews of diverse people – young and old – was not just something I'd love, but also be pretty good at. I enjoy creating teams where everyone plays a crucial role, and get a kick out of that moment where someone achieves something they never thought they could.
Hobbies & Interests:
My border collie pup takes up most of my free time! Together we run the trails, scent- and agility-train, and grow veggies (she digs, I plant.) In the summer I'm hoping to complete a hilly 50k ultra, so the miles are really ramping up in training for that too.
Previous Trips:
Disko Bay
I took an adventurous crew north from Newfoundland to Disko Bay, Greenland. A phenomenal trip full of icebergs, whales, dense fog and mountains – plus the most remote engine failure I've dealt with to date!
Cape Horn
I joined the custom-built high-latitude Vinson of Antarctica for a stunning cruise around Tierra del Fuego, Chile, including a trip ashore on Cape Horn! Then we set off east towards Tristan da Cunha and Cape Town, forgoing the GNSS in favour of celestial navigation.
Youth Sail Training
I skippered Prolific, a 32m ketch for youth charity OYT South. This was especially poignant for me as my first ever sailing trip 10 years prior was with OYT South, during which I got my RYA Competent Crew certificate!
