Meet The Team

DOUG INNES (Principal & Director)

RYA Yachtmaster Instructor (power, sail, ocean)
RYA Powerboat Trainer & PWC Trainer
RYA Senior dinghy/keelboat/multi hull instructor
RYA Advanced and Racing Instructor
RYA Windsurf Instructor
RYA SRC Assessor, Radar and Diesel Instructor
RYA Sea Survival and ISAF Instructor
RYA, EFR & HSE First Aid Instructor
BSAC Diver Cox'n Assessor
BWS SBDA Examiner
PADI Dive Master

Doug began sailing at the age of six, he first qualified as an RYA Instructor in 1992 and has been training sailors and power boaters ever since. After working for a number of RYA Centres he decided he would establish his own business (and work for the tax man instead!). Stormforce Coaching was born in 2001. For the first two years Doug ran Stormforce in parallel to his full time and freelance work before making the break in 2003 and employing his own team. Apart from running the company and delivering some of our courses he sits on the MLA Training and Executive Committees and runs Powerboat and PWC Instructor courses all over Europe. He has been called upon to provide "Expert Witness" for negligence court cases involving small craft and has been appointed by the RYA as a Centre Inspector. As a keen offshore yachtsman Doug and the lads aboard "Chieftain" were the overall winners of the RORC Round Britain and Ireland, Cowes to Cascais, Myth of Malham, Cervantes Trophy and RORC series in '06.

TIM BANNISTER (Chief Instructor / Southampton)

RYA Yachtmaster Instructor (sail)
RYA Cruising Instructor (power)
RYA Ocean Shorebased
RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor
RYA PWC Instructor
RYA Senior Dinghy, Keelboat Instructor
RYA Racing Instructor
RYA SRC Assessor & Diesel Instructor
RYA & MNTB Sea Survival Instructor
BSAC Diver Cox'n Assessor
BSAC Sport Diver

Tim joined us in March 2008. Prior to this he was the senior instructor / fleet manager for Kiel Training Centre (British Army Adventure/Sail Training in Germany). He has been on the water all his life and devotes much of his spare time to the London Sailing Project. Tim has raced in several events mostly in the Baltic, skippering the classic 1935 100 sq meter yacht "Flamingo" to glory in the Baltic Sprint Cup. He was watch officer in the 2000 Transatlantic Tall ships race aboard Rona 2. In his spare time you can usually find him on top of a mountain or under the water diving.

RAY SCOTT (Instructor & Examiner / Southampton)

RYA Yachtmaster Examiner (power)
RYA Yachtmaster Instructor (power)
RYA Powerboat Trainer
RYA PWC Trainer
RYA Diesel Instructor
RYA Radar Instructor
RYA SRC Assessor

Following a life time of working in and around boats Ray has a vast wealth of experience. He came to us in 2004 from the MOD police (but we don't hold that against him!) where he worked both as an Engine Technician and Boat Handling Instructor. Ray and Doug co run many of the RYA Powerboat and PWC Instructor Courses. Ray and Tim share between them our Diesel and Outboard courses. Ray also skippers many of our Motor Boat Courses. In addition to working with us he examines Yachtmaster Power candidates for the RYA and is a Lifeboat Cox'n at his local station.

STELLA (Office Manager / Southampton)

RYA Ocean Shorebased
RYA Sea Survival (not the pool session)
RYA SRC
RYA Diesel
RYA Radar
RYA/ISAF Ofshore Safety

Stella meets and greets most of our Southampton students as they enter the front door. She joined the company in 2005. She has cruised the Solent, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands by yacht and participated in plenty RIB and Motor Boat rides on calm days in the Solent. She spends much of her day in the office although quite often sits in on shorebased courses, even although she has done them before.

BECKY INNES (Administrator & Finance / Southampton)

RYA Dayskipper Shorebased
RYA Dayskipper Sail
RYA Dinghy Level 1 and 2
RYA SRC
RYA Sea Survival
PADI Advanced Open Water
HSE First Aid at Work

Becky is the most organised amongst us. Although Doug thinks he runs the company, it is Becky who really controls the finance and keeps our employer (the tax man) happy. She joined the team part time in 2005. In the spring of 2007 we persuaded her to join the full time staff and she now runs the office under the watchful eye of Stella. She previously worked for the RYA in both the Despatch and Racing departments. Becky is a yacht sailor and a scuba diver. She has raced in Cowes Week and extensively cruised the South Coast of England and the Channel Islands. She has dived as far afield as Egypt, Jordan, and Mexico. She likes to travel.

FRANK SCHWEITZER (Instructor / Southampton)

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased Instructor
RYA Cruising Instructor (sail)
RYA SRC Assessor
Consultant Surgeon

Frank is a retired surgeon with over thirty year's experience of both dinghy and yacht sailing. As the former owner/skipper of a Sigma 362 he has tried his hand at JOG, RORC and "Round the Cans" Racing. More recently he has returned to Dinghy Sailing as he is now introducing his grandchildren to the sea. Frank teaches both Shorebased and Cruising courses and examines the STCW ’95 Medical First Aid and Medical Care Aboard Ship Courses. Frank has been actively instructing RYA courses since 2001 and began working with us in 2004. When he planned to retire from full time work his biggest mistake was meeting Doug!

PETER WHITE (Powerboat Instructor / Southampton)

RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor
RYA Yachtmaster Shore based
BSAC Boat Handling Instructor

Peter has been instructing since the nineties, he has a wide experience of keelboat racing, diving and powerboating. He can often be seen on the support boat of the race circuit where his grandson races powerboats.

KEITH LLOYD (First Aid Instructor / Southampton)

RYA First Aid Instructor
HSE First Aid Instructor
Paramedic
RYA Powerboat Level 2

Keith has been our lead First Aid Instructor since 2004. He spent sixteen years at sea followed by twenty three years as an Ambulance Paramedic, he knows his subject from first hand experience and is well remembered by all of his students for his entertaining and educational delivery.

ADAM O'NEILL (Instructor / Southampton)

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor
RYA PWC Instructor
RYA Dinghy Instructor
RYA Shorebased Instructor
RYA Advanced Cert. of Comp.
RYA Dayskipper Power
RYA Safety Boat
BSAC Boat Handling Instructor
PADI Advanced Open Water

Adam joined us in September 2007 on our year long Internship programme. He trained at both the UK and Greek Centres. Having completed the Internship we offered him a full time position and he is now a valued member of the team. Prior to joining us he spent some time travelling the world. Adam probably spends more time afloat than most as he lives aboard his own boat.

BLAKE TURCZAK (Internship / Southampton)

RYA Dinghy & Racing Instructor
RYA Windsurf Instructor
RYA Powerboat Instructor
RYA PWC Instructor
BSAC Boat Handling Instructor
RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased
RYA Coastal Skipper Sail
RYA Safety Boat & Advanced Powerboat
IKO Kite Surf L2 Instructor
RYA Sea Survival, Diesel, BSAC Outboard
PADI Rescue Diver

Having completed the one year Internship programme with us Blake has joined us as a full time Instructor. He has previously taught watersports in the UK, Zanzibar, Dominican Republic and Greece.

MATT BRYANT (Internship / Southampton)

RYA Powerboat Instructor
RYA PWC Instructor
BSAC Boat Handling Instructor
MCA Advanced Power Cert. of Comp.
RYA Coastal Skipper Sail
RYA Safety Boat & SRC
RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased
RYA Dinghy level 1 & 2, Seamanship
RYA First Aid & Sea Survival
RYA Diesel & BSAC Outboard

Matt recently completed the Internship Programme with us and now works for us on a freelance basis as a Powerboat and PWC Instructor. He is local to Hampshire and attended college here where he studied P.E. and Business Studies. He has been a powerboat driver and PWC rider for six years and owns his own RIB. He has worked at both our Southampton and Greek Centers.

GARETH GLOVER (Chief Instructor / Brighton)

RYA Yachtmaster Instructor (power & sail)
RYA Dinghy Coach Assessor
RYA Keelboat Coach Assessor
RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor
RYA Windsurf Intermediate Instructor
RYA Ocean Shorebased

Gareth has been in the watersports and yachting industry full time since the middle of the nineties. He and Doug worked and raced together for a couple of years back then. He has worked for Stormforce Coaching on a freelance basis since the day the business started. More recently he has been involved with setting up our Brighton Centre and is now the Chief Instructor there. He has been appointed by the RYA as a Centre Inspector and when not with us, is generally running Dinghy Instructor Courses or competing in the RORC Offshore Series.

CHRIS 'BIFF' SMITH (Chief Instructor / Greece)

RYA Senior Dinghy Instructor
RYA Advanced Dinghy Instructor
RYA Keelboat Instructor
RYA Powerboat Instructor
RYA PWC Instructor

Chris has also been teaching sailing since the nineties with thirteen consecutive season's Mediterranean experience in France, Spain and Greece. He managed a number of resorts before setting up his own business in Greece and partnering with us. He and Doug began planning their collaboration back in 1996 when they first met. Chris is well remembered by his students for his fun and lively approach to life. He is well know by the locals in Porto Heli, has been working there for five years and now lives there permanently.

Amy Edminson (Beach and Accommodation Manager / Greece)

RYA Senior Windsurf Instructor
RYA Safetyboat
RYA First Aid

Amy co runs the Greek centre with Chris, generally ensuring things run smoothly, she will make sure your stay is one to be remembered. Her role is diverse as she helps with rigging etc on the beach, as well as bookings and accounts, while still finding time to teach the odd windsurfing course. She has worked five years in Porto Heli and loves the resort.