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Home > Sailing > Winter Talks

Welcome to our Winter Talks

QMSC Winter Talks 2025 V3

We are delighted to welcome you to our Winter Talks, a series of inspiring and thought-provoking evenings open to everyone—members and non-members alike—and completely free of charge. The evenings will begin with food and drink service from 18:30, offering a chance to relax, mingle, and enjoy refreshments before the talks commence at 19:30.

Whether you're a regular attendee or joining us for the first time, we can’t wait to share these great evenings with you. If you plan to attend, please use the Sign-Up Forms linked below to reserve your place. Bring your curiosity and enthusiasm—we look forward to seeing you there!


Winter Talks Schedule 

  • Wednesday 29th January: David Hartshorn - Skipper/Circumnavigator on the Clipper Round The World Race.
  • Wednesday 5th February: Jon Holt & Scaramouche Sailing Trust - TO BE POSTPONED TO AN ALTERNATIVE DATE
  • Wednesday 19th February: Simon Winkley - Windsurf Q&A session on equipment, technique and going faster.
  • Wednesday 26th February: Mark Chisnell - 'Confidence at Sea' talks about his book Knowledge 2.0 - Staying afloat in the information age.
  • Wednesday 19th March: Simon Winkley - Wingfoil & Parawing: Insights into technique, skill progression and current equipment development.
  • Wednesday 26th March: Tony Woods - ILCA Social Night!

 

Simon Winkley - Windsurf Q&A Session on equipment, technique and going faster

Join Simon for a Q&A session to cover any aspect of windsurfing equipment, design, rigging, tuning and technique.

Gain valuable insights about sails, masts, booms, boards, footstraps, fins, mastfoot position and what sizes and types of kit to buy. The more you understand the essentials of windsurf kit rigging, tuning and technique, the more you stand to gain from your time afloat.

Simon will be also sharing his experience of participating in Weymouth Speed Week in 2024, when he took a small team of newcomers to the event. He will explain how windsurfing speeds are recorded, how the 53 year old event works and how, when he returns with a team in October 2025, he plans to adapt his tuning and technique to squeeze as much speed as possible out of his equipment.

To find out more click on the link for Simon Winkley Marine Website.

Mark Chisnell - 'Confidence at Sea' talks about his book Knowledge 2.0 Staying Afloat in the Information Age

Mark Chisnell’s talk uses first-hand stories from the great ocean races to better understand why people get into trouble at sea, and how we could all do better to avoid it. By examining incidents in the 1979 Fastnet Race and the 1993 Sydney Hobart Race, Chisnell will explore the role of confidence – particularly too much of it – at sea, and in our lives. The material is derived from Chisnell’s recent book, Knowledge 2.0 - Staying Afloat in the Information Age, and has been featured in Yachting World, Sailing World and PBO.

Mark began sailing in Mirror and 420 dinghies before moving to 12M yachts as a navigator for the British Challenger at the 1987 America’s Cup in Fremantle. Subsequently, he raced as a professional navigator for 30 years, working and sailing with seven Cup teams, including One World, Luna Rossa, Emirates Team New Zealand and, most recently, as Rules Advisor to INEOS Britannia, winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2024.

He has also written on sailing, technology and travel for magazines, newspapers and websites around the world, including Esquire, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. He has worked as a race commentator and analyst for the Olympics, Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup and the World Match Racing Tour, and is the author of five novels and eleven non-fiction books.

To find out more about Mark click the link to his website.

Simon Winkley - Wingfoil & Parawing - Insights into technique, skill progression and current equipment development

Share the experience that Simon has gained over the last 12 months from wingfoiling in Tobago/Rhodes/Weymouth/QM, from running the wing school at QM and, essentially, from talking to people about winging almost every day of the year. Catch up with the latest kit developments and ask any questions on technique.

Simon will also be introducing the latest foiling development: parawinging. Parawinging uses a tiny, single-skin, non-inflated wing with 1-2m lines and a bar and is best suited to a longer downwind board with a larger, high aspect front wing. The parawing can be packed down in seconds to enjoy riding swell/foot pumping then deployed again in an instant to revert back to wind power.

Simon will be showing off the latest Ensis ‘Roger 3.0m’ parawing, revealing his findings from winter testing and explaining how to experience parawinging through an intro lesson with him at QM.

Tony Woods: ILCA Social 

Annual fun, social evening - All are welcome!