tomcat marine

BARRIE POETON

Until 2003/4, Barrie Poeton was in the aerospace surface treatments business, working his way up from the shop floor through Sales Management to Managing Director level over 25 years - living in both the UK and USA. A satisfactory opportunity enabled him to re-direct his career.

 Educated in an outward-bound marine environment, cruising years on his fathers’ 50ft ketch “Asredua” preceded his ownership of a variety of boats whilst working in Southampton. Today he has the commercially endorsed Offshore Yachtmaster Instructor Certificate and is well known around the Solent following five years full time work in the UK as all year round freelance Skipper & RYA/MCA Instructor.

Much of his formal sailing instructor qualification training was in Australia and Barrie also has sailing experience in the Pacific, while working in California. In more recent times he has regularly sailed on a variety of powerboats and yachts in the Mediterranean, English Channel and the North Sea, including a short handed “uphill” Atlantic delivery from the Canaries. Barrie maintains a regular skipper role on “Asredua”, from her home base in Lymington.

JO RUSSELL 

Jo, Barrie's partner, spent all her childhood free time sailing with her family on their gaff rigged cutter "Marlin" based in Chichester. After a spell in the Navy, yachting took a back seat for a while whilst she focused on raising her own family.

Now she finds herself on the admin side of a small yachting business and is finding time to work towards getting the qualifications that like so many, she never bothered with despite substantial experience.