About Us
What could be better than being on the water, the wind in your hair and a big sky above? It was this feeling that Mark Elson wanted to share when he set up Sailnorfolk.org.
Mark first sailed on the Broads before he could walk. He has sailed all types of boats from dinghies to a tall ship, and on all types of water from Mediterranean Sea to the Solent and the Norfolk Broads. From a background teaching outdoor activities, he then coached instructors at the prestigious UK Sailing Academy. Drawn back to the Broads, he became Chief Instructor for an activity centre.
After passing his RYA Instructor's course at age 19, he worked at the Norfolk LEA water activity centre (Filby), before heading up the, then, new sailing centre at Whitlingham. Mark went on to become a Senior Instructor, and then, in 2000, an RYA Coach Assessor. He was part of the team which created the new Keelboat Senior Instructor Qualification, which has since been adopted nationally.
Mark is rarely off the water! He is Chief Instructor for TheCanoeMan Ltd and Activ-8 Adventure Ltd which are based, with Sailnorfolk, on the South Walsham site. He is RYA Principal for Sailnorfolk as well as the Norfolk Punt Club where he has won a number of trophies.
The Boats
'Iara', our 23 ft Pegasus 7, was built in Lowestoft and is a popular yacht designed for the waters of both the Norfolk Broads and East Coast. She is well fitted out with toilet facilities and a comfortable, newly upholstered, saloon. She is fitted with a spirit stove for making tea and coffee. Theory sessions can be undertaken in the warmth of the cabin.
'Joshua', an 18 ft Hardy Navigator used for our power boat training, is a well established design of cabin cruiser built in Norfolk. She provides a typical small powerboat for learning your boathandling skills. She is also fitted with a cockpit cover for wet weather.
The 13 ft Dell Quay dory provides the ideal platform for safety boat training, being the classic design used by many sailing clubs and centres around the country.
Mark, or one of his team of handpicked Instructors, look forward to guiding you through your chosen course.