Thunderbolt

The Mile Building Club

Paul is the skipper of Thunderbolt, the boat which is used for the mile building club. Paul has previously owned and ran a sailing school and has a wealth of knowledge to pass on, and the mile building club is a relaxed environment to learn in. As for sailing in the Solent itself, it can be challenging. So much so, that the America's Cup, which is the oldest competition in international sport, was first raced for on 22 August 1851 around the Isle of Wight off Southampton. It is probably like being a learner driver in the center of London. There’s a lot to take in, such as large shipping, other leisure craft, Isle of Wight ferry’s, weather and the tides, which are very different on the Solent. So if you can sail on the Solent competently, you could probably sail anywhere in the world. I personally bridged the gap between my Day skipper theory and Day skipper practical, which were about 7 months apart. And I had a great time doing my Day skipper practical with Southampton Boat Training. As for the costs of the mile building club, they do deter some people. However if you did go sailing every weekend of the month with the mile building club, it still works out to be reasonable. Or as another review has put it: “No depreciation, repairs, maintenance etc. No hassle looking for crew for your own boat. Experienced skipper who builds your confidence and skills. Interesting mix of members mean that even when on that rare day that the Solent doesn't provide good weather we still enjoy the day”.

29th Oct 2025

Short Term Club Membership

I joined Paul and various members of his club for two weekends in a row sailing both Saturday and Sunday. After recently getting my certifications in coastal cruising I was looking for an opportunity to get more miles under my belt with some experienced sailors. Paul is highly experienced, and well inept for providing the additional education I was looking for due to his many years running a sail school. He even humored me by giving us time to do a few drills. Everyone I sailed with during my time were all very motivated and skilled sailors themselves. The Solent is a dream to sail in and can't wait until I travel through England again to join a sail. Keep the the kettle on, I look forward to our next outings and friendly conversation. Cheers

4th Jun 2023

Easy Going sailing for everyone

I sailed with paul and other members quite a few times and was made to feel very welcome, i had very little knowledge of sailing or how a sail boat worked before i joined them after the first few days out and i felt more confident and got into a routine i really started to enjoy my days out from day one i got to steer the boat under sail and motoring with all the members on board sharing their knowledge paul especially is always asking you questions, setting you tasks like 3 point fixes and general map work , tides times and heights, rights of way, etc the whole day your onboard your always learning , sharing a nice cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit taking a moment to relax and take in the surroundings sailing with the motor off its lovely and quiet and brings a big smile to your face, if you just want to sit back and do nothing all day this is not for you its hands on sailing you could learn to sail anywhere else but never get the same experience as sailing in the solent every aspect of sailing is covered so if learning to sail and going for your comp crew or day skippers is what you want this is the boat to be on thanks to paul i now have the confidence to go out sailing and hope to sail with him many times again in the future after all this corona madness is over .

17th May 2020