The Sail Nelson Instructor Team

Sail Nelson is a fully accredited Royal Yachting Association sail training centre, run by sailors for sailors. We teach all abilities from novice to Yachtmaster™ Offshore.

Our passion is for sail cruising and to that end everyone here has spent many months and years cruising the worlds oceans. Setting sail, whether along the coast or across an ocean, is a psychological challenge made much easier when you have acquired the necessary skills. Nowhere are these skills more essential than in coastal waters where confident boat handling and accurate navigation are paramount. So, whether you’re planning to cruise for a weekend, a week, a month or a year we’re here to give you the knowledge, ability and confidence to enable you, your friends and your family to get the most out of sail cruising in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

Sail Nelson’s RYA qualified sailing instructors all have excellent tuition skills, proven sailing ability and many thousands of sea miles under their belts. They are patient with a good sense of humour and all love being on board in Nelson, with its stunning scenery and renowned sunny climate.

Chris Roff

School Principal and Chief Instructor
RYA Yachtmaster™ Instructor MNZ Master Yacht <24m

Chris, and his wife Katy, sailed their 35ft ketch Whistler from the UK to New Zealand, via Easter Island and Pitcairn during 2003/2004. Prior to that Chris grew up sailing in the UK and has sailed all his life since early childhood. He began with dinghies and small yachts, sailing all around the coast of the British Isles, before repeatedly crossing the English Channel sailing to France and the Channel Isles. From his early 20’s Chris was skippering passages west to the Hebrides, off the West Coast of Scotland, including the remote and rugged islands of St Kilda and north to the Orkney Isles. During the early 1990’s Chris spent many months teaching boat handling on various expeditions amongst the fiords of southern Chile.

Since moving to Nelson Chris (together with his wife Katy and 2 children Ben & Sally) has continued to sail, instruct and explore around the unspoiled coastline of New Zealand and many of the idyllic islands of the South Pacific and Tasman Sea. But for anyone who loves sailing and the outdoors Nelson is perhaps impossible to beat and Chris always loves sharing it with visitors to the region.

Hannah Wilks

RYA Cruising Instructor

Hannah became an RYA Cruising Instructor on Southampton Water, one of the world’s busiest stretches of water, on the south coast of Britain, having previously worked for the Spirit of Adventure Trust, and spent two years sailing aboard their 123ft three-masted barquentine “Spirit of New Zealand”. She’s skippered, raced, cruised and delivered numerous yachts from 30 to 50 ft to various ports and has circumnavigated New Zealand several times. Hannah’s taught both children and adults in a wide variety of dinghies, yachts and tall ships, as well as coaching competitive teams racing.

Hannah’s passion for tall ships has taken her to the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, including in the Tall Ships Races. More recently she sailed from the west coast of Scotland to Kristiansand in Norway, via the Orkney and Shetland islands aboard the 90ft Brixham Trawler, “Boy Leslie”, built in 1911.

When not teaching on board sail cruising yachts Hannah can often be found cruising with friends or racing “round the cans” on board various keelboats. aboard which her knowledge and skills are much appreciated. Hannah first began sailing at Lake Taupo Yacht Club when still at primary school, in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand.

When she’s not sailing (which isn’t often) Hannah can usually be found hiking in the hills or volunteering as a conservation worker or perhaps in the garden tending her home-grown veggies.

Stuart Cook

RYA Yachtmaster™ Instructor
MNZ LLO

Stuart has been sailing and adventuring ever since he was 10 or younger and his passion for the sea and the outdoors combine to make him a perfect fit for Sail Nelson. Stuart worked as an instructor here several years ago and we’re fortunate to have him return to us after building on his already considerable experience, skippering and instructing adventure sail expeditions to various northern hemisphere destinations, including Iceland and the Faroes.

Stuart also previously managed and skippered the former round the world 78 foot racing yacht ‘Drum’ and his experience across a variety of sailing yachts, large and small, is in excess of 80,000 nautical miles. Working with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Stuart has also gained Marine Wildlife Safe Skipper status. His depth of sailing experience is complimented by his excellent people skills and his flair in the galley. Stuart loves to share his knowledge and experience. A week sailing with him is always enjoyable and stimulating.

Ross Porter

RYA Yachtmaster™ Instructor

Ross has been sailing since he joined the Sea Scouts in Norfolk. He grew up exploring The Norfolk Broads in a variety of different craft and has never lost his passion for the sea. Ross’ first career was as a marine engineer and he’s continued to use and share his engineering skills ever since.

Time spent in the Mediterranean delivering, maintaining and repairing a wide variety of cruising yachts further developed Ross’ diverse skill set and led to a couple of years working in the superyacht industry. But it’s on the smaller yachts and in the company of the people who sail them where Ross is happiest.

Many sailors have a love of the mountains as well as the sea and Ross is no exception. In the early 2000’s he worked as a ski area mechanic in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, before returning to working on yachts just outside Auckland at Pine Harbour.

Ross became a Coastguard rescue skipper at one of New Zealand’s busiest Coastguard units and during this time also became an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean. His focus moved from engineering to skippering and after a couple of trips between New Zealand and the tropical Pacific Islands, Ross worked in the UK as a delivery skipper and became an RYA Cruising Instructor, before returning to NZ and subsequently joining Sail Nelson.

Ross really enjoys sharing his experience and tales of the sea and back in NZ quickly added Yachtmaster Instructor to his long list of marine qualifications. When Ross isn’t on board a Sail Nelson yacht he can usually be found in his “shed” repairing something or making improvements to his recently purchased 50’ ex Sydney-Hobart racing yacht “Sababa”