Academy Profile
Mike Lawton has been in the racing sailboat business for over 20 years, being responsible for the production and development of racing dinghies and racing yachts.
He has run many major International Regattas and coached numerous national teams to Medal winning standard. He himself a racing sailor and member of the British Team for 15 years, has competed successfully in many World events.
Having established Sail the Gulf as a World Ranking International Regatta, Mike´s future lies in continuing the development of sailboat racing in Qatar.
The Regatta Sailing Academy opened seven years ago to enable people throughout Qatar to experience the wonderful sport of sailing. He and Christine are dedicated to youth sailing programmes schools activity classes run daily for complete beginners through to race training and schools regattas. Our RYA Instructors work with those who have special needs to learn about the environment and experience the thrill of sailing a boat.
With the Regatta Sailing Academy´s Expedition programme for the International Award scheme young people are given the opportunity to learn a new skill; develop their character; have a sense of adventure and be a team player. Students from the age of 14 years having first learnt to sail in dinghies experience yacht sailing and navigation under the watchful eye of their skipper, sailing to Bahrain and back for their bronze and silver awards, and UAE for their gold.
The Academy holds many Regattas throughout the year, both for adults and young people with a Fun Day in April and the HSBC Corporate Sailing Challenge when between 16 and 20 corporates provide two-man teams for the coveted trophy.
Since the Academy was set up, thousands of people have passed through it´s doors, some with major achievements… for example Aaron Larkens, a complete beginner in 1997 now sails internationally for his country, being junior champion of South Africa and competing in World Championships; Alexander Young again a complete beginner in 2000, aged 7 years, now in the top three sailors at Jebel Ali, UAE.
The Regatta Sailing Academy appreciates the generosity of company sponsorship which enables us to maintain our high standards of safety and teaching and to bring new and exciting forms of sailing craft to the hands of young people.
