MEET THE KINDRED SPIRIT SAILING TEAM
Jon Peerless | Owner |
Jon
I own Kindred Spirit and have spent the last couple of years working hard to refit her. My aim is to complete refitting her to a high standard, sail on her myself and charter her out with a commercially endorsed skipper so that others can enjoy her as well.
I’ve a bit of an unusual sporting background. I raced motorbikes to British championship, I am an experienced horse rider, eventing my horse at intermediate level then raced cars running them and drivers for years…After I broke my back riding a customers horse, I started sailing (having done a small amount of sailing as a kid). I sailed in the Round the Island on Kindred Spirit and subsequently completed a Fastnet campaign. I’ve sailed and raced on Kindred Spirit for many years so when the opportunity to buy Kindred Spirit arose I jumped at the chance. I’ve sailed on her many times and did a lot of work on her making me emotionally invested in her - she’s a great boat!
Johan Wagner | Owner |
Johan
My love for sailing began when my employer invited me to join the Round the Island Race in 2012 as a corporate gift. Since then, I have sailed many times in the Solent as part of racing teams and on the occasional relaxing cruise. I decided to learn more and build confidence to do more sailing with friends and family, so I started taking a few RYA courses to Coastal Skipper.
I never foresaw myself being able to own a share in a yacht and was prepared to charter from time to time and join local clubs and friends on their yachts as opportunities arose. Towards the end of 2023, a good friend mentioned a possible opportunity and introduced me to Jon.
I jumped at the opportunity and am now a joint owner of Kindred Spirit with Jon. We immediately started working together on the refit and forming the partnership. I am looking forward to regular sailing opportunities and making new friends.
Rob Lee | Racing Skipper/Guru/Coach | Cruising Instructor
Qualifications:
RYA Cruising Instructor
Race Coach
Water Wisdom level 11
Rob
Unflusterable
Unflapable
I became an instructor as I own a coded yacht and thought, why do I keep hiring skippers to sail my boat and teach people to do the thing I love to do, which is helping people to learn or improve their sailing skills? I'm told that I have a very calm, unflustered way of teaching, with a good depth of knowledge gained over the years from starting as an 8 year old, sailing Bembridge scows, Mirrors and Lasers before having a go at keel boats and bigger yachts as I got older.
I guess I'm just enthusiastic about being on the water.
I have a passion for racing. This ranges from bashing round the cans in the Solent during Cowes week, Round the Island races and on all sorts of boats from Farr 45's or similar, Sigma 38's right through classic 6 metre, Darings etc. I've done many JOG campaigns, the last one double handed in the Sigma, RORC races both here and in the Med, Fastnet and just plain cruising in the Med, Caribbean or closer to home
Fun fact - not sure fun but it is a fact. A couple of years ago, during Cowes week we managed a really good spinnaker wrap. We just couldn't get it down. Beautiful day, bright sunshine, 20 knots of breeze, perfect really except for the kite flogging away and not wanting to get unstuck/coming down. Only way forward someone has to go up the mast. So leading from the front & as owner and skipper up the mast I went taking the commend decision to cut her free!! Papperazzi in ribs buzzing round and I ended up on the front of YM and just inside I think, on Practical Boat Owner.....didn't keep either copy :)