All at Sea chats to Kerry McMillan, CEO of the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO).
AAS: Can you tell us about the chance encounter that led to your career in the marine industry?
KM: I had just completed an 18-week Yachtmaster course and was helping a friend on her yacht. Someone came to look at her gas installation. They were both volunteers with a sail training charity. Chatting to them, I offered to do some painting as part of their refit for a couple of days. I stayed for the rest of the winter and went on to volunteer and then freelance with that sail training charity. I never did deliver on the plan to sail in the summer and do HR consulting in the winter! I have now worked for 10 different sail training charities over 20 years in the sector.
AAS: You have also worked with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust – what was your role?
KM: I was the Operations Manager responsible for establishing and running the new base in Largs, Scotland. We started with an empty office with just two desks, and when I moved on after five seasons, we had taken more than 500 young people sailing to help them build connections with other young people in the same boat, and rebuild their confidence after treatment.
AAS: You have led ASTO since 2023. Can you tell us more about ASTO’s work?
KM: ASTO is the membership organisation for sail training charities in the UK. We exist to enable our 30 member organisations to transform lives through adventure at sea. We want to create an environment where every sail training charity in the UK feels stronger as part of a community, has access to resources and is supported to empower their beneficiaries. We are also working to raise greater awareness about the value of residential adventures at sea for young people and individuals with additional needs.
AAS: Sail training is not learning to sail; can you explain the difference?
KM: Learning something about sailing is part of the sail training experience, but it is as much about people developing skills for life and enabling them to deliver on their potential. Being part of the community onboard – sailing together, looking after the boat and each other, challenging yourself and having fun are all key parts of the sail training package.
AAS: How important is it for young people to have access to sail training?
KM: I have long held the belief that when young people build skills like resilience, teamwork and confidence early on, they are more likely to lead successful and rewarding lives and be good citizens. Sail training trips give them the opportunity to develop those skills in very real situations, in an adventurous environment that accelerates the possibility of change.
AAS: Your role is very diverse from being involved in discussions about new MCA regulations to running events and races. What do you particularly enjoy as CEO?
KM: Although we are a small staff team at ASTO, sail training is a connected and pro-active community. I very much enjoy being able to physically bring that community together at our Conference and at our Small Ships Race. Connection brings the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences and to seed opportunities for collaboration between charities.
Over the last two years I coordinated the response on behalf of the sail training sector to the new MCA Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code. This involved deepening my own knowledge and working with our member organisations to understand the potential impact, identify key issues and make informed representations. I am very proud of how our community engaged with the consultation process and the impact that had.
A highlight of my year are the ASTO Trinity House Career Development Bursary scheme interviews. It is energising to meet the applicants who will form the future backbone of our sector. The levels of responsibility that these young staff and volunteers take on is phenomenal and they are great role models for the young people onboard.
AAS: What ASTO events are still to come this year, and how can people get involved?
KM: Sail training will be happening across the UK from now until the autumn. The ASTO Cowes Small Ships Race is the first Saturday in October. It is a friendly race with a fleet of around 20 vessels of all sizes crewed by over 200 young people. If you are on the Solent that weekend, I am sure you will spot us.
If you want to get involved in sail training, then many of our member organisations have volunteers on the water and ashore who bring a huge amount of energy and skills to the young people who benefit from the trips.
Find out more about ASTO: asto.org.uk
