​I have been so looking forward to receiving this and publishing it on the blog, a Q&A with the skipper of the yacht I was on from Malta to Tenerife, end September through to November; if anyone has a true perspective on sailing with Maddie then it has to be the person who spent 34 consecutive days with me.  And – delightfully – he has been very kind!

Over to Gareth:

1) What did you expect from Maddie?

As with all crew we don’t expect too much and usually we assume that they don’t know a lot, this is the best approach rather than have high expectations.  Maddie had a few missing gaps in her knowledge and understanding of this type of trip but she learned very fast and adapted very nicely.  Today I would take Maddie anytime on any other long trip if she wanted to come.

2) Did she live up to reputation?

Did she have a reputation before the trip?  As I have sailed with her before I knew that the initial impression one gets is not the real Maddie.  I see a very bright, intelligent, beautiful lady with a heart of gold.

3) Was there enough wine on board?

There will never be enough wine onboard, especially as these are dry boats while sailing.

4) What were her strengths?

I would say her main strength is her willingness to learn and to take on board all that she learns and then mould it to her own unique way.  Also she put a lot of detail into her plans but she is ok when the plan has to change (strangely not many people are ok with that).

5) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being pathetic) how weak was her winching?

The winching got better as the trip went on, so I’m going to give her a 3 out of 10.

6) What should she work on before her next time on a yacht?

She should get on as many boats as she can and skipper different trips.

7) How did she cope sailing with strangers?

It took a week or so and then it seemed the penny dropped and she worked out how to fit in with each and every personality.  Except maybe one person, but everyone struggles with that one.

8) Did she follow instructions?

I would say she was very good at following instructions and even being able to work out when she could deviate from them.  Always a good trait in a good skipper.

9) Your highlight of the passage?

Catching the mega tuna was right up there, and the final overnight leg to Tenerife alone at sea with Salana and another very capable sailor, was pretty awesome.

10) Any final remarks?

Keep going Maddie you will be an amazing skipper.  Hopefully you will come and do some work with Anna and me one day.