Former laboratory technician Pete Muskett is looking to increase the number of sailing experiments in South Wales, with a view to turning those first time tryers into long term club members.

Muskett swapped the lab coat for a lifejacket full-time eight years ago to work in Torquay as an OnBoard development officer, encouraging children to try sailing, but will now move to South Wales to take up his new role.

As the RYA Cymru Wales South Wales Regional Club Development Officer he will be looking after a wide range of watersports over a large area from Gwent to Swansea and from Cardiff up into Mid Wales, aiming to work with clubs to boost participation.

The 51-year-old is looking forward to getting more families sailing in clubs as a way of building on the work of the OnBoard scheme in giving children the chance to try watersports.

“I am very passionate that sailing should be as inclusive as possible, it is a sport which can be done by everybody,” he explained.

“I have sailed with people from all walks of life and disabilities and once you are on a boat it does not make any difference.

“I really like the idea of the OnBoard scheme, but the real key is to get kids out of schools and into clubs, so they are not sailing once or twice but getting the whole family involved in a sailing club which is the root of lifelong participation.

“Making the leap from something you do once to something you do regularly is the difficult part.”

Muskett’s own journey into sailing is an interesting one after being taught by his father in Chertsey near London, but then giving up in his later teens before getting back involved through a sailing holidays company.

“I worked as a laboratory technician, was made redundant while working in Italy and thought I would take the summer off to do something I enjoyed – which turned out to be working for Sunsail in Greece,” he said.

“I went back to the lab in a temporary role, then back for one more summer of sailing, then one more summer and one more and so on.

“I realised that was what I wanted to do so I applied for a community sailing job in Torquay, combined with OnBoard.

“Now I am looking forward to a new challenge and have family in South Wales, so I am really looking forward to trying to make a difference.”

Muskett takes over from Sam Healy, who has made a significant impact during her period in the role.