Paul Bishop MBE (Executive Director)
Paul started his career as a professional seafarer at the age of 21 skippering yachts and sail training vessels around Europe and other parts of the world. He has competed as skipper in many Tall Ships Races since his first time in 1983. He became one of the youngest RYA Yachtmaster Examiners to be appointed in 1984 and has continued to be involved, serving on several RYA committees over the decades. He remains the youngest skipper to have ever completed a Tall Ships Trans-Atlantic Race series, when in 1984, he chartered the famous maxi yacht GBII and campaigned her in the 1984 Jacques Cartier commemoration race to Quebec.
He went on to become a life-long career sail trainer and Tall Ships Race organiser, starting with the Sail Training Association from 1987 to 1993 as their Assistant Race Director. He has had many other management and leadership roles within sail training organisations, including as the Operations Manager for the Island Cruising Club, the Director of the Rona Trust and as the first Business Manager for Sail Training UK (ASTO).
He joined Sail Training International as Head of Race Directorate in 2006 until 2020. During his 14 years with STI, he was responsible for future Tall Ships Race planning and the maritime technical aspects of these international events. He has worked with over 70 Tall Ships Race host ports all over the world as a Race Director and his extensive experience and specialist knowledge mean that he is able to provide unparallelled expert advice in all maritime technical aspects of running Tall Ships Races and Regattas.
He continues to remain deeply involved in the Tall Ships Races community with his new company, Tall Ships Global Consultancy Limited, and as a contracted freelance Race Director for Sail Training International. He is supported by a highly skilled and experienced Advisory Board.
When he is not working he can be found sailing and boating with friends and his wife Dawn.
Judy Harrison (Project Co-ordinator)
Since her earliest years Judy has sailed on the East Coast of England and North Sea, cruising extensively from the North Coast of Spain up to Norway and into The Baltic. She has a particular interest in traditional rig and historic craft.
Judy has had a lifelong involvement in sail training and Tall Ships Races, having first sailed as crew at the age of 17. Her grandfather sailed in the Tall Ships Race in 1966, and both Judy, her husband, and her two sons have all sailed in Tall Ships Races in a wide variety of craft.
Judy’s career in sail training has seen her sailing as a volunteer mate with Ocean Youth Club, and with Shaftesbury Homes on Arethusa, and more recently as staff skipper of Pioneer, an 1864 Skillinger Smack. Her professional sailing has also included 20 years as an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, setting up and running her own RYA yachting school, and many years of teaching RYA theory courses. A Certificate in Higher Education in Charity Management led to a move into the administration of sail training charities, firstly as Operations Director at Adventures Offshore, and then as Assistant Executive Officer at Sea-Change Sailing Trust.
Judy retains her commercial ticket, and when not inspiring others to go to sea on sail-training boats she can be found sailing traditional boats for fun!
