Location: West End, Tortola
Welcome one and all to the beautiful boat Iles et Ailes (sometimes known as Frenchie)! The staff aboard, Matty P. and Sela, have been working hard to get the boat ready for their new crew, which is about to join them to sail down to the Leeward Islands. They are super excited to embark on their three-week journey full of sailing and fun activities with them!
Both Matty P. and Sela were staff on Minerva in the summer of 2023 and are beyond excited to be doing it again this year!
A little more about the staff:
Matt Pidden (skipper): Better known as Matty P to his shipmates, Matt is one of the fastest skippers ActionQuest has ever seen, and he is excited to return for his third year. Matt grew up by the water, surfing, and windsurfing from a young age; however, he only took up sailing when he was 16. Since then, he has gone on to race yachts worldwide, including a 36-day race from the Philippines to Seattle, 7200nm across the North Pacific (where his closest neighbors were on the international space station), and more recently, from Hong Kong to the Philippines. Matt somehow found the time to get his Yachtmaster Offshore license and spend three months hanging out on Seamester’s own Argo. While Matt excels in the harsh offshore racing conditions, he is beyond excited to have a break from the University of Bristol, reunite with his ActionQuest friends, and enjoy a summer of chill cruising in the BVIs.
Sela (mate/dive instructor): Sela is excited to return for her third summer as a dive instructor at ActionQuest. She recently got her PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer certification. She cannot wait to head back to the British Virgin Islands to teach diving and sailing again this summer and see everyone. Sela loves sharing her passion for diving and the ocean with all her friends and students. When she’s not soaking up the sun and enjoying the waves, Sela lives in Miami, Florida, where she studies nursing at the University of Miami.