Vanessa Bird learned to sail at the age of 10, sailing dinghies in the Lake District and at Lancaster University, before joining Classic Boat magazine as staff. She has since worked for Yachting Monthly and the Discovery Channel, and as a freelance writer, editor and indexer. She is also an author of four books. Now based on the South Coast, she sails Ocean Pearl, a 1933 Scottish lugger, which was restored by her boatbuilder partner, Nick Gates, out of Chichester Harbour. Vanessa is also a keen kayaker and cyclist.