Meet Edd, founder of Ardent Training, a specialist training provider helping seafarers and yachts crew earn essential qualifications. With a deep passion for the open water and a mission to support aspiring sailors, Edd turned his expertise into a thriving business.
A business built on passion
Edd didn’t always know he would make a career on the water. In fact, he only stumbled into sailing after a chance visit to a boat show as a teenager. Watching people work on boats and sail the world, he was inspired to give it a try. One five-day sailing course later—in the worst weather imaginable—Edd was hooked. The instructor, surprised by his enthusiasm despite the brutal conditions, told him, “If you loved this, you’ll love the good days even more.” That was all the encouragement he needed. From there, he built a career as a professional skipper, spending years at sea, taking on extreme conditions, and even leading expeditions in some of the most treacherous waters on Earth.
But sailing wasn’t just about adventure. Over time, Edd found himself drawn to teaching, helping others develop the skills they needed to navigate their own journeys. He worked closely with marine biologists, skippering research boats, and studying whales and dolphins across the world. Eventually, he settled in the Hebrides, one of his favorite sailing spots, and started Ardent Training—a company dedicated to training seafarers and yachting professionals to earn professional qualifications.
From the open sea to entrepreneurship
Like many small business owners, Edd’s journey into entrepreneurship was shaped by unexpected circumstances. When the pandemic brought the world to a halt, he was forced to step away from life at sea. But rather than see it as an obstacle, he saw an opportunity. With his expertise and deep industry knowledge, he started teaching navigation courses online, making professional training more accessible to aspiring sailors everywhere.
The transition from skipper to business owner wasn’t always smooth, but it was rewarding. Ardent Training quickly grew, earning a reputation for high-quality courses that help students tackle tough exams and launch new careers. Seeing people succeed—especially those who had struggled or doubted themselves—became the most fulfilling part of the job. And with the flexibility of running his own business, Edd could do what he loved while also building a more stable home life with his wife and young daughter.
The role of Instant Savings in business growth
As Ardent Training grew, financial stability became a key priority. Edd wanted to build a safety net to protect his team and ensure long-term security for the business. “We never want to be in a position where we have to make redundancies,” he explains. “Building a financial cushion is really important—not just for us but for our employees too.”
That’s when he started looking for a savings account that would keep his money working, rather than sitting idle. “I’d just opened an account with another bank when Capital on Tap launched theirs, and the timing couldn’t have been better,” Edd recalls. “The interest rate was higher, and the whole experience was seamless—it was a no-brainer.”
Since Edd was already a Capital on Tap Business Credit Card customer, applying for the Instant Savings Account was straightforward—he simply logged in to his portal and applied directly from his existing account. With a competitive 4.00% AER* (variable) interest rate and instant access to funds, the Capital on Tap Instant Savings account, powered by ClearBank, offered the perfect mix of security and flexibility. It allowed Ardent Training to prepare for unexpected challenges while ensuring their savings continued to grow in the background.
But financial stability isn’t just about security—it’s also about opportunity. “Another thing we’re saving for in the longer term is a bigger boat that we can comfortably take around the world,” Edd shares. “Our boat is a core part of our business; we use it to create all our training videos. Being able to take it further afield would enable us to make even more exciting courses for our students.”
*Based on today’s Bank of England base rate. Changes to the Bank of England base rate could mean that the rate offered when you apply is different.
The Annual Equivalent Rate (AER) demonstrates what you would earn in compounded interest on savings over 12 months, as a percentage.
