Learning the Ropes

To have the skills it takes to sail safely and competently is a wonderfully empowering thing. If you're a novice or keen to up your sailng skills - we can take you through your RYA qualifications. Or if you're a competent sailor who'd like the skills and knowledge to race - our Performance courses will do just that. Here's the details.

Please note, for any of our courses we provide all the safety equipment you will need and train you fully in its use.

Start Sailing - RYA Level 1 Keelboat course

The aim of this course is to introduce the sport of sailing to novices and covers the basic techniques and background of sailing a yacht

Sailing Skills - RYA Level 2 Keelboat course

Building on the experience gained in Level 1, this course covers the four essentials of sailing, handling under power, coming alongside, mooring and anchoring, man overboard and collision regulations.

Sailing Ahead - RYA Seamanship Skills course

This course is aimed at students who have completed a Level 2 course and is a more comprehensive look at sailing techniques such as sailing in adverse conditions, towing, heaving to, anchoring and coming alongside pontoons and moorings. On successful completion of the course, the sailor will be able to make seamanlike decisions in moderate conditions.

Kite flying - RYA Sailing with Spinnakers course

This course is also aimed at students who have completed a Level 2 course and shows how to handle a yacht with a spinnaker, how to rig the boat, gybe and recover a conventional spinnaker and how to sail the best possible course downwind. On successful completion of the course, the sailor will be able to use a conventional spinnaker.

After completion of the RYA Keelboat and RYA Seamanship Skills courses, which can be taken together or separately, students should be able to handle a yacht in reasonable conditions. They are therefore ideal for those planning to buy or charter a yacht.

Racing Ahead - Performance Courses

If you're an experienced cruising sailor and would like to up your skills to racing levels, you'll benefit from one of our Performance Courses. These 2 to 4 day courses are designed to introduce the finer points of race tactics and rules, crew dynamics, race starts and rounding marks. We also cover details like trimming your sails for optimum speed together with conventional and asymmetric spinnaker handling.

It's everything you need to know to improve your club racing. It's also what we get up to at the weekend, especially Chris (aka The Flying Duckman) who's impressive sailing pedigree has been refined at sailing events worldwide.