Want to Learn to Sail?
We believe in ‘learning by doing’, so even if you come purely for a holiday, you will learn new skills effortlessly, as part of the process of going sailing and living at sea.
Safety
Below you will find a description of how we take care of your safety.
If you are
- a complete beginner,
- a dinghy sailor who wants to try live-aboard sailing
- a modern yacht sailor, who wants to try traditional sailing.
Then
We have a huge choice of day sails, taster weekends, Royal Yachting Association (RYA) courses, or weeks away exploring amazing destinations.
Excited to Try Your First Sailing Experience?
- We have introduced over 10 000 people to sailing since 1997
- Most people come on their own
- All vessels have qualified, dedicated skippers
- You don’t have to start with a RYA Course (but we do run beginners RYA courses called RYA Competent Crew Course)
- No barriers to adventure – beginners can sign up for any length of voyage or destination
- All our voyages include sailing instruction
- Safety equipment, lifejackets etc are all provided
Practical and ‘Hands On’ Sailing – Guaranteed
Our ethos across the whole fleet is ‘hands-on’ sailing.
All our voyages are sailing courses, with training as an integral part of the experience, because ‘you are the crew’. If you want a sailing adventure where you are a needed and valuable member of a team, whatever your age or ability, then chose Classic Sailing.
On our smaller vessels, the skipper may be the only professional on board, so you will learn every aspect of being a sailor, from how to ‘hand, reef and steer’ to identifying navigational features, or your role in helping to save lives in an emergency. On our tall ships there are more staff to train you, so you will still get plenty of individual attention.
Sailing for All – No Experience Needed
Classic Sailing has never aimed our activity holidays exclusively at sailors. Since 1997 we have introduced thousands of people to sailing and travel under sail.
Our skippers will teach you to sail, and we will teach you very well, because we can’t go anywhere without you. You are the crew and on traditionally rigged vessels it is all about teamwork, so don’t worry about whether you are tall enough, strong enough, agile enough as there are important jobs for all abilities. Like any new outdoor sport or adventure activity there is a lot of jargon to learn, but even on a three day voyage you will leave feeling and sounding like a sailor.
Accommodation
Shared Accommodation
Traditional sailing vessels are not spacious and the majority of accommodation is in shared accommodation cabins of four or more people.
Some vessels have two-berth cabins which are normally reserved for two people travelling together and are more expensive than larger shared cabins.
Solo Majority
Most of our sailors travel as solo travellers and shared accommodation is both more economical and secure.
Shared cabins are always the same gender.
Security
The beauty of sharing a cabin of four or more people is the security it offers. It would feel more insecure to share with one other person in a closed cabin, even though they are of the same gender.
If you prefer total privacy two-berth cabins may be available for single occupancy at an additional charge. If the voyage you are interested in offers two-person cabins please contact us to ask about availability and price of single occupancy.
Keeping you Safe
You’re right to wonder about safety at sea. Here’s the quick rundown to ease your mind.
Who’s in Charge?
Our captains and crew are seasoned pros. They’re clued up on weather, tides, and all that jazz, so you’re in safe hands.
Ship Shape
All our boats are licensed and regularly checked. No worries about the vessel’s condition when you sail with us.
The Briefing
Before we set sail, there’s a full safety briefing. You’ll know where life jackets are and what to do in emergencies including fire precautions.
Emergency Gear
Life rafts and life jackets are on board. If things go south, you’ll be prepared because you’ve had the safety briefing.
Health and Records
We’ve got well-trained crew for first aid and a tight grip on health records. If anything happens, professional advice is sought and getting the person to a place of treatment becomes the ship’s only priority.
Why It Counts
We aim for you to enjoy the sea without fretting over safety. Trust us, we’ve got it covered so you can focus on the sailing.
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Top Tips from customers
1. Go to learn & have Fun!
2. Be prepared to muck in & offer to help with anything from hauling up sails to peeling spuds.
3. Be prepared for Not sailing with all sails up.. there’s often too much or too little wind but just make the most of every opportunity to learn.
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