Devon for Sailing

Sailing Holidays & Short Breaks in Devon

A rugged natural coastline with considerable environmental protection, Devon is a pleasure to sail along if you are a wildlife lover. The high cliffs around Berry Head, Prawle, Bolt Tail and Bolt Head are home to hundreds of seabirds in the breeding season and the many rivers and estuaries are home to heron, curlew and rarer waders. Offshore you are still not far from the Atlantic Ocean and gales bring in ocean birds up the Channel and occasional exotic species like turtles or jellyfish get swept East with the Gulf stream. 

Classic Sailing has day sails, sailing weekends, RYA Courses on classic boats, and longer sailing holidays that sail between Devon and Brittany or the Channel Isles. 

Why we love this sailing ground

Headlands, rias and smugglers coves

Both Devon and Cornwall have some great hideaways and secluded anchorages. Wherever you stop and anchor there is a famous long distance footpath weaving its way along the cliffs, beaches and estuaries. The South West Coast Path which was originally created for the revenue men on horseback to patrol isolated peninsulas and bays to catch smugglers landing their contraband. South Devon has such a long coastline with famous rivers like the Tamar, Lyner, Dart or Erme, it is hard to imagine they found every possible landing.

Home to Brixham Sailing Trawlers

Classic Sailing have always advocated that historic ships should be out on the salty sea,  earning their keep. Brixham has large sailing trawlers from the Victorian era still sailing and Classic Sailing are proud to have worked with 3 of them – 1895 Pilgrim, 1924 Provident and 1892 Leader. Sadly Leader and Provident have been hit by difficult times and only Pilgrim is still sailing with charter crews. We hope one day the whole fleet will flourish once more but please support Brixham Sailing Trawler Pilgrim by sailing on her. Brixham is still an important fishing port and Torbay, and the sheltering headland of Berry Head is a fantastic place to go out and play on these iconic sailing trawlers. Torbay was a storm haven for the British Fleet when South West Gales swept in and made blockade duty off the French coast impossible during the Napoleonic War and it has hosted several tall ships races in recent times.

Plymouth & South Devon – The Nicest RYA Teaching Arena in Britain

If you want to earn a RYA course in great scenery, plenty of deep water and blue seas, yachts and shipping to test your COLREGS decisions, big tidal ranges and creeks for pilotage challenges the we think the South Coast of Devon is one of the best places to come for 5-6 days.   Moosk is a two masted vessel and a gaff rigged classic yacht. based in Plymouth. After sailing her you might just convince yourself that owning a second hand wooden boat is within your grasp. Dreams are made of this.

A Taste of the West – Devon for Famous Chefs

Several famous chefs have made Devon their home so you really can get a ‘Taste of the West’ at various food and drink festivals during the summer. Rick Stein, Mitch Tonks to name a few. Crab Festivals, Seafood Festivals, Dartmouth Regatta, Torbay Air Show and the Sailing Trawlers favourite Event. Racing for the King George Cup at the Brixham Heritage Festival. Devon has moved on from cream teas to some really high class waterside restaurants, organic farms, locally made cheeses and awesome fresh seafood.  The bigger Devon sailing vessels that have a dedicated ships cook. They know they are part of a Devon Foodie Revolution and do their bit to impress with their catering.

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