Start Sailing Course - Cruising Level 1

Our Start Yachting course - Cruising Level 1 - is a great way to give yacht sailing a try and introduces pupils with no sailing experience to our sport. The Level 1 course runs over 2-3 days and you can take the course as a liveaboard (on our tuition yacht) or as a resident at our Beach Club. By the end of the course you will have done lots of sailing and have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board.

We recommend taking the Level 1 and 2 courses together as a complete week-long ‘Start Yachting’ course - whilst living aboard our tuition yacht. You will have an extra day to practice important yacht handling techniques and yacht manoeuvres.

At a Glance

For ages: 10+
Pre course experience: None required.
Level 1 course: from £295 (2-3 days at our beach club)
Level 2 course: from £395 (2-3 days at our beach club)
Level 1 & 2 course: from £645 (1-week liveaboard yacht)

OUR LEVEL 2 COURSE

Sail Cruising Level 1, ‘Start Sailing’

Our Level 1 course will cover basic navigation, pilotage, boat handling and seamanship skills. You can take this course in just 2 days; but we think it’s ideal when combined with the Level 2 course, over a week of training.

You can take the course whilst staying at our Beach Club in Vassiliki, or, if you take Level 1 and 2 course together, you can live aboard our tuition yacht and turn it into a week-long cruising course.

Sailors from the age of 10 are able to take their Level 1 and 2; and it’s a great course allowing families to learn together as we can teach a mix of courses on the same tuition boat.

LEVEL 1 SYLLABUS

Full Course Details
Price: £295 for Beach Club guests (2 days training) Price: £645 for Combined Level 1 & 2 course (1 week, 5 days training)	Includes course completion certificate.
Pre-Course Experience	No prior sailing experience is required
Assumed Knowledge	No assumed knowledge is required
Duration	Level 1: A two day course (16 hours tuition on Beachclub yacht) Level 1 & 2: A week long course (5 days tuition over 1 week - liveaboard tuition yacht)
Course Content	View the syllabus Rigging and sails Wind awareness The 4 Essentials (sails; balance; boat trim; course) Understands: tacking, gybing, heaving-to Communication when manoeuvring Helmsmanship and sailing Knowledge of mooring as crew member Ropework: bowline, round turn, figure 8 Fire precautions and fire fighting Personal safety equipment Emergency equipment Meteorology General duties
Ability after Course	A basic knowledge of yachting.

Basic Skills Course - Level 2

Our Level 2 course ‘Basic Skills’ will build upon the skills gained in Level 1. It covers yacht handling skills and sailing skills in more detail

Competent Crew course

The Competent Crew is the perfect place to start. It suits those of you who’ve never set foot on a boat before. Learn with us in a week, then follow on with your Day Skipper.

Day Skipper course

The valuable Day Skipper qualification suits candidates with some prior experience of yacht sailing, (100 miles or 5 days).

Combined ‘Level 1 & 2 Yacht Cruising’ course

You can combine the Cruising Level 1 with a Cruising Level 2 for a complete Start Yachting course. This complete course has 5 days of tuition and you can take it while living aboard our tuition yacht on a week-long holiday cruising around the Ionians. You can also take the course while staying at our Vassiliki Beach Club and joining the tuition yacht each day.

You don’t need any prior sailing experience to join our Level 1 course. It’s designed for complete newcomers and will equip you with the skills to sail a yacht as crew and helm with a skipper on board in light winds.

Pre-course Experience

No prior sailing experience is needed to join our Level 1 Cruising course. It is designed for complete newcomers to sailing. For Level 2, you can join the course if you have done a little sailing before, (even if it’s just dinghy sailing*), and of course, you will be eligible to join if you have done your Level 1.

Youngsters from the age of 10 are able to take their Level 1 and 2; and it’s a great course allowing families to learn together as we can teach a mix of courses on the same tuition boat. Young sailors will need sufficient strength to operate the yacht’s equipment. If not, then don’t worry, we can award a Youth Sailing Scheme certificate instead.

*You can join Level 2 if you have done some dinghy sailing to the standard of ‘RYA Level 1 Dinghy Sailing.

Combine a Course with a Flotilla Holiday

Our sailing courses can be paired with a second week on our flotilla (or bareboat charter) so you can get qualified in a week before putting into practice your newfound skills in week two.

We have chosen Vassiliki and the south Ionian to teach our courses because budding sailors can practice new techniques in reassuringly light winds in the mornings, while building skills and understanding as the breeze increases in the afternoons. Therefore, after getting to grips with core techniques in a benign environment earlier in the day, our graduates also get to hone their skills while handling stronger winds.

Book as a solo, a couple or a group

You can book onto a course as a solo, a couple or a family. Our tuition yacht will take up to 5 pupils, but we mostly run with 3 or 4 pupils to one instructor. You can choose to join the tuition yacht each day (whilst staying at our Beach Clubs); or book a liveaboard course by booking a cabin for the week. You can also book our tuition yacht and instructor privately and cruise the Ionian as you learn in the sun.