I am just finishing the winter refit work on a Jeanneau 40 . She is from 2002 so it’s important to check things carefully each winter so that there are no unpleasant hiccups in the summer sailing period. Time spent in the winter really pays dividends. Some of it...
As well as a warm hat, pack sun glasses for when the sun is low. A peaked cap is great under an oilskin hood when its raining. It keeps the hood out of your eyes. Staying warm means staying dry, invest in a good set of oilskins. We supply, free of charge, high spec...
Taking a shore-based RYA Day Skipper course makes sense for many reasons, five of which are listed below: It will make you a better and safer sailor whether you intend to be crew or skipper as you will learn, amongst other things: How to work out tidal heights and...
Is navigating using a sextant a dying art? In this modern age of GPS do we still need to know how to navigate by the stars? The RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Course (such as the one being run in Canary Wharf, London at the end of January) builds upon sailors’ basic...
Didn’t Team GB do well in the Olympics? Highlights for me - Ben Ainslie’s penultimate race before he went on to win Gold. It was totally gripping. Besides watching the Olympics, during the summer we ran a competition based on the games. Those taking part had to answer...
For anyone looking to learn how to sail an RYA Competent Crew course would be a good place to start. The course syllabus is set by the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) but run by sailing schools. The Competent Crew course forms part of a whole series of RYA courses...
Perhaps the sailing Olympians inspire you to give sailing a go. Perhaps you have been meaning to try sailing for ages but have never got round to it. Well learning to sail is easy and if you are completely new to sailing this is the page for you! Years ago the Royal...
A buoyancy aid supports the wearer in the water but is not designed like a lifejacket to turn the wearer face up.Falling or being knocked into the sea causes shock and disorientation so a lifejacket, either permanent foam or gas inflated, will turn an unconscious or...