Sailing News
All the latest news from the world of sailing and stories from experienced sailors.
Every aspect of your RYA course with First Class Sailing, from the yachts to the all-weather clothing and food is meticulously planned. But it wouldn’t be worth anything if the instructors did match those same qualities. On a voyage the balance and make up of the crew is important, especially when you are being… Read more
First Class Sailing Expands Into Yacht Chartering
L to R Charlie Tulloch (Principal First Class Sailing) Sally and Eric Whitelaw (Firstaway Yacht Charters) Southampton sailing school First Class Sailing has purchased the business of Firstaway Yacht Charters to expand its business and provide an additional service for its customers. This means that Firstaway owners, Sally and Eric Whitelaw, will be able to… Read more
Naming Ceremony for Our Two New Beneteau 381
Our big news is that in February 2019 we replaced our Jeanneau 379s Batida and Manhattan with two brand new Beneteau 381s. We have continued with the cocktail theme and named them Palomar and Sazerac. These new yachts are fractionally bigger in length than the Jeanneau 379’s. However they carry their chine almost all… Read more
New Beneteau Yachts for First Class Sailing
There’s an exciting announcement from First Class Sailing at the start of 2019 – we are looking forward to welcoming our new Beneteau 38.1 yachts, Palomar and Sazerac in February. These lovely yachts are due to arrive in this country mid-January. They will undergo a process of commissioning and inspection by a coding surveyor… Read more
Reduce The Risk Of Cold Water Shock With These RYA Courses
There is nothing better than jumping off a yacht in a bay and enjoying a swim in crystal clear blue seas. However, as much of the UK’s coastal water isn’t as warm as you’d expect (even in the summer) you have to be aware of the potentials dangers. The RNLI’s recent campaign is highlighting… Read more
Dolphins Greet First Night Watch on the Atlantic Adventure
As you’ll read, over the weekend the crew of Challenger 2 got into the routines of ocean sailing and also writing a ship’s log of their adventure from Portsmouth to the Canaries – the first leg of our Atlantic Adventures. Below is their summary from the past four days, due to limited bandwidth from… Read more
Atlantic Adventure Begins for FCS Crew
With the sun unexpectedly shining in a late October light wind and the temperatures at a Mediterranean 17c, our First Class Sailing crew gathered at Gunwharf Quay to begin their voyage to the Canaries aboard Challenger 2. Their skipper is Neil Montague and his plan was to take them across to Cowes for the… Read more
Atlantic Ocean Challenge – 35 day voyage – Antigua to the UK!
Deep Sea Ocean Sailing – For those that fancy just escaping for a whole month! Sail from Antigua to the UK, Jolly Harbour to Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth. This trip is not for the faint hearted but is a great opportunity to get some serious miles and ocean sailing experience in. The distance is… Read more
Race across the Atlantic Ocean in the ARC Rally 2017
This is open to anyone. Although, as you will likely be 14 days non stop on a boat, it helps if you know you like sailing! But it doesn’t matter if you haven’t got a lot of experience providing you have some. The Race is actually a Rally. The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. A… Read more
Portsmouth to the Canaries – an Atlantic Sailing Adventure
Sail away from the UK, out of the Solent, down the busy English Channel and then South across the Bay of Biscay to warmer climes and your destination: Gran Canaria in the Canaries! For anyone wishing to do some serious offshore sailing, build miles, or just escape to the high seas this will be… Read more
