Sailing News
All the latest news from the world of sailing and stories from experienced sailors.
You can learn to sail in London in your office, home or club! If you’ve never taken a shorebased sailing theory course before, you may be curious as to what they entail and how you can take them in your office. Here are the details about the London Shorebased Sailing Courses on offer at First… Read more
Nikola Prelevic – From Novice to Chartering a Boat in a Year
This week, former First Class Sailing student Nikola Prelevic shares a personal account of his training experience – and his subsequent adventures in the Mediterranean… Ahoy potential new Mariners! In September 2012 I decided I really want to get into sailing and be in a position to skipper a yacht confidently with the aim of… Read more
Horatio Nelson V the Modern Day Skipper
Using Trafalgar Day as his inspiration regular blogger and skipper of the Maybird, Darryl Hughes, has made some interesting observations about how navigation techniques have changed over the past 200 years… Ahoy Shipmates, On the 21st of October 1805 the Royal Navy clashed with the Combined French and Spanish fleets at Cape Trafalgar,off the coast… Read more
From Students to Sailors: Elena and Jan sail the Mediterranean
Elena and Jan are two former First Class Sailing students who have used their newly acquired sailing knowledge to enjoy wonderful sailing holidays in the Mediterranean. Here Jan shares some thoughts about their experience… Our taste for the open seas developed after sailing with Elena’s brother. The two of us really enjoyed the experience and… Read more
The Beauty of Sailing
The forecast said good to moderate occasionally poor. Knowing that meant visibility we set off in a flat calm sea with the mist gently swirling around the river bank. The Essex marshes appearing and disappearing as the damp air condensed over the cool sea. We thought of Davis in Riddle of the Sands as he… Read more
Lateral marks-know your shapes and colours!
Maybird recently sailed down Lough Foyle to Derry or Londonderry as it is called on the Admiralty chart.The passage is some 18 miles from Magilligan Point at the seaward end. Lough Foyle covers a vast expanse but is very shallow and has an average depth of just 3 mtrs!The narrow channel down to Derry is… Read more
Newly qualified Competent Crew tries her hand at Boat Handling!
Hello, a quick introduction from myself, I am Justine Lloyd, new to sailing having completed my Competent Crew Course at First Class Sailing last Month, and also a new recruit at First Class Sailing HQ. I thought I’d write you all a little blog and let you know how last weekends’ Boat Handling Course at… Read more
Where do you have that first pint after stepping ashore? How involved should the skipper be in that crucial decision?
Musings from Darryl – our man off the Irish Coast on his yacht Maybird – T’is an interesting question to reflect on where the boat’s crew should have that first pint when they arrive ashore after a sea passage.Should the skipper give some structural guidance or should they be left to their own devices? Now… Read more
Local Knowledge can be Vital for a Sailor by FCS instructor Darryl Hughes
As Maybird left Malin Head to port on her track westwards I often think you then sail into an area where, the GPS is more accurate than the digital charts on which it plots your position and the notion of Local Knowledge has to be plucked out of the Navigator’s toolbox along with the old… Read more
The Sailing Question: Dealing with Diesel Engines – with FCS instructor Darryl Hughes
Maybird was recently in Derry/Londonderry – City of Culture for 2013. She was there for crew changes and so I took the opportunity to do some maintenance. I tend to change oil and fuel filters every 200 hours and keep as many spare parts on board as is practical especially spare oil and fuel filters,… Read more
