During our trips, whether it’s a sailing holiday or an RYA course, we understand the importance of serving homestyle cooking at sea, hearty and delicious meals that cater to various dietary preferences and restrictions, ensuring everyone on board is well-fed and satisfied.

 

Catering to Every Palate

One of the key elements is our commitment to inclusivity. We understand that crew come from diverse backgrounds with unique dietary requirements. Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or have specific milk preferences, need gluten-free, and beyond – we’ve got you covered. No one is left behind when it comes to enjoying our delicious meals.

 

 

Examples of What we May Offer

Once you’ve told us of your preferences if you have any, we’ll go above and beyond to cater for you. Here’s a sneak peek into just a few of our offerings:

 

Sausages: Meaty, gluten-free, vegan – this is one of our staples. They can be used at breakfast, or a sausage sandwich at lunch (with red or brown sauce!), or if you haven’t had them yet, how about for a comfort-food dinner with a rich onion gravy, potatoes and fresh vegetables?

 

Chicken or Vegan Butter Bean and Butternut Squash Curry: We’ll make sure whichever option you go for, it’s packed full of flavour and fresh vegetables, served with warm naan and fluffy rice.

 

 

Seasonal Variety: We like to change our ingredients with the seasons, for example, in winter, enjoy hearty soup for lunch and a tender and juicy Chicken Kiev with golden breadcrumbs for dinner, alongside fresh veg. In the summer, maybe a fresh avocado and tomato salad or a quiche for lunch, followed by succulent salmon for dinner.

 

Woodfire Pizzas: Again, if you have any dietary preferences we will do our best to get the finest pizzas on-board!

 

Milk Preferences: Your milk preferences matter to us. Whether you prefer almond, oat, soy, or any other milk alternative, we make sure to accommodate your choices, ensuring that your cereal, tea or coffee is right for you.

 

Special Dietary Requirements

At our sailing trips, we’re dedicated to meeting your dietary requirements, including low FODMAP diets. We often use Bay Kitchen and other quality providers for sauces that are compatible with specific dietary needs. Just let us know your requirements, and we’ll ensure your meals are prepared accordingly.

 

Variety and Snacking

We understand the importance of a varied diet to keep your energy levels up (and that of your crew). That’s why we offer a wide range of meals designed to keep you energized and healthy while on board. However, we also know the joy of snacking. Who doesn’t like a biscuit to dunk in their tea? On our trips, we provide a selection of snacks to satisfy your cravings. From crisps and biscuits to fruit, there’s always something to nibble on between meals. Oh and we also love a lemon cake at First Class Sailing too!

 

Cooking, Community, and Companionship

For those who enjoy cooking or want to try their hand at it, we welcome your participation. Feel free to muck in and take turns or even take charge in the galley. Our communal dining setup provides the perfect opportunity for passengers to share their culinary skills and collaborate on creating meals.

However, if you’re not keen on cooking, that’s perfectly fine too. Our experienced Skipper is always ready to make delicious meals for you.

 

 

Come and Try it For Yourself!

On our sailing trips, we believe that our homestyle cooking at sea should cater for all.

Our Operations Manager, Sam who orders all the food to go onboard is a bit of a pro, and a shopping whizz.

‘Delicious and filling meals on our sailing trips aren’t just a necessity; they’re a big part of the journey. We aim to keep your taste buds happy and your energy up while you enjoy your course or holiday.’ – Sam P.

 

Why not join us for a Channel Triangle, maybe you can pick up some lovely French ingredients to cook on-board or take home!

First Class Sailing Ltd place picture
5.0
Based on 278 reviews
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Maurice MacSweeney profile pictureMaurice MacSweeney
11:45 30 Oct 25
Over the last few years First Class Sailing have taken me all the way from complete novice to Coastal Skipper, with theory and other courses along the way (like VHF, First Aid, etc), and there's now no other school I'd want to train and study with. They really stand out from other providers with the quality of their instructors and the support and responsiveness you get from the office team. There's never too many students on a course, so you get lots of time to practise and learn from the instructor. By the end of each course you really feel you've been stretched and graduated to a much higher level of skill. A really high quality outfit and thoroughly recommended!
Response from the owner 13:56 06 Nov 25
Hi Maurice, we're so pleased to have been with you from the start of your sailing journey. That's great that you enjoyed the ratio of students to instructor and felt confident with the levels you achieved. Thanks for the review, we hope you manage to get plenty of sailing in after all the hard work you've put in.
Marty Stromquist profile pictureMarty Stromquist
15:22 24 Oct 25
I just finished another training week at First Class Sailing’s training center. The week was dedicated to Yachtmaster Ocean Theory, with a highlight on Celestial Navigation. The instructor, Nigel Rennie FRIN (Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation), was fantastic. It was very fast-paced, but covered the basics and theory behind Celestial Navigation. The jewel of the week was Rennie. His abundant patience, coupled with his experiences and passion for the art, made the week incredible. First Class Sailing have the best instructors. They know their craft and have real-life experience to make training both fun and memorable. Well Done!
Response from the owner 13:42 06 Nov 25
Thanks Marty. We're so pleased you enjoyed Nigel's expert guidance and passion for sailing. Like all our instructors, he loves teaching and sharing his knowledge, but manages to make it fun too. Thanks for the recommendation.
Anne-Laure McLeman profile pictureAnne-Laure McLeman
10:07 15 Oct 25
Being in an all female boat is a great way to learn. Kirsten, our instructor, had a very calm and reassuring style. The small size of the group (only 3 of us) meant we got a lot of attention and many opportunities to practice. Such a good week!
Response from the owner 13:24 06 Nov 25
Thank-you for the review Anne-Laure. That's great that the all female option suited you well and you enjoyed learning with Kirsten. Hopefully all that practice has set you up well for future sailing. Good luck!
Angus Sandison profile pictureAngus Sandison
19:57 07 Oct 25
Really great experience with First Class. My partner and I did our Day Skipper over two weekends with our instructor Mark. He was fantastic. Patient as we learned and made the whole thing fun. The boats are great and organization by First Class was seamless. Would totally recommend.
Response from the owner 13:17 06 Nov 25
Thanks Angus. That's good that you enjoyed Mark's style of teaching and also had lots of fun along the way. Wishing you lots of happy sailing in the future.
Tricia Bunten profile pictureTricia Bunten
18:48 07 Oct 25
I just finished a fantastic week taking my Day Skipper practical with First Class Sailing and I highly recommend them. I chose the Women Only week and had an incredibly patient instructor who was able to help each of us individually with areas of weakness but also worked great with us as a group. I had never sailed in the Solent before and it was the perfect location for this class. I am so grateful for First Class and my instructor for helping me build confidence and experience.
Photo from customer review
Response from the owner 16:59 04 Nov 25
Thanks Tricia, we're so pleased you enjoyed the Women Only week and had a positive experience. We always say that the Solent really is one of the best places to learn and it has some beautiful scenery to explore too, so that's good that you appreciated it. Hope you manage to get out on the water soon.
Evan Ainsworth profile pictureEvan Ainsworth
20:30 05 Oct 25
They do say that what sets great companies apart is customer service. This is my third time with first class sailing the first time was a few years ago when we did our competent crew it was one of the best weeks of our lives. Then we came again in August for the kids to do their competent crew and my wife and I to do our day skipper course. Unfortunately when I did my day skipper course the weather was terrible and I was unable to have a good session to pass. So Jake said to me you can come back and have a free weekend on us to enable you to pass. And again I had a fabulous weekend. There was just three of us on the boat. A wonderful instructor, Tom, and another student. Tom was an excellent instructor he was relaxed, he had great experiences, he got on with the practical part of sailing not just a lot of theory and he was thorough. He had lots of practical tips to make sailing easier and had some good exercises forest to try. We had a super trip down to Yarmouth where he cooked a wonderful dinner and then we went to the pub. Where we met another first class sailing group and spent the evening listening to their tall tales. The following day we had a super sail back to Southampton, with lots of cool exercises and I was thrilled to pass my day skipper.
Photo from customer review
Response from the owner 16:46 04 Nov 25
Thanks for the review Evan and congratulations on passing your Day Skipper practical, the hard work has paid off. That's good that the whole family joined you for one of the trips and so now hopefully you have some willing crew members for future sails. Good luck!
hugo kirby profile picturehugo kirby
15:26 09 Sep 25
great course with a very engaged and helpful instructor - who was happy to go outside the curriculum and give us the benefit of his wider knowledge - throroughly recommended
Response from the owner 15:30 11 Sep 25
That's good that you appreciated the experiences and extra knowledge that the instructor passed on. Thanks for the recommendation.
Justin Brooks profile pictureJustin Brooks
11:11 23 Aug 25
We would highly recommend First Class Sailing.

Very well organised with a top quality instructor who provided tuition tailored to our differing needs.

A fantastic option for a couple wanting an entire boat to do a mixed Competent Crew / Day Skipper itinerary.
Response from the owner 14:21 28 Aug 25
Thanks Justin. We always find that mixing the Competent Crew & Day Skipper works well, so that's great that it worked for you too. Hope you manage to get out on the water soon and put all your learning into practice.
ChrisC profile pictureChrisC
15:37 22 Aug 25
Great experience doing a Yachtmaster Offshore prep week followed by exam. Lots of useful paperwork up-front for the course admin and training exercises. The 3-day prep format worked well and Hayley did a brilliant job of cramming in the training over those days. Lovely modern boat too called Sazerac. Will be back.
Response from the owner 14:17 28 Aug 25
Hi Chris, thanks for the review. Congratulations on gaining your YMO qualification. There's a lot to cover, but as you've found, the hard work really pays off. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Miles Barr profile pictureMiles Barr
11:27 03 Aug 25
I completed my Competent Crew and Day Skipper Practical with First Class Sailing. It was a great experience. I hired the whole boat each time, taking my family members along who also earned their Competent Crew qualifications.
Response from the owner 15:21 21 Aug 25
Thanks Miles. That's great that hiring the whole boat for your courses worked well for you all. Now that your family have their comp crew qualifications, you'll have plenty of help onboard for future sails! Good luck.

star rating  Yachmaster Ocean Theory  - I just finished another training week at First Class Sailing’s training center. The week was dedicated to Yachtmaster Ocean Theory, with a highlight on Celestial Navigation. The instructor, Nigel Rennie... read more

avatar thumb Marty S
October 24, 2025

star rating  First Class experience.  - Very good experience with First Class Sailing. Mark was a terrific teacher and the boat was well equipped and comfortable for a 5 day course. Would definitely recommend.

Michael K
October 8, 2025

star rating  A consistently great experience  - Over the last few years First Class Sailing have taken me all the way from complete novice to Coastal Skipper, with theory and other courses along the way (like VHF,... read more

avatar thumb Mo M
October 30, 2025

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