Sailing News

Compare RYA Day Skipper vs Coastal Skipper courses and discover which RYA qualification is right for your next sailing step. Learn key differences, prerequisites, and progression.

The aim of the Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore courses is to prepare already experienced sailors for the MCA/RYA Certificate of Competence exam. The courses are not structured around a fixed syllabus but instead give you the chance to hone your sailing skills in preparation for the exam. But before you sign up to either… Read more

Have you ever dreamed of learning to sail, and all the freedom and excitement that can bring you, but then wondered whether you were physically up to the challenge? Or maybe you’ve tried sailing before and found yourself exhausted after a short time on the water. Based on this, you might ask yourself whether sailing… Read more

Our RYA Competent Crew course leaves from Southampton, and includes sailing into Lymington, just a twenty mile journey away. It’s an ideal hands-on introduction for beginners and so makes the perfect choice if you have limited sailing experience. Not only will the Competent Crew Course take you to Lymington, but also several other stops in… Read more

  If you’ve signed up to a RYA Competent Crew and are not sure what to bring, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Below is a comprehensive list of what to pack and bring for the Competent Crew course.   Our courses takes in the Solent near the Isle of Wight, which means the weather… Read more

Our Competent Crew course is perfect for beginners new to sailing who wish to sail as a crew member, and not just as a passenger. The course starts and finishes in Southampton and takes place in and around the Solent, and at the end of the five days you will be a useful crew member. We… Read more

There’s often a common question that people of a certain age ask when they decide they want to learn to sail; whether they are too old to start. We get asked this by people of all ages, and even by those we consider still young, and that includes those of you in your fifties… so… Read more

    First Class Sailing has been teaching people to sail for over twenty years and operate from various locations including Central London and from Shamrock Quay in Southampton. In that time, thousands of people of all ages have completed courses with us, including seniors aged 65 years and over.   If you’re looking for… Read more

Sailing can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities, and some people will say that the younger you can get into sailing the better. But, as a rule of thumb, we believe there is an age when kids can learn to sail that makes sense from both a physical and maturity level. In our opinion… Read more