Sailing News

A mix of insights into our courses and trips, engaging stories from some adventures, and educational content for anyone passionate about sailing.

Why get qualified? An RYA Yachtmaster Instructor Explains Why You Should

Feb 11, 2026

A typical class on a school boat takes in a diverse range of ages, backgrounds and aspirations. First published in Sailing Today, Clive Loughlin looks at why RYA qualifications are worth more than the paper they are printed on. As published in Sailing Today - August...

Interesting Lighthouses In The Solent Region And Beyond

Sep 24, 2024

Whether it is a welcome beacon of light after a...

Howards’ Way: Did That BBC TV Show Get You Into Sailing?

Sep 24, 2024

How did you get into sailing? For many it...

Fast Track Day Skipper Course (Bespoke Schedules Available)

Sep 17, 2024

This year we’ve had several enquiries from...

From RYA Competent Crew to Round the World Race!

Sep 17, 2024

260 thousand miles and counting…. From a family holiday to a Round the World Race, Ricky Chalmers talks about his sailing career to date

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					  Excellent training course with Fergus!  - Excellent training course with Fergus! He made sure that across levels we were all learning and having fun! The extra context from his experience sailing was insightful and entertaining!				
Jamie S
October 25, 2025 

					  Fantastic course  - Yacht master theory course was informative, interesting and challenging. Great course led by Jamie  and I appreciate your support throughout.				
Robert E
September 3, 2026 

					  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 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!				
Mo M
October 30, 2025 

First Class Sailing Ltd

5.0

Based on 278 reviews

review us on

Maurice 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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

All Blogs

Wilson The Stowaway

Jan 28, 2020

In today's blog the crew battle with light winds and Matt explains how crucial food is to daily life aboard, before "Wilson", the stowaway, makes an appearance. Monday blog 27/1/20 Last night we had bioluminescence, strong bioluminescence and dolphins. The electric...

Horta – Arrival and Departure

Jan 27, 2020

The Crew of Challenger 2 are making way again and headed for UK waters - next stop, Falmouth! Arrival at last! So in the early hours of the morning (UT) we finally got a glimpse of salvation. The bright lights of Horta lured us in the last few miles. Along the...

Land Sickness – Looking Forward to Horta

Jan 22, 2020

Today's blog sees the crew's moral increase, along with the speed of Challenger 2, as they start to contemplate their arrival and all the pros and cons of terra firma. 21/01/20 A shift in momentum. First things first; weather. Less of it. Finally. Today saw a massive...

Beating, Spirits and the Cool Jazz Sounds

Jan 21, 2020

In today's blog, the crew are sailing upwind and tacking (also known as beating) towards the Azores. It's hard work and slow-going, but their spirits remain high. The blog goes on to vividly and accurately describe the sounds and the feel of being at sea in these...

Rough weather, high boat speeds and Jambalaya for supper

Jan 20, 2020

Excitment is building on Challenger 2 as they close in on the Azores. Life on board has been challenging in the rough weather they have had. Crew member Matt gives us a snapshot of the last 48 hours or so. 17th January 2020 During the 21.00 to midnight watch, 25...

Bouncing the stars – night sailing

Jan 17, 2020

Luke gives us an update from yesterday. They are soon expecting 40+ knots and have carried out heavy weather preparations. Night sailing is generally pleasant when the sky is clear You can pick a star to steer by and bounce it between the shrouds on the windward...

An alfresco feast at halfway point to the Azores

Jan 17, 2020

Challenger 2 are now over halfway to the Azores and feeling like Champions as this update from Stephen suggests. Our second Motherwatch successfully completed today. Boat swept and mopped, surfaces cleaned, grey water tank pumped and 16 people fed – none of whom...

Too Much Fun

Jan 15, 2020

We haven't had a blog back from the crew today, but I do have the Skipper's Log from Sue for the past 2 days for you. It sounds like the wind picked up nicely after the Doldrums and the crew are sailing again. Tuesday 14th Jan, 2020 Time : 1522 GMT (1220...

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