Sailing News

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

To The Channel Islands and back on a Challenger 72 yacht

Jun 11, 2025

The following is a short account from the skipper of the Challenger Yacht we sailed to the Channel Islands and back in June. Ship’s Captain’s Log of the good ship Challenger 4 on a 5 day trip from Portsmouth to the Channel Islands in June. 3 June 2025 Deck all...

Why is heavy weather sailing an important skill?

Aug 12, 2022

Sailing in heavy and bad weather is a vital...

How Do Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Certificate Of Competence Differ?

Aug 5, 2022

Over the last few blog posts I've been walking...

What does RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory teach you?

Aug 3, 2022

This course is the highest RYA endorsed theory...

RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Explained — Your Questions Answered

Jul 22, 2022

The RYA Coastal Skipper Practical course is an intensive five-day sailing qualification that builds real-world skippering confidence. Learn what experience you need, where you’ll sail, and what to expect from this advanced RYA training with First Class Sailing.

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					  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 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!				
Marty S
October 24, 2025 

					  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 

					  All female boat for day skipper practical  - 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... read more of us) meant we got a lot of attention and many opportunities to practice.				
ALMC62
October 15, 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

Long Voyage Fruit and Veg Preserving Experiment – Rolling Updates

Nov 28, 2018

Below are the latest readings and updates from our scientific FCS crew on board Challenger 4 as they sail the Atlantic in the ARC Rally whilst seeing if their supplies of fruit will stay fresh in the long-life bags from Wikaniko. (If you want to read the background to...

Day 3: I See An Orange Moon A-Rising…

Nov 27, 2018

In today's blog, the crew of Challenger 4 are greeted to an Orange Moon rising over the nighttime horizon, and Mate Kirstie discovers salt water in the bilges. Where is it coming from? Mate Kirstie's Blog We are now at the end of our second full day at sea. After the...

Day 2: When To Change Into Shorts?

Nov 26, 2018

Jim takes us on a poetic tour of the stars overnight, as the crew settle into the rhythm of their watches. Dawn breaks and they contemplate when it will be warm enough to change into shorts - a sailor's life! A Starry Night With Papa Watch, Simon and...

And they’re off! Challenger 4 Sails Across The ARC Start Line

Nov 26, 2018

Day One – The Arc Rally of 2018 Begins In this blog, Marsh and Wendy describe the excitement of crossing the ARC's start line and the routine of the watch systems aboard. Skipper Ricky sets out his race strategy at the end. "Large Spanish navy...

First Class Sailing Tries Fruit Preserving Experiment In ARC Rally

Nov 23, 2018

ARC Rally Skipper Ricky Chalmers, Bruce Sayers Watch Leader, First Mate Kirstie Rowe As part of its commitment to running an environmentally friendly business, First Class Sailing are not only ‘greening’ our yachts but also experimenting with a new plastic bag that...

John Wins ETA Competition En Route To Las Palmas

Nov 15, 2018

The Crew are into the final few days and sound at home aboard Challenger 3 on their 'Deep Sea Adventure'. This blog is written by Hodgie, on the way to the volcanic island of Lanzarote, and Jonathon, who takes us to their final destination, Las Palmas de Gran...

Electric Glowing Dolphins

Nov 12, 2018

Dolphins in the bioluminescence As we continue on the second leg of our journey, the question that seems to be on everybody’s mind is whether or not we will make it to Lanzarote in time to enjoy an evening of new culture, warm weather, good food a...

Under The Radar – US Warship Interception

Nov 12, 2018

Which section of the Colregs deals with Warships again? There is a saying that men and ships rot in port. I can tell the reader that by Friday morning we were rested and refreshed and with a bearable forecast of basically fine weather, we were...

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