Sailing News

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

Is Competent Crew Worth It?

Jul 24, 2024

We’ve noticed that a few people on social media and on web forums ask whether the RYA Competent Crew course is worth it. The main driver behind these comments seems to relate to price and what you get from a 5 day Competent Crew course. As you...

ARC 2019 – DAY 15 – Challenger 2 then surfs down into the wild foam and spray

Dec 9, 2019

Jim’s Blog - 2243 Nautical miles covered,...

ARC 2019 – DAY 14 – What winds me up – penguins!

Dec 7, 2019

Ode to my Mum from Mothers Watch It was just...

The Countdown has begun…

Dec 6, 2019

Countdown… Off watch now, enjoying whales, mast...

Nuns, Pirates, Greek Godesses, Mermaids, Newly-weds, Sharks , Arabs, & Ducks – A First Class Sailing Blog

Dec 6, 2019

The Fancy Dress Party Friday 6 December 1000...

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					  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 

					  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 

					  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 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

Yachtmaster Theory – The RYA Course That Will Take You Far

May 20, 2017

Your final destination is in your hands. Are you setting a course for the high seas? Progress your proficiency and grow your confidence with an RYA Yachtmaster Theory course. Here are four reasons why it will turn a sailing enthusiast into an expert. Take Your...

Close Finish for FCS Crew in Cervantes Trophy Race

May 2, 2017

Preparing for the Rolex Fastnet in August, the First Class Sailing crew will enter three races and last weekend they competed in the opener - the Cervantes Trophy Race. Below is skipper Ricky Chalmers’ report of how the action unfurled and how the FCS crew fared on...

Bank Holiday Sailing – RYA Courses and Channel Hops

Mar 17, 2017

A short but action packed holiday, or spreading your RYA Competent Crew or Day Skipper course over two weekends, either way the bank holidays are perfect as you don’t need to use up any valuable days off work! And with the Easter break having two bank holidays, you...

FCS Enter ‘Parade of Sail’ During Southampton Sailing Week

Mar 5, 2017

Southampton Sailing Week's Parade of Sail from the River Itchen will look similar to Amsterdam's It is time to celebrate the thrill of sailing and in May, First Class Sailing are getting involved with Southampton Sailing Week. Both of our yachts will enter the...

Your First Time Round The Island Race

Feb 8, 2017

Join the FCS crew in 2019! If you’ve taken your Competent Crew course and are looking to have your first adventure then get a taste of ocean racing this summer by circumnavigating the Isle of Wight. The Round the Island Race is organised by the Island Sailing...

Celebrating 70th Anniversary of Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki Expedition

Jan 23, 2017

When it comes to epic sailing adventures our thoughts always turn to the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl, especially as 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of his Kon-Tiki expedition. On 28th April 1947, Thor and his crew of five left the coast of Peru on a simple raft...

ARC 2016 – Day 18 – The First of the ‘Lasts’ is the Spinnaker

Dec 8, 2016

But which crew will be on the beach first? "We are going through the series of "lasts" at the moment, doing the last night watches and we have just had the "last supper"" Only One Short Cut to St Lucia Wednesday 7 Dec 2016: The last 24 hours have been very...

ARC 2016 – Day 17 – A Bubble of Light Storming Across the Atlantic

Dec 7, 2016

Enroute to St Lucia - will Challenger 3 make it across the line first? We must have looked a funny sight, a hive of action in our little bubble of light storming across the Atlantic Ocean in the darkness. Tuesday Morning 6th December 2016: Still flying the...

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