Sailing News

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

How to Remember Port and Starboard When Learning to Sail. Is Port Left or Right?

Oct 8, 2025

How to remember Port and Starboard? If you're new to sailing, one of the first things you'll hear is:“Port is left. Starboard is right.” But remembering which is which—especially under pressure—can take some getting used to. Whether you're learning to sail for the...

925nm notched off. The crew of Challenger 2 have been pulling together in quite rough conditions.

Jan 13, 2020

Today's blog is a collection of musings from the...

Sharp squalls and sudden lulls – update from Skipper Sue

Jan 10, 2020

Short report, keyboard & mouse won’t stay...

Life on the Ocean Wave – some words from today’s Mother Watch

Jan 10, 2020

Plain Sailing So we remain on our course north...

Crew prepare to eat own body weight in Spag Bol

Jan 9, 2020

The first update from Challenger 2, as they sail...

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					  More than a course, a real step towards becoming a skipper  - I have just completed my RYA Day Skipper Practical with First Class Sailing in the Solent and had an excellent experience. The course was very well organised, practical and progressive,... read more with plenty of opportunity to take responsibility and make real decisions. Our instructor, Tom, deserves a special mention. He has a remarkable ability to share his knowledge clearly while building confidence in his students. He knew when to explain, when to challenge us, and when to step back and let us make our own decisions. I came to the course wanting to improve my sailing skills; I left feeling much more capable of taking responsibility for a yacht and its crew. I could not have asked for a better instructor for my Day Skipper. An excellent experience with First Class Sailing, which I would recommend without hesitation.				
Efemix
October 4, 2026 

					  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 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 

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

Take Your RYA Day Skipper Theory in London

Jun 7, 2016

Our RYA day skipper theory training course online and in-class is the ideal choice if you want to improve your navigation skills, whether you opt to attend at one of our pre-set locations or ask us to come to you. We specialise in providing day skipper courses online...

Top 10 Sailing Destinations Around the World

Jun 7, 2016

If there’s nothing you enjoy more than getting some wind in your sails in a location where there’s a stunning backdrop, you'll simply love the world’s top ten sailing destinations we've put together for you. Sailing holidays offer peace and tranquillity and can be...

Update from Leg 4 of Sailing Round Britain

May 26, 2016

Fort William to Oban By Jonathan Griffiths Wednesday: We joined up with a third skipper and boat for this leg of Sailing Round Britain, Laurie on Bluebird. It was a beautiful morning with Ben Nevis clear of cloud as we escaped the Caledonian Canal, a brisk northerly...

Sailing Round Britain Update – puffins, dolphins and the magic of East Coast Sailing

May 20, 2016

What a fantastic two weeks sailing we have had. Glorious sunshine, amazing wildlife and mostly favourable winds. Now as the boats sail on Loch Ness the weather is again fair and the wind perfect. The highlight of the first week of the Sailing Round Britain adventure...

And They’re off…. First Class Sailing East Coast Sail Round Britain.

May 4, 2016

On Monday, Moonshadow and Kingfisher set off from Fambridge Yacht Haven on the River Crouch to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on Leg 1 of their Sail Round Britain Adventure. They left the busy shipping port of Felixstowe in glorious East coast sunshine. The blue skies and...

Sailing events for your diary in 2016

Apr 20, 2016

Beaulieu Boatjumble Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire 24th April 2016 9am - 4.30pm We’re big fans of the Beaulieu Boat Jumble, which takes place every year in the heart of the New Forest. The entry fee gets you access to hundreds of stalls selling new and used sailing...

Day 2 on the ARC. Torn Sails, spinnaker hoist, showers for the crew

Dec 15, 2015

Update from the FCS ARC crew on Challenger 3 after two days of racing. Tuesday 24 Nov Race Day 2 A word from the crew… Hello world! Spinnaker has just been hoisted and seems to still be in the right place still… Torn Sail Events over the last 24 hours include some...

Going up in the World

Oct 9, 2015

If you aren’t a fan of heights, then climbing a mast may be the last thing on your list. However First Class Sailings’ newest recruit Andrew McPherson, who had never been aboard a boat before, was given the task of climbing the 46ft mast to feed the halyard down....

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