Sailing News

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

Competent Crew Syllabus (Explained)

Oct 6, 2025

Our 5-day Competent Crew Course syllabus is designed to equip you with all the necessary knowledge and skills you need to be an effective crew member. This includes personal safety (yours, and others), navigation, and helmsmanship. You can sign-up to the practical...

Final preparation for Challenger 2 before sailing across the Atlantic – Man Over Board and emergency drills

Jan 6, 2020

The Crew of Challenger 2 - go swimming Training...

Bin doing our bit for the environment.

Dec 19, 2019

A Marina in Southampton is installing...

Challenger 2 has reached the finish line in the ARC Rally 2019

Dec 11, 2019

Back on dry land You will no doubt be glad to...

ARC 2019 – Day 17 – Nearing the end of an amazing adventure

Dec 10, 2019

Only a day away With the crew of Challenger 2...

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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 

					  Comp Crew Course - If you’re thinking about learning to sail, we would definitely recommend the Competent Crew course with First Class Sailing in the Solent. We completed the course as a group of... read more five (3 adults, a 16 and a 12-year-old) and it exceeded our expectations from start to finish. 

Our boat was very well maintained and served us well throughout the course. We explored the Solent, visiting some fantastic Marinas along the way – including Gunwharf Quays, the Hamble and Cowes Yacht Haven.

Our skipper, Simon, was exceptional throughout. He was calm, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable, always taking the time to explain things clearly and in a way that made everything easy to understand. His relaxed approach created a great learning environment, and we all gained a huge amount of confidence and practical sailing experience over the few days.

The course struck the perfect balance between hands-on learning, skill-building, and simply enjoying being out on the water, especially as the weather was wonderful. We came away not only with new abilities, but also fantastic memories and a real enthusiasm to continue sailing.

A big thank you to First Class Sailing for a well-organised and enjoyable experience.				
Gavin H
October 5, 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

Winter Calls for a Sailing Theory Course

Oct 2, 2015

With longer nights approaching and the weather becoming cooler, you thoughts naturally turn to next year and how you’ll be spending your time at sea. Will it be the Solent, the East Coast or will you finally become a Day Skipper and charter that yacht around the Med.?...

Sailing Reality in the Myth of Malham

Jul 21, 2015

Tripping the Spinnaker The First Class Sailing crew getting ready for the Fastnet and recently took part in the Myth of Malham. In this blog Hinrich Grunwaldt describes a most unusual race... Bonding with the Crew and Boat On Friday morning of what was promising to be...

America’s Cup World Series in The Solent 2015

May 1, 2015

If you’ve been sailing on the Solent during the early part of 2015 you may well have seen the Ben Ainslie Racing team going through their paces. The images below were taken by our crew and left everyone impressed by their speed and dedication. All this...

Gale force winds to hit GOR fleet soon

Mar 31, 2015

I will certainly remember leg five of the Global Ocean Race as the one where time expanded, we're not even half way and i feel like i've been on this boat for 9 consecutive months. Perhaps the anticipation for the imminent finish of the whole race plays tricks with my...

End of the trade winds

Mar 31, 2015

Just as i write a big rain cloud on the horizon has brought a sudden windshift, this is the first we encounter since leaving the unstable airs around the equator and unfortunately it probably signals the end of the stable band of the trade winds... We have 1350...

A gentle ride into South Carolina

Mar 31, 2015

The latest update from Marco Nannini We have 340 miles left to Charleston, we are pleased with how things have gone in the past 2 days, after the tactical move to cover Phesheya we feel a little more in control of our destiny. Our advantage over them has plummeted...

Final Day for Marco Nannini in Global Ocean Race

Mar 31, 2015

Today is the last full day at sea for us, in around 24 hours we should be making landfall and reach Les Sables D'Olonne and bring to a conclusion this epic jurney. We've been making very good progrees with strong following winds pushing us for days but the adventure...

Nannini Overcomes the Financial Crisis and Takes Second in the Global Ocean Race

Mar 31, 2015

We have arrived in Les Sables D'Olonne taking second place Just a brief message to say we are in Les Sables D'Olonne, even the last few hours of this Global Ocean Race have been quite intense with a front sweeping over our heads giving us winds gusting 45 knots this...

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Sailing News

Competent Crew Syllabus (Explained)

Final preparation for Challenger 2 before sailing across the Atlantic – Man Over Board and emergency drills

Bin doing our bit for the environment.

Challenger 2 has reached the finish line in the ARC Rally 2019

ARC 2019 – Day 17 – Nearing the end of an amazing adventure

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

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All Blogs

Winter Calls for a Sailing Theory Course

Sailing Reality in the Myth of Malham

America’s Cup World Series in The Solent 2015

Gale force winds to hit GOR fleet soon

End of the trade winds

A gentle ride into South Carolina

Final Day for Marco Nannini in Global Ocean Race

Nannini Overcomes the Financial Crisis and Takes Second in the Global Ocean Race

We’d love to hear from you

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