Round Britain & Ireland
44 days from 30 July, plus training w'ends
We're pleased to announce an opportunity to sail all the way around Britain and Ireland on a 44 day cruise aboard a Jeanneau 40 leaving on 30th July. This will be a huge mile-builder (approx 2000Nm), with a chance to experience the whole coastline of Britain including (time permitting) paces like Orkney, Shetland, St Kilda and Fair Isle (which is one of the most magical places in the world to sail). No experience is necessary and there will be the opportunity to attend a taster weekend and two training weekends before you leave. The trip starts with some long passages up the East coast to leave more time in the exciting areas further North. On the way down to Ireland we'll try and visit the Isle of Man and there'll be quite a few more stops including the Isles of Scilly for a couple of days before heading home. The planned return date is 11 or 12 September. Later in the season there'll be a re-union weekend. The price is £3,750 which includes all onboard food, fuel and marina fees. The only extras are meals & drinks ashore. You'll learn masses on the way and it may also be possible to include some RYA qualifications. The Myth of Malham Race
Bank Holiday w'end Sailing - 28 May - £299
A little less time consuming but equally challenging is the Myth of Malham race this May bank holiday weekend. Here's a chance to get involved in a long distance offshore race run by the Royal Ocean Racing Club from Cowes to Eddystone Rock off Plymouth and back. On the way you'll face the key tidal gates at the Needles, St Albans Head, Portland Bill and Start Point. In fact this is the first third of the Fastnet course and an ideal taster for that classic race next year. The boat will be a Bavaria 46 with loads of room for up to 10. There will be a professional skipper and mate to guide you whilst working the boat 24 hours a day in a watch pattern. No experience of racing is needed, although some previous sailing is a bonus. We provide all food/drink, safety gear and oilskins, although last year's race was a marathon with light winds and blazing sunshine that left us all tanned by the fourth day. The race starts on Friday at noon, so you need to arrive on Thursday night or early on Friday morning. We can't know how long the race will take, but in any event we'll be out until Bank Holiday Monday and currently the weather forecast looks good with some wind, but not too strong. The price for 4 nights and 4 days is just £299 plus £40 towards food, fuel, mooring and race entry. You'll cover 250+ miles under sail and the race miles count towards qualifying for membership of the RORC. Call, email or go to our website to book. La Trinite Race - Sat 17 July - £399
Another huge opportunity to take part in the longest race of the year to the French port of La Trinite in Southern Brittany. The start is on Saturday afternoon, so you can arrive on the Saturday morning or Friday evening. The course takes us across the Channel leaving Alderney & Guernsey to port before turning west along the French coast. We'll need to negotiate the navigational challenges off the Brest peninsular before the finish some 340 miles from the start. We should be there between Sunday and Wednesday depending on the wind. You'll then have the chance to rest and enjoy the charming French port of La Trinite before either - travelling back by public transport if your time is limited OR sailing back with us. If you choose to stay with the boat, we'll take the more challenging inshore passages around Brittany and we are likely to make overnight stops in Brest, Aber Wrac'h and Alderney before crossing the Channel once again. Overall this is a massive sailing opportunity that is likely to cover over 700 Nm in 9 days. Best of all is the price at just £399 plus a small contribution of £10 per day towards food/drink on board, fuel and mooring. And finally - some sailing on TV
Like waiting for a bus, we see nothing for months and then there's loads all at once.
ITV 1 - All at Sea
BBC 2 & 4 - The Boats That Built Britain
BBC 4 - Timothy Spall: Somewhere at Sea
BBC 4 - Sea Fever
Ok, some of it's boating rather than sailing, but its all worth watching. Tom Cunliffe presents the series about the boats that built Britain and it's great that he has the time to explore hull shapes and rig configuration, where usually such programs are so shallow! Timothy's naivety and lack of seamanship makes you think, if he can take a boat around Land's End, then anyone can. Close quarters Manoeuvring
This popular course is back on the schedules firstly over the weekend of 26/27 June. If you've completed your Day Skipper course, but want a little more practice before taking a boat out on your own, our boat handling course may be just the thing. You'll spend the whole weekend with an instructor and up to four other students practicing manoeuvring a yacht in close quarters situations including: The weekend costs just £219 including food/drink, fuel and berthing costs. Please call or email to book. |
