Solent Sailing Weekend Course
Starting from: £549
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Join us for the Solent Sailing Weekend! It's a great opportunity to refresh your skills and pick up new ones while enjoying the sheltered, but busy waters of the Solent, guided by a fully qualified RYA instructor.
- Gain confidence and brush up skills
- No stress of trying to get a sailing qualification
- Practise skills you’d like to work on
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Excellent experience; learnt a lot while having fun
Excellent experience with First Class Sailing. Efficient and friendly organisation. Quick to understand my motives and objectives and to provide tailored advice around these. I went on the Solent Weekend Sailing Course, in order to get back on the water after quite a few years of absence. The weekend was a great combination of instruction and enjoyment.
Davidlondon99
Verified Customer
This is a weekend course of sailing in the Solent is ideal if you are working towards becoming an established skipper or for those who have not sailed in a while and are looking to brush off the old cobwebs. The Solent Sailing Weekends are a superb opportunity to get back out on the water without the pressure of trying to achieve a qualification, with plenty of opportunity to practise various skippering skills. It is also for those that have never sailed before but would like to see what it is like and sail on the Solent.
5.0 based on 496 Happy Customers on Tripadvisor
RYA-certified sailing courses
5.0 based on 220 Happy Customers on Google Reviews
More Info on the Solent Sailing Weekend
Low crew to instructor ratios: Our low crew to instructor ratios mean that each crew member receives ample guidance and support during their Solent sailing experience.
All meals included on-board: Enjoy hassle-free trips with all meals provided on-board. From hearty breakfasts to satisfying dinners. Crew can focus on the experience without worrying about extra expenses.
Wet weather gear included: One thing we can never guarantee on our Solent sailing courses is the British weather. More often than not it is lovely but be prepared for any conditions with the use of our wet weather gear. Whether it’s rain or wind, stay comfortable and protected during your outdoor activities with quality gear provided at no additional cost.
Friendly experienced instructors: Learn from the best with our team of friendly and experienced instructors. With a wealth of knowledge and a passion for teaching, our instructors are dedicated to creating a supportive and enjoyable learning environment for crew of all skill levels.
Key Trip Details
Here’s a breakdown of the most important information about the Solent Sailing Weekend:
Required Experience
- No prerequisites required, but great if you have done some sailing and just want to brush up or learn new skills.
Course Duration
- A weekend.
Experience Gained
- Work on anything you want to
- Sailing skills
- Navigation
- Passage planning
- MOB
Building Confidence
- Great for building confidence before your next sailing holiday, charter or course.
Get Started In 3 Easy Steps
We make learning to be a competent yacht Skipper easy.
Select A Date
Look at our upcoming course dates and choose the one that best suits you.
Turn Up
Learn or brush up on a host of sailing skills.
Become a First Class Sailor
Sail off into the sunset with your new found/refreshed skills .
Solent Sailing Weekend -
Complete Breakdown
What to Expect
Our Solent Sailing course can be tailor made to include any of the following skills you would like to work on: passage planning, navigation, chartwork, points of sail practice, manoeuvres, berthing, MOB practice and mooring pickups. This is an ideal weekend to gain confidence before your next course, charter or holiday and the extra time on the water could make all the difference.
We also welcome novice sailors that would like some crewing experience and time on the water sailing in the Solent.
There will be plenty of sailing you can expect to visit some of the following destinations in the Solent: Portsmouth, Lymington, Beaulieu, Cowes, Yarmouth, Hamble and more.
Upon arrival on the Friday evening the instructor will have a chat with the group to understand which skills each student would like to work on over the Solent Sailing weekend. After checking the tides and weather, a plan will be formulated to incorporate everyone's objectives.
This course will be designed to focus on aspects that our Boat Handling weekend doesn't cover specifically, such as navigation pilotages and passage plans, plus the development of your 'skippering personality' and problem solving. You can expect to do short passages of 5-15 miles, spending Saturday night on the Isle of Wight (weather permitting.)
The Solent Sailing course will be able to cover any aspects of the RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses such as: navigation, chartwork, points of sail practice, manoeuvres, berthing, MOB practice and mooring pickups. Obviously, due to time constraints we won't be able to work on all of them.
Novice sailors will also be welcome to spend the weekend sailing on the Solent in a relaxed learning environment.
Accommodation/ Timings
We find it is better if you arrive the evening before your course starts(8:00pm). This way you can start getting to know the yacht, the skipper and your crew mates before the course really gets under way. If this is not possible then you need to be at the boat by 8.00am on the first day of the Sailing Course.
During your sailing course you’ll sleep on board the yacht. There’s typically three double cabins and two single berths which provide accommodation for eight people. However, there’s only ever a maximum of 4 students on board, plus the instructor. You can book a whole boat with up to 5 students.
Sometimes two people have to share the saloon or a cabin. The saloon is a large airy space with the two single berths or a large double. The cabins can have a dividing cloth to separate the space in half. You would never have to share with someone of the opposite sex.
Showers/Facilities
Whilst we do have showers on board the yacht, most nights you can use the hot showers and facilities in a marina.
The only thing not included in the price are mooring fees. It depends on where you end up each night but they are usually about £15 per person for a weekend.
You can expect to get away by 3/3.30pm on the final day of your course. If you are catching a train we recommend you do not book a ticket in advance as we can’t guarantee you will get away at 3pm on the dot. It could be earlier or a little later.
Getting to Shamrock Quay
Shamrock Quay is about an 8 minute taxi ride from Southampton Central Station, or 15 minutes from Southampton Airport if you’re flying in. If you are arriving by car you can park in Shamrock Quay Marina, with 24/7 security.
Occasionally a course may start on one of our boats when it is not at Shamrock Quay. It may be very close to Shamrock Quay or in Hamble. We will give you plenty of notice when this is the case.
What Sailors Say About Us
5.0 based on 561 Happy Customers On Tripadvisor 
5.0 based on 323 Happy Customers On Google Reviews
I wanted to brush up on my skills
Had a fantastic weekend trip with first class sailing last month. I wanted to brush up on my skills before completing my competent crew and Justin, our instructor, made sure that we all achieved what we wanted. Managed to practice mooring, helming and general sailing. Justin was patient, friendly and very knowledgeable. The website and communication beforehand were also excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and would look forward to coming back
Manoj M, UK
Verified Customer
Friendly instructors that let you make mistakes
I have used them a few times now, for weekend sailing and most recently for my Coastal Skipper Practical. Every time, I have been very pleased with the whole experience.
The instructors are very friendly, knowledgeable, and keen to help you work on anything you want more practice on rather than just focus on the curriculum. They let you try a few things, make some mistakes (so long they are not dramatic, best way to learn in my opinion!), and explain why some options are better than others.
Florent DP
Verified Customer
Learnt a huge amount
I am relatively new to sailing but am considering some deep water adventures and hence wanted to practice some of the techniques for sailing in challenging conditions. I spent a weekend in the Solent with First Class Sailing and would thoroughly recommend. Our instructor was excellent, imparting a wide range of knowledge and skills which we had ample opportunity to put into practice. I feel I learned a huge amount and gained a massive amount of confidence. A brilliant and memorable weekend.
Angus M, UK
Verified Customer
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Ready to go on a Solent Sailing Weekend
Get some great experience on this trip sailing around the Solent.
- Develop skills and confidence
- Let us know if there’s something in particular you want to work on
- Practice passage planning amongst other things
Exceeded my expectations
Totally exceeded my expectations! The instructor for our week-long course was friendly, patient, thorough, and extremely competent and skilled. The other two students were great companions as well. I took the three-student option, which I think was a great number of students.
Carey I
Verified Customer
Ready to go on a Solent Sailing Weekend
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