Eve of St Mawes sails in the Isles of Scilly anchored in the Cove beneath St Agnes Lighthouse

Mini brochure the Isles of Scilly 2012

Mini brochure Cornwall 2012

Nothing beats a holiday on the Cornish Coast

When we told our bank manager we were going to set up in business here in 1996, his advice was nobody would ever travel that far west for a few days sailing. Well we have news for him. He was wrong in 1996 and he is way out today. In the last 14 years Cornwall has emerged as “one of the world’s iconic travel destinations.” The far west of England has benefited hugely from European Community funding - revitalising a resilient and resourceful people. It has made us feel even more proud of the Cornwall we love.

It has become the ‘in place’ to escape for city and suburbia dwellers; a chill out zone for young people who love the surfing and sunsets. A ‘to die for’ natural landscape that fosters more green tourism businesses than any other part of Britain. A Cornish Sailing holiday is now a fresh food mecca for foodies and prolific source of new talent for art lovers. Cornwall is still a rebellious county (if not a Nation) but we are also an ambitious county. Theres is a lot of ‘new blood’ entrepreneurs trying to make their mark internationally through innovative projects, green energy schemes and plans to save the planet. The Eden Project is a world class attraction highlighting our green ambitions.

Sailing in Cornwall – With a St Mawes Skipper as your Guide

There is no need to be conventional in your accommodation choices for your whole visit to Cornwall.

Spend a short break or a weekend away living aboard our pilot cutter ‘Eve of St Mawes’. As guest crew you will experience a taste maritime life that has been a part of the real Cornwall for centuries. You don’t need any previous experience and it is great for solo travellers. Our skipper James, will be your tour guide, expert cook, sailing instructor. He can introduce you the best of Cornish Sailing and to our fairly eccentric locals, without you feeling like a tourist.

Eve of St Mawes - Our Cornish based boat

Enjoy sailing in Cornwall on our wooden pilot cutter Eve of St Mawes based as it is named in the lovely village of St Mawes. She is 38ft on deck and from bowsprit to boom end is 51ft so there are plenty of sails to play with.

With plenty of short breaks from March to November you can always escape to the Cornish Coast with minimum hassle for an action packed weekend. Whether experienced or new to sailing cornwall offers new places to explore, fantastic sailing waters and secluded anchorages. Call us at Classic Sailing for further details

Also a regular visitor to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is her bigger pilot cutter 'sister' 'Annabel J'. She comes down for our annual pilot cutter gathering and racing in May. She spends most the summer in cornwall sailing, including voyages to the Isles of Scilly and Brittany.

Dates, Prices & Voyage descriptions - Cornish coastal voyages on Eve of St Mawes

Dates, Prices & Voyage descriptions - Isles of Scilly Voyages on Eve of St Mawes

The Cornish Coast - Outdoor Playground for Grown Ups

Forget the bucket and spades image. Our coast is too good to be ignored as an invigorating 'outdoor playground for grown ups' all year around. There are plenty of remote coves along the coast that even the most adventurous family will leave to the grown ups and outdoor pursuits enthusiasts. Outside the main school holidays you really can wander lonely as a cloud on the beaches, clifftops and ancient woodlands. With the benefit of a boat like Eve based in Cornwall, sailing holidays are available all year, so you can even get away from it all in July and August.

Apart from offering some of the best boating waters in Europe, this is the place for watersports like body boarding, kite surfing, windsurfing, international surfing and surf lifesaving events. Our rugged long distance footpath (South West Coast Path) can be as tiring as any day out in the mountains. Try coasteering - where you jump off sea cliffs into turquoise zawns. Have a go at wild camping which is still possible if you know where to go. The indented coastline and tidal rivers carving deep inland are perfect for sea kayaking. The clean seas offer world class dive sites and plenty of wrecks. Stretch your mind and body with yoga on the cliff tops or gig boat rowing with a local club. Combine your adventure, sailing in Cornwall with just some of other outdoor activities available.

Ideas on how to combine an Eve's Voyages with other Cornish outdoor pursuits

Atlantic Edge – 'Where the Wild Things Are'

Whilst the TV can bring the world's wildlife to our living room, it is far more reassuring and spirit lifting to rub shoulders with amazing wildlife in your home country. Our coast has more than its fair share of unspoilt nature as it sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The maritime weather systems carry clean un-polluted air.  The warm Gulf Stream brings us unusual sea creatures from as far as the Caribbean with sightings of leather back turtles in the Isles of Scilly. Plankton upwelling along the Continental Shelf to the West of the Scillies and Northern Spain creates one of the richest marine fisheries in the world. To see a common dolphin playing in Eve's pressure wave as she pushes her 14 tons of oak through the sea might be a cliche in a brochure, but we defy you not to rush to the bow to take a closer look.

Sometimes it takes a sailing holiday (and a company dedicated to raising awareness of marine wildlife)  to that remind you how precious the natural environment on our doorstep really is.

Read more about  the Cornish wildlife we see on an 'Eve of St Mawes' or Annabel J Voyages.