Typical adventure crew on Europa: a Texan ex model, a German wildlife film maker, Canadian geologist, and a 19 year old Dutch law student....all a long way from home and looking like they have sailed for years instead of two weeks.

"Let's Try Sailing"

Sailing for All - No Experience Needed
 

Classic Sailing have never aimed our activity holidays exclusively at sailors. Since 1997 We have introduced thousands of people to sailing and travel under sail. Our skippers will teach you to sail, and we will teach you very well, because we can't go anywhere without you. You are the crew and on traditionally rigged vessels it is all about teamwork, so don't worry about whether you are tall enough, strong enough, agile enough. There are important jobs for all abilities. Like any new outdoor sport or adventure activity there is a lot of jargon to learn, but even on a three day voyage you will leave feeling and sounding like a sailor.

Beginners Sailing

Sailing is not difficult nor need it be expensive

Sailing is not difficult nor need it be expensive but it may be difficult to know where to start for beginners. If you want to try sailing there is no point in hanging around marinas and yacht clubs hoping for the chance to sail. Lets face it, if a yachtsman's desperate for a crew you have to wonder why no one wants to sail with them? Start with the best and find out how much fun it can be. No need to buy expensive wet weather or safety gear - we provide all that.
No need to worry about coming on your own - we ensure a good sailing crew.

No need to worry that you don't know anything - we welcome beginners.

" Amazing – I never thought I would enjoy it so much! I’m booking another one!" Sarah Edwards

There are many ways to learn to sail - Try a Weekend Voyage

The best way to see if you like sailing on the sea and living on a boat overnight is to try one of our short breaks and learn sailing by 'doing it' - with informal instruction from our skippers. We have plenty of 2-4 day tasters on our smaller vessels like Eve, Lizzie May and Annabel J where you will be part of a guest crew of 5-8 people so you will be very involved is every aspect of sailing the boat. These voyages involve lots of short hops along the coast, with sheltered anchorages, ports or moorings overnight.

You are unlikely to be the only person who has never steered with a tiller, looked at a navigation chart or trimmed a sail to the correct wind angle. Our skippers are very patient and fully appreciate what a strange environment it can be to step onto a moving vessel or sleep in a bunk in a cozy but communal cabin with people you have only just met. The arrival brief and training that you will recieve in the first few hours is as much about the domestics and getting used to your new home, as it is about sailing skills. Then you are off to sail to a new destination, picking up skills as they are needed.

Taster Voyages and Weekends ideal for beginners

Not Sure if a Sailing Holiday is for you ?

See our Frequently Asked Questions FAQ or just give us a ring. In the office will be one of Eve of St Mawes skippers so we have heard almost every possible question that newcomers to sailing might ask !  tel 0044 (0)1872 580022

Ambitious Beginners

As full training is always given, there is nothing to stop you trying a longer voyage, but some are tougher than others so we recommend you talk to us first so you are fully aware of what might be involved. The only voyages that specifically require previous sailing are RYA Day Skipper Courses or higher.

Learn the Ropes with a RYA Sailing Course

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the sailing national body in the UK, and Classic Sailing (Eve' Sailing School) is a recognised RYA Training Centre for practical courses at sea and RYA theory classes in our Cornwall Classroom.

A more structured and intensive way to learn to sail or progress your skills is to book one of our RYA courses on our main RYA teaching boat 'Eve of St Mawes'. This has the added benefit that you can have a great Cornish holiday on a distinctive wooden pilot cutter AND, if you complete the syllabus sucessfully, gain a RYA Certificate.

RYA Competent Crew is the beginners course for complete novices, but equally suitable for anyone who has maybe tried yachting with friends but wants a more solid base of seamanship skills to feel confident as crew, or a dinghy sailor wanting to try larger boats. We also have quite a few Classic Sailing customers who have tried a tall ship first and now want to learn small boat handling.

 Formal Courses to learn the RYA way, Competent Crew, Day Skipper and other RYA courses

Experienced Yacht Sailors - Try a Gaffer

If you already love sailing, just come and try a different type of boat to the one you normally sail. See our RYA pages for some of our suggested building blocks to enhance your sailing skills through experience, new locations, volunteer crew positions or advanced courses.

If you have sailed before then we welcome your experience and we can learn from each other. Our skippers have sailed with many a master mariner, dinghy sailor and even submarine captain's and deep sea pilots as crew !

Relax & Re-Charge the Soul

You can just come to escape to sea, whenever you need a bit of salt in your hair, satisfying exercise, fresh food, good company....and someone else maybe making the decisions ! 

How to buy a Classic Sailing gift voucher or voyage for someone else.

New Challenges & Sea Changes

A Classic Sailing gift voucher can nudge a friend back into sailing after years ashore or help celebrate a major event. Learning to sail could be a new year’s resolution. A surprising number of people run away to sea to re-appraise their lives ( it worked for us ! ). Others have become friends and ‘recharge their batteries’ with us several times a year.

Sailing jobs no experience.

This is what very very many people would like, a job at sea without the need for sailing experience. In fact it's such a popular idea that the wages for those working at the lowest level at sea are really  tiny.

There are ways to get into sailing

1. Know somebody with a boat or yacht and get to sail with them. 
2. Join a local sailing club and ask members if they need any crew? There are sailing clubs in most cities, not just seaside towns..
3. Sometimes it is just being in the right place at the right time by being on the quayside when someone is looking for a crew. It does happen but you need to be uncommitted to anything else.
4. Get experience by paying for it - check out our Special Offers

​Once you have just a little experience it will be so much easier and being able to talk with a knowing air will help you on your way.