Sailing Breaks and Tasters

Any day sail, weekend break or 3-4 day short voyage on our traditional boats and tall ships make an ideal taster experience for beginners. If it’s your first voyage you will not be expected to understand all that goes on immediately.  There is full training throughout the voyage but as guest crew you are learning by doing - so its fun and you hardly notice the steep learning curve. In no time at all you will be pulling on ropes and taking an active part in all the sailing as if you had been sailing for years. Classic Sailing currently offer more short breaks on classic boats and tall ships than any other UK traditional boat operator so we hope our website will be your first port of call whenever you want to escape 21st Century life ashore.

Yacht Sailor? Try something different for the weekend

Lonely Planet Travel Magazine

10 Best Weekend Courses

Classic Sailing was selected by Lonely Planet Magazine under the category 10 Best Weekend Courses for 2010. We are rather pleased to be in their overall list of 52 best weekends away too, although some of these are really pushing the boundary of what you can do in a 'weekend'

Our pilot cutter 2-3 day breaks on Eve of St Mawes in Cornwall, Lizzie May in Western Scotland and Annabel J in the Solent are featured in the Lonely Planet magazine January 2010 issue.

More on traditional boat short breaks 

Tall Ship Day Sails

Have you always wanted to sail a tall ship, or you do you know a friend who would love a tall ship experience ?

You can sign on as crew for a day sail from as little as £99. Day sails make great gifts for friends or relatives who have the 'sea in their blood.'

Many people have a romantic desire to go to sea on a tall ship, but they often wrongly assume they have left it too late in life to fufill their dream.  As long as you are reasonably healthy you can take part in setting sail and steering a 500 ton sailing ship on a day sail up to the age of 80. Everyone has the chance to go aloft, but it is not compulsory.

Short UK Voyages on a Tall Ship

For a more authentic experience of life at sea on a square rigger you need to spend a night or two aboard, experience an anchor watch or steer a 500 ton sailing ship under the stars. We have plenty of affordable sailing breaks and weekends on our British owned brig Stavros S Niarchos. You can become the crew on a tall ship for 2-4 days, sailing the coastline of Britain and often an overnight passage to a port in France, Ireland, Belgium or the Netherlands.

These active tall ship breaks are very competitively priced so there really is no excuse not to give sailing a try.

 We have four pilot cutters strategically based in the best sailing areas around the UK - Southern Cornwall, Western Scotland & the Solent. All three areas have a great mix of exciting coastal sailing and more sheltered tidal waters to explore. Westcountry trading ketch Bessie Ellen sails alot in the Westcountry this year offering day sails and short trips or join large gaff cutter Eda Frandsen in Cornwall for 2-3 day voyages. New 3 masted lugger Grayhound has a few day sails and weekend breaks available.

All Inclusive Alternative Weekends

The beauty of our short breaks is that we provide a mini adventure in an unusual environment with so many experiences thrown in that they always feel like you have been away for more than a few days. All you need to do is book and turn up with enough clothing for an active outdoor weekend and a sleeping bag. We provide accomodation on board, waterproofs if you need them, 3 freshly cooked meals (special diets catered for), full instruction and a sailors view of our local coastline, wildlife and maritime history. You provide the human power and teamwork to sail our inspiring vessels to the next destination under sail. The planet will thank you too for leaving the car behind for a few days.

Call A Skipper 01872 58 00 22 (Non UK 0044 1872 58 00 22)