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Enjoy a sailing holiday in the sunshine and 'learn the ropes'

No previous sailing experience is necessary...

If you're a complete novice you may want to book an Royal Yachting Association (RYA) course. In your 1st week you'll gain a perfect introduction to life onboard and achieve RYA Competent crew. Or learn to sail on flotilla with a 6-day instructor onboard your yacht - perfect for couples and families trying out the unique experience of holidaying aboard your own yacht.

Gain an RYA qualification ...

Beginners will start with RYA Competent Crew, but if you have crewing or motorboat experience sign up for RYA Day Skipper. Adults can book a cabin on a shared yacht at an RYA Recognised Training centre in Gibraltar, Greece or Croatia whilst families may prefer to book exclusive use of a training yacht, available in Greece, Turkey, Gibraltar or Croatia. Maximum 5 students on each training yacht. But remember the instructor will not look after young children so best for children over 12.

Brush up your sailing skills ...

A 3-day instructor on flotilla in Greece is ideal if you sailed a while ago or you have crewing or motorboat experience or you are a keen dinghy sailor at Club level. On successful completion of the course you will be able to skipper a yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew, practising your new skills as skipper.

Learn to sail choices

  • Overview
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    Mooring in Aegina, Greece

    LTSFlotilla_600x400

    Learning to sail on flotilla in the Ionian, Greece

    Aegina2_600x400

    Family sailing in Aegina, Greece

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    RYA Day Skipper in Gibraltar

    RockSailing2_600x400

    RYA Competent Crew in Gibraltar

    Aegina3_600x400

    RYA course in Aegina, Greece

    • Learn from the experts to skipper your own yacht
    • Enjoy a holiday whilst gaining valuable new skills
    • Breakfasts and lunches included whilst onboard
    • Choose from RYA accredited courses or informal flotilla courses
    • Courses for all abilities
    • Children over 12 can take part in the RYA courses
    • Individuals, couples, groups and families all welcome
  • RYA Learn to sail
    RYA Learn to sail

    RYA Learn to sail

    RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses are available from RYA Recognised Training centres in the Med so you can learn to sail while enjoying a holiday in the sun

    Learn to sail in Gibraltar
    Learn to sail in Sibenik in Croatia
    Learn to sail in Aegina in Greece
  • Learn to sail on flotilla
    Learn to sail on flotilla

    Learn to sail on flotilla

    Picturesque fishing harbours, idyllic anchorages, history and culture - Greece is the perfect destination for a flotilla sailing holiday

    Learn to sail on flotilla

Top questions

  • Can we learn to sail as a family?

    For families wanting to take part in a flotilla, you can add an instructor to your flotilla yacht on the Ionian flotilla in Greece. This is a great way for families to learn to sail together but remember the instructor will not look after young children and you will have to allocate a cabin for the instructor. This is not a formal RYA course so no qualification is gained but it is ideal for those with less experience who want to take part in the flotilla from the offset.

    Beginners will need a 6-day flotilla course. This course is designed to take students with little or no experience to the level that they can skipper a yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew. Plan a second week sailing with the flotilla, practising your new skills, or return later in the season.

    If you have crewing or motoryacht experience or you are a keen dinghy sailor at club level, you could take your own yacht on flotilla in Greece and add an instructor for a 3-day flotilla course. This course will increase your confidence and cover basic navigation skills, sailing techniques, mooring and anchoring. This is also a good "refresher" course if you haven't skippered for a while.

    More information on these courses can be found on our Learn to sail on flotilla page.

    If you want to gain an RYA qualification, you can have exclusive use of the tuition yacht at the RYA Recognised centres in Göcek (Turkey), Aegina (Greece), Gibraltar or Sibenik (Croatia). For RYA courses a maximum of 5 students can be onboard, but some students can do Day Skipper course while others do Competent Crew course and some need not take part in any course. The course is not suitable for children under 12.

  • What are the option for couples to learn to sail?

    Couples willing to share a yacht with other students can share a tuition yacht in Gibraltar, Greece or Croatia. If you don't want to share or there are 2 couples, you can have exclusive use of the tuition yacht. For RYA courses only a maximum of 5 students can be onboard, but some students can do Day Skipper course while others do Competent Crew course and some need not take part in any course.

    Beginners will do RYA Competent Crew course which provides a general introduction to yacht cruising. You will be shown how to tie knots, steer the yacht, handle the sails, moor up, use the anchor, basic navigation and how to be a welcome and useful crew member.

    To do your RYA Day Skipper practical course you will need at least 5 days crewing experience on sailing yachts and have either completed the Day Skipper shore-based course or have a good knowledge of basic navigation. This practical course gives you the chance to take charge on short passages under instruction with advice and help from the instructor. You'll also get plenty of chance to practice mooring up in many different situations. By the end of the course you should have enough experience to skipper a yacht in a safe and seamanlike manner on short daytime passages.

    If you want to learn on flotilla in Greece, beginners will need a 6-day flotilla course but if you just need to brush up your skippering skills you may only need a a 3-day flotilla course. These courses are designed to take you to the level that they can skipper a yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew. Plan a second week sailing with the flotilla, practising your new skills, or return later in the season. As you have your own yacht, why not invite another couple along to share the cost?

  • What about singles?

    Singles are welcome on the RYA courses run by the RYA Recognised Training centres in Gibraltar, Greece and Croatia. You will share a tuition yacht with other students (maximum 5 students per yacht).

    Beginners will do RYA Competent Crew course which provides a general introduction to yacht cruising. You will be shown how to tie knots, steer the yacht, handle the sails, moor up, use the anchor, basic navigation and how to be a welcome and useful crew member.

    To do your RYA Day Skipper practical course you will need at least 5 days crewing experience on sailing yachts and have either completed the Day Skipper shore-based course or have a good knowledge of basic navigation. This practical course gives you the chance to take charge on short passages under instruction with advice and help from the instructor. You'll also get plenty of chance to practice mooring up in many different situations. By the end of the course you should have enough experience to skipper a yacht in a safe and seamanlike manner on short daytime passages.

    Bear in mind that you will need a competent crew if you want to charter a yacht in the future so why not bring a friend along to learn how to crew.

"First class service from Nautilus. On arrival our catamaran was clean and serviceable and the help given by the base staff was excellent. "

Antigua 2014 - M.M
Trustpilot

Sailing Qualifications

To skipper a bareboat charter or flotilla yacht, you need to hold a practical sailing certificate equivalent to RYA Day Skipper Practical qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC). For charters in Greece, you must now have the ICC certificate. You must also be assisted by at least one competent crew member over the age of 18.

The port authorities in Greece are now insisting on one of the following practical certificates: RYA ICC (International Certificate of Competence), RYA Coastal, RYA Yachtmaster, ASA IPC (International Proficiency Certificate) or the IYT (International Yacht Training) Passport. If you hold an RYA Day Skipper or ASA104 it will no longer be accepted and you need to obtain either an ICC or IPC from the corresponding issuing body (RYA or ASA). If your RYA Coastal/Yachtmaster or ASA105/106 certificate is more than 12 years old and does not have a photo ID, then we would also strongly advise applying for an ICC or IPC. If you are a member of the RYA or ASA, you may qualify for a discount or free certificate, otherwise, you will have to pay. The approximate cost is £50. Please use this link - RYA application for the ICC or ASA application for the IPC.

For charters in Croatia, Malta and the Canaries, at least one member of the crew or the skipper will also need a VHF licence.

RYA qualifications can be obtained by RYA sailing schools in the UK or alternatively choose from one of our overseas centres in Gibraltar, Greece or Turkey.

For Seychelles, the local authorities require an ICC for the skipper of a bareboat or flotilla yacht charter.

For Caribbean and Tropical charters, formal qualifications are not compulsory, however, you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew. A brief sailing resume should be provided to outline your experience.

If you don't hold the relevant qualifications then why not add a skipper?

Sailing Levels

Level 1

Winds force 2-3 (4-11 Knots)combined with generally shorter distances. Good for beginner or intermediate sailors. Line-of-sight navigation but basic knowledge of charts and ability to plot your position required.

Level 2

Winds force 3-5 (7-21 Knots) with approximately 15-20nm per day. Intermediate experience required. Predominately line of sight navigation but an understanding of how to sail in open water.

Level 3

Winds force 4-6 (11-27 Knots) with mileage of approximately 20nm+ per day. Ideal for experienced skippers looking to venture out to new destinations. Day skipper standard but with experienced crew would be recommended.