Advice on sailing for beginners
Sailing for Beginners
If you’re a budding yachtie, there are plenty of ways to start: RYA courses in the sun, beach club holidays, skippered and cabin charters, and flotillas with lead crew support.
Sailing for beginners: RYA sail training
If you’re a budding yachtie, we have ‘learn to sail’ holidays in the sun that will be ideal for you! From our training bases in Greece and Croatia, we offer a full range of RYA courses. Start Yachting and Competent Crew are ideal for those new to sailing.
Alternatively, if you are keen to try watersports, our RYA training centre in Greece, Nikiana Beach Club, would be ideal. We offer RYA training at all levels for dinghies, multihulls, windsurfing and powerboats.
If you are looking to get straight into a career, we even offer an academy programme. In as little as 5 intensive weeks, this fast-track scheme can make you an RYA dinghy or windsurf instructor.
Ways to start sailing
- RYA Start Yachting and Competent Crew courses
- Dinghy, multihull, windsurfing and powerboat courses at Nikiana
- A fast-track academy to become an RYA dinghy or windsurf instructor
- Beach club holidays, to try every watersport
- Skippered and cabin charters, with a crew to sail for you
- Flotillas, with lead crew support for newly qualified skippers
Sailing courses for beginners
RYA courses from our sailing schools: choose a training centre for course details, dates and prices.
GreeceGreece Training Centre
6-day courses
Warm, sheltered waters with relaxed island passages. Many summer dates run alongside our flotillas, with access to kids’ clubs.
Best for
- First-timers
- Competent Crew
- Day Skipper Practical
View the school
- Croatia
Croatia Training Centre
6-day courses
Varied conditions between historic harbours and anchorages, in sheltered seas that are great for building skills and confidence.
Best for
- Competent Crew
- Day Skipper Practical
- Coastal Skipper Practical
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- UK
UK Training Centre
5-day courses and weekend refreshers
Structured tidal practice with expert RYA instructors, and ideal preparation for sailing abroad.
Best for
- Day Skipper Practical
- Refreshers
- Tidal experience
View the school
Sailing for beginners: beach club holidays
If you would rather try each watersport before any formal training, a beach club holiday is a perfect choice. At one of our beach clubs you can try your hand at dinghy sailing, windsurfing, sea kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding. A week gives you plenty of time to try them all, plus a day or sunset cruise on a yacht. By the end of the week, we are sure you will have found a reason or two to be drawn to the water!
- Lefkas, in the Ionian
Nikiana Beach Club
Our small, friendly club on Lefkas, with unlimited dinghy sailing, windsurfing and paddleboarding, RYA courses and free kids clubs in the school holidays.
- New for 2027, near Preveza
Poseidon Beach Club
On Kanali Beach, with a pool, a beach taverna, a kids club and unlimited watersports.
- Kos, in the Dodecanese
Kefalos Windsurfing Centre
World-class windsurfing and wing foiling in an uncrowded bay, with first-class equipment.
Skippered, cabin charter or flotilla
What is the best sailing holiday for beginners?
Tuition is not everybody’s cup of tea, and it does not have to be the first step. A great alternative is a skippered yacht charter holiday. A professional skipper or crew sails the yacht and keeps everything shipshape, while you enjoy the sea, the sunshine and new places to discover each day. Private skippered charter is available across all our destinations. These include the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, as well as exotic destinations in the Indian Ocean, the Far East and even the Pacific.
Skippered flotillas
You can also join one of our flotillas on a skippered yacht. It is a friendly and sociable way to explore, with the chance to meet other sailors and join in the activities on offer. This is particularly popular with families, giving children and teenagers the chance to make new friends.
Our flotilla groups also organise plenty of events to keep everyone entertained. These include welcome parties, beach parties, dinghy races and trips ashore. All our beach club holidays include the option to combine your stay with a flotilla. Nikiana Beach Club is ideal for a club and flotilla combination. After all, our Lefkas flotilla base is just a short drive away.
Cabin charter
In the Aegean and Ionian seas of Greece, our cabin charter programme lets you book by the cabin on a fully crewed 51 to 52ft yacht. It is arguably the best way to go island hopping in this wonderful sailing area. Our skipper and hostess look after you during your stay, with breakfast and lunch provided daily on board. They are happy to involve you in the sailing if you wish. They are also excellent guides, who know the area and all the best places to go.
Our comfortable yachts have en-suite double and twin cabins, a spacious saloon and a shaded deck for alfresco dining. As well as being a fantastic way to explore the Greek islands, this is a good introduction to yachting. In fact, there is ample opportunity to get involved in the sailing: you can be ‘hands on’ or ‘feet up’, the choice is yours!
Where to sail
What is the best sailing destination for beginners?
All our Mediterranean sailing destinations can suit beginners, with moderate conditions, easy distances between ports of call and plenty of sunshine. The same can be said of places like the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, or even Thailand in the Far East. However, certain areas have been recognised as providing the most ideal conditions for less experienced sailors.
The Ionian islands of Greece are without doubt number one in this regard, particularly the area between Lefkas, Kefalonia and the Greek mainland. Not only are the conditions moderate and the winds relatively light, but the islands are also beautiful. What’s more, a warm welcome from the locals is virtually guaranteed. It is with good reason that we have chosen this area as the base for one of our RYA sailing schools, Seafarer Training. For newly qualified skippers and less experienced crews, this area virtually guarantees light to moderate breezes and relatively calm seas. Distances are also moderate, and there are plenty of wonderful places to visit each day.
Newly qualified skippers should consider a flotilla holiday. In our opinion, it provides all the support from the lead crew you will need as you build your experience and confidence. The lead crew will give advice and guidance on anything you are unsure of. They will be quickly on hand should you have any technical problems, and their great local knowledge will make sure you get the best from your holiday. Many highly experienced skippers choose flotilla holidays for exactly the same reasons. Others simply enjoy meeting other crews in the evenings and making new friends.
Choosing a yacht
Sailing for beginners: catamarans or monohulls?
This is often the subject of heated debate among sailors. Most will agree that monohulls can handle a greater range of sea conditions. However, catamarans are certainly much more spacious, both below and on deck. They can also sail significantly faster in the right conditions. On the other hand, chartering a catamaran is considerably more expensive than a monohull, and marina mooring fees may be higher too.
Thanks to our partnership with Dream Yachts, we offer catamaran cruises bookable by the cabin in some of the best exotic sailing destinations. There are regular weekly departures in the Caribbean, as well as the Seychelles, Thailand and the Pacific islands. These are fully serviced catamaran cruises with all meals included on board. All the catamarans have en-suite cabins, and most also have air conditioning.
Our promise
The Seafarer Price Guarantee
We will not be beaten on price.
Because we are an independent company, we keep our prices highly competitive: if you see a like-for-like product cheaper elsewhere, let us know and we will beat it.
Specifically, the guarantee applies to yacht and accommodation rates on our Beach Club, Flotilla, Learn to Sail and Cabin Charter programmes operated by Seafarer, and is subject to availability at the time of booking.
Book your first sailing holiday
Get in touch with our experienced team, and they will help you choose the right holiday and dates for you.
Call or email us
- 0208 324 3118Monday to Friday 09:00 to 19:00, Saturday 09:30 to 17:00
- info@seafarerholidays.com
Request a quote
Tell us your dates and party size, and we’ll then come back to you with availability and prices.
Peace of mind
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Every payment you make to us is financially protected, from deposit to balance. Holidays with flights are covered by our ATOL licence, and holidays without flights by our ABTOT membership. Trading since 1995.
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