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Dinghy Sailing for Improvers

If you’ve already sailed before, then you’re going to love our Beach Clubs. Each one has been picked for its idyllic sailing conditions which suit all abilities and you’ll be able to ‘free-sail’ our top-notch sailing dinghies all week with our expert team of RYA instructors on hand to help you progress.

If you’d like to develop your sailing, then try our Level 2 RYA course for Improvers. It’s a free-and-inclusive course and offers a fun and sociable group session with 6:1 student-instructor ratios. You get the best, most focussed coaching we know of and after your course (4 half days), we’ll send you home a confident sailor with a new RYA qualification and certificate to prove your new skill.

 

All our Sailing Courses

Our Sailing Dinghies

Our Level 3 RYA course

The essentials

  • Free: RYA Level 2 Improver ‘Basic Skills’ Sailing Course (4 days)
  • Where? Vassiliki; PelionPorto Heli  & Kos
  • Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ learning groups
  • Dinghy races and regattas
  • Under 13’s: join our free Kids Clubs 
  • 8-13’s: Try our RYA Youth Squad
  • The finest RYA teaching standards
  • Lots of  great boats for you to sail 

Inclusive tuition

Dinghy Sailing tuition and our excellent RYA courses are included in our holidays and they’re run by our own team of Royal Yachting Association (RYA) instructors. You can join a course or just sail for fun, there’s no need to pre-book tuition or courses - you can sign up when you arrive. We’ve got our sailing formula just right! You’ll enjoy perfect conditions at all our centres coupled with a brilliant team of instructors and top notch kit. After all we like to keep our guests coming back every year.

You can dip in and out of lessons during your week (depending on your energy levels!) but if you complete an RYA course (which is a lot of fun and easily achieved) you’ll get to go home with a new Level 2 sailing qualification.

Learning is easier with our Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ coaching techniques, small group sizes (of 6 pupils max) and modern and up-to-date kit in all our centres.

Freesail our great boats

As an improving sailor, you’ll be able to 'free sail' any of our dinghies in light winds and we’ll even help you step up into a more performance boat. Simply choose a dinghy, let the beach team know and head out into our sailing area. Our water sports centre is open each day from 9.30am until the last guest comes off the water and it’ll remain open over lunch, so you can sail non-stop if you want to!

Our beach team are on hand to help you rig-up and launch whenever you choose to go sailing in beach opening hours; during which our support boats will always be on hand.

View our Sailing Dinghies

RYA Level 2 ‘Basic Skills’ course

  • Free and Inclusive: Vassiliki; PelionPorto Heli  & Kos
  • RYA Improver ‘Basic Skills’ course: Runs over 4 half-days
  • Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ Learning groups
  • Small group sizes: (6 pupils to 1 instructor)
  • Ability after the course: Able to sail and make decisions in fair weather

If you’ve done some sailing before, or completed Level 1, then you’ll be ready to move up a gear. Level 2 is an exciting course run by our own team of expert RYA instructors. It includes 10-12 hours of tuition spread over 4 days and you’ll go home a more confident sailor with improved skills. You will also have earned yourself a new and Internationally recognised RYA sailing qualification to boast about!

We’ll cover all the essentials in greater detail: better boat handling, tacking, gybing, capsize techniques, rigging, launching and safety. We’ll also provide an introduction to more progressive techniques like sailing with spinnakers and trapezing. For ages 14+. Under 13's will join our free kid's club (5 days) with sailing and windsurfing tasters. The 8-13's can join our Youth Squad.

What’s the course like?

Level 2 Dinghy Sailing is an exciting course and as an Improving sailor you can really make the most out of our sailing area. Our instructors make the learning curve fast and enjoyable using The Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ coaching techniques with small group sizes of only 6 students, max. It’s all very sociable, hugely rewarding and the emphasis is on fun and fast progression at your own pace.

Level 2 normally runs for 2-3 hours, (mid-morning), and is spread over 4 days. After a short session of shore-based training using a simulator to refresh you with boat controls, it’s out on the water with your instructor where the excitement begins. Our support boats are always close by, the winds will be light and manageable and you’ll be in your own single handed boat, such as a Pico or Laser with a modern and up-to-date rig and controls. Good kit will boost your learning and make sailing more satisfying.

After your course, you’ll be a confident light winds sailor and have earned your RYA Level 2 ‘Basic Skills’ Dinghy Sailing’ certificate. If you’re staying for two weeks, then why not try Level 3 as well?

MORE ON OUR LEVEL 3 COURSE

Dinghy Racing

Join in with our fun and light-hearted dinghy races which are held most days during the week. We’ll give a short introduction to the world of racing so that you can take part in our events with tips on starting, finishing, tactics and the basic rules of racing.

Our racing is aimed at all levels and we generally run daily races for class boats like the Laser fleet, and handicap racing for mixed fleets. It’s all about taking part and having fun, (with prizes too!), and a great chance to show us your competitive side!

Available all centres

Discover the world of dinghy cruising whilst on holiday with us. We will offer you the opportunity to take part in our dinghy cruises and enjoy the feeling of longer-distance sailing as you cruise in company to a nearby island or ‘secret-beach’ stopover with instructors and RIB support boats to guide the flotilla.

DInghy cruises generally take place at the middle of the week and they involve all craft from single and double handed boats to family boats with a few crew. So choose your vessel, pick your crew, sign up and get involved!

You will learn about cruise planning, safety and basic navigation along with long distance sailing skills to give you a taste for this truly inspirational past-time. The flotilla will often cruise to another island for a mid-morning stop over, to enjoy a swim or a coffee and ice cream.

Available in all our centres: Half to 3/4 day.
VIEW OUR BEACH CLUBS

Where’s best for Improvers?

All our resorts offer perfect conditions for Improver sailors. The thermal winds are very reliable, easy and manageable, and the water is warm and crystal-clear. Add to the mix our own expert instructors and you’ll have a brilliant time with a satisfyingly quick learning curve.

Our free programme of daily sailing lessons (for all levels) takes place at all our centres. You can join in if you choose or simply free-sail our boats at your own leisure. You’ll get lots out of our lessons and you’ll get to meet our other guests to share your sailing stories with, preferably in the bar afterwards! 

Hotel Nautica Bay in Porto Heli is our Specialist Dinghy Sailing Centre and has the greatest range of kit. But all our centres are ideal for Improvers, especially our Surf Hotel in Vassiliki which is similarly well-stocked and has great conditions. Not too windy in the mornings, and very manageable for most of the day.

The very best RYA Instructors

Over the last ten years, we’ve taught thousands of guests to learn and progress at their windsurfing and sailing. It’s our energetic, top-notch team of British RYA instructors that make it all so great! They run sociable learning groups using the Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ learning principles. All our centres have the right conditions and kit to help you progress and we love teaching people to sail. Perhaps that’s why our instructors scored 98% ‘Excellent’ from our client surveys from 2018.

We pick our staff for their friendly and outgoing natures and they’re always on hand to help you rig up, get launched and teach you some tips - whether you’re in a lesson or not!

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