ADULT SAILING
Starting on your journey to learn to sail can feel a bit scary, but you have already taken the first step by finding this guide!
Most locations run RYA (Royal Yachting Association) courses. The RYA are the governing body of sailing, windsurfing and powerboating in the UK.
Keep Sailing helps sailing clubs organise awesome courses, we work with clubs to make their courses the best they can be!
Find a suitable course from the list below and then pick a location local to you. Different clubs can run the courses in slightly different ways, so to see the courses your local club is running, pick a club from the locations list in the navigation bar. Alternatively follow the course link and filter by the location.
Already done some sailing but not sure where to start?
If you would feel confident to get into a boat and set out onto the water without an instructor on board then book onto the level 2 course. If you would feel unsure about taking out a boat alone then level 1 is the course for you.
Start your sailing journey here
The RYA's Dinghy Level 1 course is aimed at people with little to no sailing experience. We will take you through the basic steps of rigging and getting the boat onto the water. After some practice at land drills teaching you to tack the boat, we will head out onto the water for your first challenge of sailing across the wind. The course will include theory on how a boat works as well as getting to grips with tying knots.
Build your skills
After taking your first steps in the RYA level 1 course or you've not sailed for a while and want to get back into it. The level 2 course will start to develop your sailing skills making you more independent on the water. Often seen as the driving licence of sailing, once you have successfully completed your RYA DL2 you can hire boats at any RYA centre (depending on the weather conditions!)
Intro to advanced modules
If you are looking for an introduction to a number of advanced sailing skills such as spinnakers, rudderless sailing or high performance boats this course will challenge you to take your sailing to the next level.
An Introduction to racing
If you're looking to learn how to get more involved with racing at your club this course will run through the structure of sail racing, explain dinghy race courses and give you the skills to confidently get round the course with a good knowledge of the rules.
Anything & everything you would like to learn about dinghy sailing
Get a private instructor for either just yourself or maybe your whole family. This can be for a guided outing on the water or more specific training around topics that you request. Get in contact to discuss exactly what you would like.