RYA Sailing Courses Poros Greece
Practical learn to sail courses are offered from March to November, usually by the week, from Saturday to Saturday. The practical courses are 5 days, but you will have six days sailing so an extra day for practice. Boarding is at 5 pm on Saturday and you disembark the following Saturday in the morning. The boat will set sail from Poros on Sunday morning and return on Friday afternoon.
All RYA Sailing Courses Poros are offered on a specially coded RYA training yacht (Sun Odyssey 35, 36i, 37) though in some cases larger yachts can be substituted. There is also a large fleet of yachts that can be offered for private charter with your own instructor. The maximum number of students on any course / boat is 5 per instructor.
The area around Poros in the Saronic gulf is ideal for learn to sail courses due to steady and predictable breezes thoughout the day. The area is well protected from the meltemi winds that tend to blow from the NE Aegean and sailing distances between islands are not long, giving you ample opportunity to try your anchoring techniques in small bays. The course may follow a similar route to the Poros flotilla, either north towards Aegina and the Argolic gulf or south towards the islands of Hydra and Spetses. There is plenty to experience in these beautiful islands of Greece.
RYA COMPETENT CREW PRACTICAL
This course will teach you how to be a competent crew member of a cruising yacht. With successful completion of the course you will be able to steer the yacht under sail and power, understand the principles of sailing and points of sail, sail trim, safety routines such as ‘man over board’, understand knots and rope-work, row a dinghy and generally safely contribute to daily routines. Children over 9 can be awarded a Competent Crew certificate, whilst learning to sail in Greece in such an attractive and warm environment is a pleasant holiday in its own right. This is the ideal course for novices and for dinghy sailors who want to start sailing on cruising yachts.
No previous experience required.
Duration of course: 5 days (6 days sailing, 7 nights on board)
RYA DAY SKIPPER PRACTICAL
This course is for those who already have some sailing experience and knowledge of navigation, and wish to progress to skipper level. The course provides a good foundation for you to safely and confidently skipper a cruising yacht, skipper a flotilla yacht and is recognised by charter companies in Greece and elsewhere. On this course you will learn to sail and skipper a yacht safely. In addition to boat handling and pilotage, the emphasis is on giving you experience of being in charge. You will be asked to skipper the yacht on a short passage, with the instructor on hand to give advice and encouragement. The course also covers preparation of a yacht for sea, yacht handling under sail and power, navigation, pilotage and passage making, rules of the road, emergency situations, meteorology and basic boat maintenance. As we are in Greece, you will get plenty of practice in techniques like “Med mooring” so you will be able to moor safely and competently and look professional when you bring your own boat into the quay.
Previous minimum experience: 5 days / 100 miles, including 4 night hours. This experience should have been in the form of active participation in the sailing of a similar sized yacht – ideally a Competent Crew course.
Theoretical knowledge: RYA Day Skipper Shorebased, or equivalent level from experience/self study/online theory courses. For students requiring additional assistance with areas of the shorebased course some extra tuition can be given but this is no substitute for being properly prepared before you arrive on Poros. We also offer online courses that you can do in your own time before arriving in Greece for the practical course.
Duration of course: 5 days (6 days sailing, 7 nights on board)
RYA COASTAL SKIPPER PRACTICAL & EXAMINATION
This sailing course is for experienced skippers only. This is an advanced course for those with considerable knowledge of sailing and navigation. You will learn the skills needed to skipper a yacht safely, by day or night, throughout the Mediterranean and elsewhere. As well as advanced boat-handling under power and sail, dealing with heavy weather passage planning and pilotage, at least one long night passage will be undertaken. RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper examinations for those who have successfully completed the practical course and have the appropriate theory certificates can be arranged.
Previous experience: 15 days (2 days as skipper) / 300 miles, including 8 night hours. Ideally you should hold a day skipper certificate.
Theoretical knowledge: Successful completion of the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Shorebased or equivalent course. For students requiring additional assistance with areas of the shorebased course, some extra tuition can be given, but this is no substitute for being properly prepared before you arrive on Poros.
Duration of course: 5 days (6 days sailing, 7 nights on board)
MILE BUILDERS
These mile builder sailing cruises are suitable for clients with RYA Competent Crew or higher qualification, plus sailors without formal qualification but with a reasonable amount of practical sailing experience. Mile building is important to any student planning to progress to take RYA/MCA examinations for Yachtmaster Coastal (previously known as ‘Coastal Skipper’) or Yachtmaster Offshore certificates of competence. Alternatively you may simply want to experience “longer legs” and more challenging sailing.
When you book a course on the tuition yacht the school provides:
A fully qualified instructor, a sleeping berth (single or shared double), breakfast and a light lunch, bedding, waterproof clothing (when required – not swim suits though!), fuel, water, mooring fees, provisions on board for breakfast and a light lunch.
We do not provide/guarantee, unless specific arrangements have been made:
Evening meals (clients are welcome to cook on board rather than eat ashore), towels (can be provided at €5 set (one large / one small), flights to Greece or transfers to Poros Island (transfers can be arranged on request).
Private tuition
We can offer a range of yachts from 32 feet to 50 feet, mostly Jeanneau, with private instructor. Those not partaking in the course are welcome to join in but there can only be a maximum number of 5 persons on board plus the instructor, no matter how many are doing the course. It should be noted, however, that the emphasis will be on the course syllabus and most of the sailing time will focus on this. Children should not be on board unless there is an allocated adult to look after them who is not doing the course.
When you book an instructor to join you on a yacht you have chartered:
We organise a suitably qualified instructor to join you, we ask you to arrange suitable accommodation (normally a separate cabin) and meals for the instructor. If, at the end of the course, your instructor is not dropped back to our base on Poros Island you will be responsible for the return travel costs. This will be payable locally at cost. Bed linen is provided.
