Learn to sail holidays: Ask the experts

Q. My husband and I want to learn to sail as part of a summer holiday. Can we get sailing qualifications? Where should we go, and how long do we need?

A. Learning to sail is much more enjoyable when the seas are calm and the weather is warm. Think of the Mediterranean as one big, glorious classroom.

The most popular entry point is a “stay and sail” holiday, where you spend the first week ashore being taught the basics and the second at sea, skippering your own yacht as part of a flotilla. It’s an ideal approach for a couple and also for a family, especially if the shore base has a children’s club where the little ones can enjoy week one in a frenzy of organised fun, while the grown-ups go to school and do their lessons.

Neilson takes 3,000 people a year on “stay and sail” fortnights at four of its Greek beach clubs: Sivota, Nidri, Halkidiki and Porto Heli. It also offers a one-week holiday that includes a 3-day Learn to Sail course on board your yacht, moored on a pontoon adjacent to the beach club, the 4th day spent sailing with your instructor on board and the last 3 days sailing as part of a flotilla with the lead boat offering assistance, if needed.

Also, you can learn to sail at a Mediterranean resort with Mark Warner.

– David and Mark

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