• Learning with Sunsail

England

The Solent

It was in the Solent on the south coast of England that Sunsail began as a small sailing school in the 1970s. Today our yacht charter base at Port Solent, Hampshire is home to Sunsail UK's head office and the world’s largest matched fleet of fifty Sunfast 37s. Our sailing school runs a full range of RYA sailing courses to help you improve your skills and get you into a world of yachting adventure with Sunsail. One of the most up to date sailing centres in the world, Port Solent has excellent facilities and offers 24 hour access to Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent itself.

The sailing area
On your Solent course you’ll have the opportunity to sail around one of Europe’s most famous and favourite yachting areas. There is always something happening in and around these waters. For all levels of sailor, The Solent provides an exciting challenge.

The city of Portsmouth, steeped in maritime history, is now home to modern landmarks such as the Sails of the South and the Spinnaker Tower. There’s lots of sightseeing and fun ashore as well as on the water if you choose the Solent for your course.

All along this coast, step ashore to quaint villages and sample the real ales and traditional fare at country pubs. Moor up in the modern marinas and well-known harbours of the Isle of Wight and sail along the south coast up the Beaulieu River to the pretty New Forest town of Lymington.

During the summer months the Sunsail yachts are moored on the outer pontoons of Port Solent Marina giving you easier and quicker access to this fabulous sailing area. Motor out of Portsmouth past the historic dockyard and giant warships in one of the busiest harbours in the world. Weaving your way down the channel takes around 30 minutes and provides ample opportunity to get accustomed to your yacht and chat with your Skipper and crewmates. Gunwharf Quays at the mouth of the harbour is a stylish waterfront development of retail outlet shops with bowling, cinema and nightlife for an entertaining evening.

Top of the must-see stops when sailing the Solent, Cowes is famous for the annual Cowes Week event in August and a yachting mecca for international sailors all year round. The narrow cobbled streets are lined with bars, restaurants and all things nautical, all within easy walking distance of your night on board. Cowes or Shepherd’s Wharf marina both have top rate facilities and a little further up from Cowes lies the Folly Inn pub where you’ll always find live music and dancing, good food and a welcoming sailing community.

Hamble is a picturesque river village that is home to hundreds of yachts. Renowned for its restaurants and traditional pubs, it is situated close enough to the quieter Warsash on the eastern shore or Bursledon further upstream, to give you a few lovely choices for peaceful overnight stays.

The river Beaulieu nature reserve is home to the National Motor Museum. An ever-popular stop on any schools itinerary, reaching here involves close chart checking and use of the Almanac on board to navigate up river where withes mark the channel. Set into the wooded banks, Buckler’s Hard is a beautifully preserved 18th century village set on the riverbank along the way.

Set in the heart of the New Forest, the small town of Lymington has a charm of its own offering an interesting combination of shops from antiques and collectables to boutiques and bakeries. There is also a wide selection of restaurants to choose from. You have a choice of two good marinas, one close to the town and the other just 15 minutes’ walk away.

London

Using the expertise and facilities of our partner company, we can offer you the option to complete your Day Skipper Theory Shorebased and Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore Theory Shorebased in London.

With eight years experience in teaching both individuals and large groups, they are an enthusiastic and highly professional company who have invested quality time in staff training to make sure that tuition is both enjoyable and well structured. If you're based in London, this partnership offers you the ideal opportunity to learn across a number of evening courses or over weekends.

Courses are run on selected dates only so call the team to find out more.