FAQ About RYA Sailing Courses For Women, Caribbean, UK and Atlantic Ocean Sailing
Booking Information
Booking Form
Terms and Conditions
How To Find Us - Shepard's Wharf
What to Bring
UK Holiday Information Guide
Canaries Holiday Information Guide
Caribbean Holiday Information Guide
FAQ's
Why Do You Only Sail With Girls?
Do I Need Sailing Experience?
Who Can Come With Me?
What Does The Boat Look Like?
Do I Need To Be Fit?
What Type Of People Come On Your Holidays?
Which Holiday Should I Go For?
How Far In Advance Should I Book?
Do The Boats Come With Linen?
What Safety Equipment Do You Have?
What Equipment Should I Bring?
I'm Still A Little Confused, What Should I Do?
Will You Tailor-Make A Holiday For Me?
What Is Included In The Price?
Who Will Be In Charge Of The Yacht?
Breakfasts And Lunches
Transfers To The Yacht
Smoking Policy
Wet Weather Gear
Why Do You Only Sail With Girls?
Oh, how we love boys, we just don't want to sail with them!! OK, maybe we do, but first, we want to learn in our own gentle way. With nice cups of tea, clean smelling heads, calmness and no shouting!
We have some really great fun aboard because we are just girls together - all ages are mixed together from 16 to 76 (and aiming higher!!) all with a desire to learn and just have some fun aboard. We like to do things well, properly and be able to ask questions. We are generally not as strong as you guys so when we all race together, we don't get to do the jobs the boys can do because they are physically stronger. So our aim is to enble you to learn more in a "hands on" fashion, so when you do go sailing with the guys, we are much better! Girlsforsail is all about learning technique - that's one of the reasons why the best solo RTW sailors are women - they are excellent at managing their tools. It's a fact that if you learn how to use the equipment available on the yacht properly, you will be able to be very competitive. Oh, and if we make mistakes (which is part of learning), that's cool too! Girls - don't worry if your friends don't want to learn with you, lots our ladies come on their own, you'll be just fine with us, it's a great way to make new friends!
Check out our About Us for more information...
Do I Need Sailing Experience?
No! - We have opportunities for those with no experience to enjoy sailing - and to learn about the sport without pressure. Our boats have a 'no shouting' policy and our coaching style is female oriented to guide beginners through the basics. Certain events suggest previous knowledge, but this is not essential and we will take you through that when you enquire.
Who Can Come With Me?
Any female will enjoy every aspect of a girlsforsail holiday. On our overseas regatta holidays we recommend that you are over 18 because it balances the age group in the team, but really anyone who is big enough to use a winch and see over the wheel will enjoy one of our events, especially the courses. We have no maximum age, but this is a physical holiday and a basic level of health is required. We are proud to say that we have encouraged ladies who spring around the yacht at just under 70. Helen Tew sailed across the Atlantic on her own in her 80's so why should age stop anyone doing anything! Go girls!!
What Does The Boat Look Like?
One of our favourite yachts is our Elan 37, Diamonds Are Forever! She's a comfortable cruiser/racer and has cosy berths, a galley and heads (bathroom!) - this is her internal layout
Do I Need To Be Fit?
Classify fit! This is not an athletic holiday. However, there are physical demands and so a basic level of fitness does make the experience more enjoyable. Limitations focus more on height and weight which we will explain further when you contact us. However, all persons taking part in girlsforsail events should be in good health and have a reasonable basic level of fitness. Please just let us no if you are unable to swim less than 25 metres, although being unable to swim should not deter you from sailing....we will keep you on the yacht and out of the water!
What Type Of People Come On Your Holidays?
Women from all walks of life have travelled with us, including business women looking for a challenge and housewives looking to escape their husbands! Some are quite competitive, others simply want to experience the beauty of the ocean and the calm of the outdoors. All of them want an opportunity to learn about something we love in a relaxed, calm & safe manner.
Which Holiday Should I Go For?
Give us a chance to discuss your experience, your interests and your budget and we will be happy to recommend a way to enjoy sailing without any hassle. See our guide to the right event in our 'about' section for more information.
How Far In Advance Should I Book?
The more time you give yourself, the more choice you will have. If you are thinking of making a trip and are not sure - just call us and we will be happy to advise you. Regatta places and the ARC/Fastnet are always limited so book these well in advance.
Do The Boats Come With Linen?
That depends on the event. We tend to ask the individuals to bring their own sleeping bags, liners and towels etc so that you are individually comfortable and warm. The details are in the event literature, by event.
What Safety Equipment Do You Have?
The yachts are fully equipped with all regulation safety aids as laid out by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the marine governing body of the country we are sailing in. They include lifejackets, safety harness, first aid kits, flares, life rafts, VHF radios, GPS and full navigational equipment. Our skippers are all fully RYA qualified and experienced in the use of all safety equipment - your safety is always our first priority.
What Equipment Should I Bring?
When you confirm your booking, we will provide you with a list of recommended equipment for your specific trip. However, consistently we advise that you bring a pair of deck shoes and wet weather gear, if you have it. If not, wet weather gear is available for hire at (£5 per day per set: please reserve when you book your holiday). Layers of clothing are best, so no need to go out and spend lots of money. We recommend a high factor water based sun cream during the summer events to ensure protection against the sun is maximised. Otherwise, little else is needed. If in doubt, please take a look at the information sent to you when you book.
I'm Still A Little Confused, What Should I Do?
Please contact us with any queries you have, however trivial you may think them. We are here to be as informative as we can and to provide you with as much detail as you feel you need.
Will You Tailor-Make A Holiday For Me?
Yes, if physically possible!! If you have a group of people who want to do something special together then give us a call. We can organise your holiday so that you do exactly what you want, when and where you want. If you would prefer a long weekend to a week, if you want a particular combination of sports that we don't offer in the brochure, or if you want to travel outside our normal season dates - please call us. All our resorts have far more to offer than we can possibly detail in the brochure. Call us with your ideas and we'll price them up for you.
What Is Included In The Price?
At girlsforsail we know that you are all busy ladies and we aim to ensure that everything you need is included in the price of the sailing holiday/course that you choose. You should be able to just pack n go!! Most of the events are half board and some are Full board.
Who Will Be In Charge Of The Yacht?
On all events we will provide a quality yacht that is exclusively for you, along with the right amount of crew for the event selected which will always include a professional skipper and skipper/mate if required.
Breakfasts And Lunches
Please see individual event details for notes about catering aboard.
Evening meals will be taken ashore (if that is possible!!...there are not many good restaurants mid Atlantic!). We do provide some evening meals on our RYA sailing courses to enable night sailing practise on overnight stops on mooring buoys etc. On a 5 day course there will be 3/4 meals taken aboard the yacht.
On cruising/racing events, evening meals will be taken ashore. We do this because our experience has shown that the day's events can be quite intense with lots of exhilarating racing and general exertion during the day!!! It's the end to a perfect day to chill out with a cocktail in a lovely bar/restaurant/local pub with some quality food and local entertainment, (with lots of space!).
Transfers To The Yacht
All our prices are for a sailing holiday that starts from a marina so no flights are included.
On all the events in the UK it is very easy to get to the location by train car or even ferry!! The price given is a price that is from the marina.
If flights are required to the destination, the price of the flight is not included. If this is not the case, please discuss the transfer options at the time of your booking.
Smoking Policy
We do understand that people smoke, however it isn't usually accepted on yachts. Our policy with smoking is under no circumstance can you smoke down below. When smoking on deck your skipper/instructor will advise you on the best place to sit whilst having a cigarette. Please try to be aware of your other crew members and realise that they may not smoke and wind awareness, also be careful of dropping hot ash on to the deck or sails if we find burn holes on sails we will have to come to an agreement. If you have any queries whilst on the boat about smoking do ask your skipper and they will place you in the best position.
Wet Weather Gear
We ask you to fill out your booking form with whether or not you require wet weather gear previous to your course so we can make sure it is all organised for your arrival. This means you have reserved wet weather gear for the duration of your trip for £10 per day. This is due to the admin that goes into making sure your wet weather gear is the right size and ready for your arrival on the boat, it also means that it is not available to any one else but you, and we cannot maintain it whilst it is out with you. If we have to interrupt a session to get you wet weather gear there will be a £50 flat fee. If you do not accept this please ensure you provide your own.