Sail Training School

By Richard Proctor

In the United Kingdom, there is no mandatory requirement for people to have any type of qualification to take a leisure craft to sea for private use. If the owner insures the craft then there may be restrictions that arise in the 'small print' and indeed, the premiums that are paid may be higher but in reality its the owner's responsibility. Fortunately many boat owners wish to take care of their prized possession and the crew/passengers onboard and many will take marine training courses. However, it is not uncommon to hear and read of incidents where risks have been taken and where people have been foolhardy.

There is as an example, the recent story we heard of a man who purchased a motor cruiser blindly on the web and then decided to take it back by sea from the Medway to the Solent. In principle, not a hard trip but this particular person was only relying on a basic road map and became confused when they first saw the Isle Of Sheppey. Thinking that the North Kent Coast was actually France, they started to circumnavigate Sheppey thinking that they were further round the Southeast England Coast and were heading back towards the Solent. Also, plans were poor and they soon ran out of fuel. Upon rescue, it was soon discovered that they were completely under qualified to handle the Boat and also the journey. However, they could not be stopped from having another go and rumour has it that the journey was continued again. On account of no further news, we are to assume that it was successful.

When on a family holiday some many years ago, we were engaged by a couple whilst waiting in Studland to cross the Channel. Having made it clear that they had not crossed before we were happy to remain in contact for the following crossing. They surprisingly slotted into our course and remained astern for the whole trip. We had a very quick crossing and decided to continue beyond Alderney to Guernsey. Once moored up, they were quick to comment upon looking forward to sailing down to Guernsey later! Clearly they had followed our passage and made no attempt to make their own passage.

There are of course many examples of the opposite whereby some of our more well known yachting and boating celebrities have travelled far and wide with little or no formal training. However, these are in the minority and in reality, if you are lucky enough, experience can be just as useful as formal training. For the vast majority of us, such experiences are not possible.

There are many places which offer a wide variety of training . In the United Kingdom the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the formal body which oversees Sailing and Boating schools and their courses.

With the New Year comes new ideas and in this regard the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) is to launch a new training course. This is an online entry level course called 'Essential Navigation and Seamanship'. This would be an ideal course for anybody who is thinking of getting afloat or perhaps somebody who has had a go and now feels the need to get some proper training.

Anglia Sea Ventures are authorised to distribute and support this course within the local East Anglia region. Roger Gross from Anglia Sea Ventures has said that the course will be very popular to sailors, motor boaters, divers and anglers alike. A fun and interactive way of learning a full range of essential skills to get people started on the water, with an easy and flexible approach enabling learning where and when it suits!

Subject areas covered include-

Charts,publications and terms. Navigation. Anchoring. Electronic navigation. Weather forecasts. Passage planning. Buoyage. Safety. Tides. Rules of the road. Pilotage.

Online assistance from an instructor will be available.

Indeed perhaps the more experienced amongst us may also benefit from a refresher Sailing School type course. The out of season January start date and online basis may prove to be ideal. With a wide breadth of experience, Anglia Sea Ventures are proud to be supporting this new course and can only relate strongly to the importance of training.

Anglia Sea Ventures are like many of their kind and have been providing formalised these typesof training courses for many years.

There is a full range of courses available at this Sailing School. RYA Sail and Powerboat training courses, day sail, gift experiences, yacht charter and yacht racing. Check out the Sailing School website at www.angliaseaventures.com Tel: 01473 210473.

Adventure days include powerboat & sailing days, mini cruise and extended cruises. If you are looking for that slightly unusual gift then Anglia Sea Ventures have a selection of Gift Vouchers to suit. For the eager racers, plans are already in place for the J.P Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race 2011 where you can not only enjoy the race itself but also the inevitable social scene of the event. Details on line.

For the more experienced, Anglia Sea Ventures are starting a new course for those that want to use their Cruising Chutes or Gennakers more. Helping people unravel the mystique and skills associated with these sails and endeavouring to give skippers and crew more confidence in their handling. How many times have you dusted off these sails?

Thinking of upgrading to a new boat, something different and larger or perhaps just fancy a change, then may be a charter might help. Anglia Sea Ventures have bareboat, skippered and corporate charter packages.

The East Anglia Coast of England offers brilliant sailing grounds. Above average temperatures and below average rainfall combine well and result in excellent sailing, fantastic scenery and a great company. All this to ensure you will have a fantastic holiday and experience to remember.

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