Articles for beginners

If you need advice on starting sailing, read the frequently-asked questions and then begin with the first article in our list! We have a whole section on racing, for when you get more into the sport.

Starting sailing:

• No Excuses - breaking down the barriers that stop people getting afloat
• The Next Level - what it is like doing a training course
• Learn In The Sun - sailing tuition on holiday
• Get Learning - your options for learning and building up time on the water
• Get Your Kids Sailing - how to start children sailing, without risking putting them off
• Where To Sail - choosing a sailing club
• Boat Buying - advice on buying secondhand and new
• There are two free digital magazines about sailing you can read too

Learn to sail at your computer:

• Whether you plan to attend a training course or not, if you want to learn to sail a dinghy then being able to watch training videos streamed directly to your PC is a new, convenient and effective way to achieve this. You can learn all the theory required before going out on the water and then watch them again should you need a refresher at a later date. Find out more at www.sailaboat.tv

Follow Susan's first steps:

• First sail in a new boat - For an adult that has completed an initial training course, how easy is it to buy your first boat and get afloat? We follow the experiences of Susan as she sets sail in her new single-hander and find out from the newcomer’s perspective what’s great, easy, difficult and most fun about getting your own boat

Accessible sailing:

• No Barriers - sailing for the older generation and the disabled
• See also our page of information about disabled sailing

Racing:

• Get Racing - how to choose a boat for getting started on the race track
• The Sailing Race - a step-by-step guide to the essential elements of the sailing race
• Get Faster - how to improve your skills on the racecourse
• Go Cat Sailing - try a catamaran and enjoy breath-taking speed
• Start Keelboat Racing - learning to sail larger, faster, and more stable keelboats or sportboats
• Start Yacht Racing - there are lots of roles for newcomers to play on a yacht or keelboat
• Start Offshore Racing - a great way to set yourself a new sailing challenge

Other watersports:

• Windsurfing - why it could be for you
• There are two free digital magazines about windsurfing you can read too