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+44 1732 867 445
Mon-Fri: 0900 - 1730
Sat: 1000 - 1500

With sheltered water and straight-forward navigation, the Ionian flotilla in Greece is ideal for beginners who wish to start sailing their own yacht on flotilla. We can offer an instructor on board your flotilla yacht for 3 or 6 days to build your confidence as skipper of your own flotilla yacht. This is ideal for couples and families who would like to join in a flotilla experience but need some instruction. On successful completion of the course you will be able to skipper a yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew, practising your new sailing skills. This is not an RYA accredited course. If you would like to gain an RYA qualification then please see our RYA Courses.

These courses are great for families to learn to sail together but remember the instructor will not look after young children so one parent may only get to crew standard. This is also a good "refresher" course if you haven't skippered for a while. While parents refresh their skills, younger children can learn safety onboard and teenagers can become useful crew. You will have to allocate a cabin for the instructor.

Learn to sail on flotilla

  • Overview
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    Learn to Sail on Flotilla

    Overview

    • Learn from the experts to skipper your own yacht onboard our flotilla
    • Enjoy a holiday whilst gaining valuable new skills
    • Experience fantastic local food in traditional tavernas
    • Average summer temperatures of 26-30 degrees
    • Courses for all abilities
    • Older children can learn the ropes too
    • Perfect for families
  • 3 Day Refresher Course

    3 Day Refresher Course

    The 3-day refresher course is ideal if you already hold your RYA Day Skipper or ICC but are feeling a bit rusty since you last sailed a while ago and need a refresher before heading out on your own. This course will increase your confidence and cover basic navigation skills, sailing techniques, mooring, and anchoring. On successful completion of the course, you should feel comfortable skippering your own yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew.

    Suggested minimum pre-course experience: Previous experience on motoryachts or sailing yachts. RYA Day Skipper or ICC level.
    Price: £640/yacht

    Prices are for an instructor on board your yacht for 3 days. This cost is in addition to the flotilla cost. Please see Ionian flotilla page for more details. Food for the skipper is extra. (Subject to instructor availability. Not available in the high season July-August).

  • 6 Day Introduction to Sailing Course

    6 Day Introduction to Sailing Course

    The 6-day flotilla course is designed as an accessible and enjoyable introduction to sailing for families and friends to determine if the world of sailing is for you. The aim of the course is to take students with little or no experience to the level that they can skipper a yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew. This course will cover ropework, basic navigation skills, safety on board, sailing techniques, mooring and anchoring.

    This is not an RYA course but the experience gained should allow you to progress to the RYA Day Skipper Theory and Practical courses without further time on the water. Please speak with our sales consultants for more details.

    Suggested minimum pre-course experience: None, suitable for complete novices and anyone wanting to start sailing.
    Price: £1100/yacht

    Prices are for an instructor on board your yacht for 6 days. This cost is in addition to the flotilla cost. Please see Ionian flotilla page for more details. Food for the skipper is extra. (Subject to instructor availability).

"Just to say that we had a really good holiday in the Ionian sailing with Odyseuss Sailing flotilla. They were up to the usual high standard of boat, customer service - our friends that we went with were very impressed for their first time sailing. Hope to go again next year."

Ionian Flotilla 2019 - J.D.

Sailing Qualifications

To skipper a bareboat charter or flotilla yacht, you need to hold a practical sailing certificate equivalent to RYA Day Skipper Practical qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC). For charters in Greece, you must now have the ICC certificate. You must also be assisted by at least one competent crew member over the age of 18.

The port authorities in Greece are now insisting on one of the following practical certificates: RYA ICC (International Certificate of Competence), RYA Coastal, RYA Yachtmaster, ASA IPC (International Proficiency Certificate) or the IYT (International Yacht Training) Passport. If you hold an RYA Day Skipper or ASA104 it will no longer be accepted and you need to obtain either an ICC or IPC from the corresponding issuing body (RYA or ASA). If your RYA Coastal/Yachtmaster or ASA105/106 certificate is more than 12 years old and does not have a photo ID, then we would also strongly advise applying for an ICC or IPC. If you are a member of the RYA or ASA, you may qualify for a discount or free certificate, otherwise, you will have to pay. The approximate cost is £50. Please use this link - RYA application for the ICC or ASA application for the IPC.

For charters in Croatia, Malta and the Canaries, at least one member of the crew or the skipper will also need a VHF licence.

RYA qualifications can be obtained by RYA sailing schools in the UK or alternatively choose from one of our overseas centres in Gibraltar, Greece or Turkey.

For Seychelles, the local authorities require an ICC for the skipper of a bareboat or flotilla yacht charter.

For Caribbean and Tropical charters, formal qualifications are not compulsory, however, you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew. A brief sailing resume should be provided to outline your experience.

If you don't hold the relevant qualifications then why not add a skipper?

Sailing Levels

Level 1

Winds force 2-3 (4-11 Knots)combined with generally shorter distances. Good for beginner or intermediate sailors. Line-of-sight navigation but basic knowledge of charts and ability to plot your position required.

Level 2

Winds force 3-5 (7-21 Knots) with approximately 15-20nm per day. Intermediate experience required. Predominately line of sight navigation but an understanding of how to sail in open water.

Level 3

Winds force 4-6 (11-27 Knots) with mileage of approximately 20nm+ per day. Ideal for experienced skippers looking to venture out to new destinations. Day skipper standard but with experienced crew would be recommended.