Elite Sailing

I just returned from a very intense 5-day RYA Skipper course. Simply 'wow', and kudos to our instructor Will. A week full of practical and theoretical experience, inc navigation at night, engine check, etc. Would recommend to anyone looking for sailing courses.

I just got back of two weeks adventure sailing with Tonic. And it was beyond all my expectations !! After I have done the RYA courses (Up to Coastal skipper) it was now time to work on the miles and experience the real adventure sailing. I feel we have seen so many aspects of sailing which I really enjoyed. Skipper Will definitely made the difference. Let us sail the boat while making sure everyone felt comfortable and came up with the nicest idea’s that made the trip even more adventures. Beach bbq’s, fishing, hike at Jura and a bit of heavy weather sailing on the Irish Sea. I can definitely recommend Elite Sailing for her Adventure sailing program !! I'll come back

Recently attended an ICC certifying weekend with two friends with Elite. Elite were excellent. Frankly speaking, my friends and me were kind of going through the motions to get the ICC so as to charter in the Med. We are very experienced (though not on the water for a while) sailors so were expecting a boring weekend being told what we already know. It turned out to be quite the opposite! Adam our trainer was really switched on, he spotted we were experienced, so whilst holding a very safe experience he made it great fun. He focussed on ‘nudging’ on our weaker skills resulting in improved confidence a really great new skills. We all passed the ICC assessment with flying colours, but importantly these old dogs learnt new tricks. Would thoroughly recommend these guys for refresher training as is easy to fall into bad habits, as it turned out. Being able to really practise ferry gliding in a safe area, due to the nature on the Medway was in itself a reason to visit. We will be back for more.

Having flown in from Canada to take the Coastal Skipper course, I would recommend Elite Sailing to anyone wanting a first class Sailing experience. Our instructor, Nihan was simply wonderful; she had that rare ability to impart her knowledge of sailing to all of us whilst maintaining a totally professional and positive environment.

Excellent training is provided. The instructors are highly skilled and deliver the content in a way that is easy to understand and there is loads of hands-on practice too. I would recommend Elite sailing if you want to learn to sail in more challenging conditions where you really need to pay attention to the weather, time of day, tide conditions, depth of water, traffic etc. You are well taken care of, the vessel is stacked with food and if you have special dietary requirements they can accommodate. My only complaint is the communications prior to starting the course. I did the 5-day Day Skipper course and I found the sailing terminology quite difficult to grasp on day one and was told I would have known had I taken the Competent Crew course first (which is not required nor is it compulsory for you to progress to Day Skipper). I would have liked a checklist of the things I am expected to know prior to starting the course so that I can be more in line with the expectations. Overall, the experience was great and feel well equipped to skipper a sailing boat

I have always loved the idea of having a go at sailing, so I decided to do the RYA Competent Crew course to find out whether sailing and living aboard was for me. Elite seemed like a good choice for a sailing school, based on the reviews that I had read and being just a quick train journey out of London.I had such good fun on this course! I took to the Medway on a Jeanneau 389 with the Skipper, Steve, and three crew members who were attempting to get their RYA Day Skipper certifications. Each of them had more experience than me, having sailed (and raced) yachts and dinghies. Being the ‘greenest’ sailor on board, I was initially concerned that I would be overlooked or have too little to do, as the other three students might be required to do all of the heavy lifting. I was wrong! I was busy from the get-go and got a chance to observe others perform some relatively advanced maneuvers on the boat, like bringing it to a standstill in strong winds to complete the ‘man overboard’ exercise.Steve was a great instructor. He always provided detailed explanations when they were needed to help further my understanding. He also gave everyone sufficient autonomy on board the boat, which was appreciated because it meant that he allowed us to try for ourselves but still stepped in to provide us with information or to correct us. He would also question our decisions from time to time, not because they were wrong, in his own words, but to get us to think about them and consider possible alternatives. This was first-class teaching. It was good to know that we were always in safe hands with him on board too.Two things that I have taken away from the experience are: that I got so much from it. This was a first-hand opportunity to watch more experienced sailors plan passages and gauge the best courses from the tides, winds, obstacles and oncoming ships. Secondly, I learnt that Chatham, the Medway and that part of the North Sea is a great place to get your sea legs due to the many sandbanks, tide, changing weather fronts, and being quite busy with commercial shipping.I strongly recommend Elite to anyone considering progressing their RYA certification.

I recently completed my Day Skipper Practical sailing course with Elite Sailing and had a very positive experience. Our instructor Will was excellent at passing on his knowledge in a relaxed fashion which put all the crew at ease. Chatham is also incredibly easy to reach by frequent trains from London in less than an hour, so it's effectively on your doorstep. Many thanks to Will, Fred and his team. I'm looking forward to booking again soon with Elite to gain more experience and improve my sailing skills.

It's taken me a couple of weeks to sit down and write this review and I wanted to get it right, because I think that the 5-day RYA Day Skipper course has changed my life! I am totally hooked on sailing!Adam, our instructor, was just incredible - his love for sailing was infectious and I know that this brought the 5 strangers on the boat at the start of the week together in ways that no other course I've ever been on has.No time was wasted across the 5 days, every moment was an opportunity to learn something - whether that be manoeuvres in tight spaces within Chatham Marina, exiting and entering the lock, motoring or sailing, every single part added to my knowledge and challenged my thinking.After the first day's manoeuvres and sailing in the Medway, we sailed to Burnham-on-Crocuh. The three of us aboard doing Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper planned the route and decided timings etc. We were caught in a large low pressure system (no wind but torrential rain) right in the Thames Estuary so again we learned so much about the value of radar and what to do in low visibility.When the weather improved and the wind picked up slightly we sailed toward Burnham, spotting porpoises and seals along the way. We had missed our timing window so were having to tack along the Crouch against the tide but it was perfect for us to learn some real sailing in increasingly challenging conditions.We finally motored into Burnham Marina for a well earned rest.The following day we practised man over board, ferry gliding and other manoeuvres (some of us even had a chance to go for a swim - heaven!)The return to the Medway was a motor all the way back as the conditions were sublime, 27 degrees of strong sunshine and not a breath of wind. We joked that you could see every buoy to Calais as the water was so flat calm.We moored up at Queensborough to prepare for a night sail and we finally arrived in Chatham at midnight.There was an abundance of food aboard and we were very well looked after. The cabins were comfortable and every marina had good quality facilities.To say we were spoiled by the experience is an understatement, I'm not sure I could have enjoyed a week any more.I couldn't wait to get out on the water and I had the opportunity to crew 2 days later in Southend-on-Sea - my confidence and knowledge were evident (I think I knew more than the skipper!)I have not stopped looking at boats since I returned and cannot wait until I am sailing by own.I fully intend to do more training with Elite Sailing and will be asking for Adam every time!Photos courtesy of Juan (who had the best camera!)

Just completed my motor cruiser Day Skipper certificate with Greg Godden of Elite, it was comprehensive, informative, interesting and an absolute pleasure.Topics covered were Navigation, boat handling, Pilotage, MOB, Passage Planning to name but a few. Each was covered in detail as Greg’s knowledge was invaluable and put across in clear unambiguous language that was both informative and fun.Very profession outfit and would recommend them without hesitationThank you allCaptain Phil