Weekend Cruises

Home | Booking | Beginner Sailing | Racing | Sailing Breaks | Day Sailing
RYA Sailing School | Womens Sailing | Theory Courses
RYA Start Yachting | RYA Competent Crew | RYA Day Skipper
RYA Yachtmaster Coastal | RYA Yachtmaster Offshore

These weekends offer adventurous sailing for those wanting more experience.

If you are qualified from RYA Competent Crew level to RYA Yachtmaster and beyond, these cruises offer you an opportunity for exploring new places, mileage building and qualifying passages.

Be as involved as you like – you can gain skippering experience and take on the planning and navigation.

The final destinations for our longer cruises are of course weather dependent. If unsuitable then we head to alternative destinations. We always keep you fully informed and give you details a week before departure. Don't forget to bring your passport!

Easter Channel Hop 01-04 April 2010
We depart early on Good Friday, after Hot Cross Buns and a safety brief, and head out into the Channel for Cherbourg, aiming for supper in the wonderful old town.

After fresh croissants, pain au chocolat and coffee, there is time to explore Cherbourg including the colourful fresh produce market (where you can buy some goodies to take home!)

After an early dinner we head back overnight across the Channel, enjoying Easter Eggs en route, aiming to arrive back in Gosport by early afternoon on Easter Sunday.

May Day Alderney Adventure 30 April--03 May 2010
Join us on Friday evening, when you get to meet the rest of the crew before our sail to Braye, our base on Alderney.

We leave early on Saturday morning planning to enter Braye in time for dinner.

During Sunday you have a chance to explore Alderney on foot acessing some of the 50 miles of paths available. On Sunday evening we set sail overnight to the Solent aiming to be back in Gosport by early afternoon on Monday.

Exploring Chichester Harbour Weekend
26-28 March or 16-18 July 2010

Join us to explore this designated 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' by both sea and on foot.

We meet on Friday for an evening meal and introductions to fellow crew members.

On Saturday we sail to Chichester Harbour arriving mid to late afternoon spotting the prolific bird life as we sail into the Harbour.

We will moor either at Itchenor or close to Thorney Island to enable us to walk a good couple of miles to a local pub for an evening meal.

Those who are up for it can join us early on Sunday morning for a Sunday morning stomp around one of the picturesque circular walks before we head back to our marina in Gosport for tea and cake!

Chichester Harbour is renowned for its bird life and seals too. There is no better way to see all this wildlife than to combine your viewing gallery from the deck of your yacht and from walking the shoreline.

St Vaast La Hougue Sailing & Cycling Weekend 27-31 May 2010
The pretty Normandy Harbour of St Vaast -La-Hougue is the ideal base to explore the D Day beaches by bicycle.

For those who may not be interested in following the DDay trail, the town of St Vaast is charmingly French and Ile de Tatihou is definately worth a visit.

Join us on Friday evening for dinner and introductions, when you get to meet the rest of the crew.

We leave early on Saturday morning planning to enter St Vaast when the tide allows that evening!

During Sunday you have a chance to explore by bicycle or on foot more locally.

On Sunday evening after dinner, we set sail overnight to the Solent aiming to be back in Gosport by early afternoon on Monday.

Weymouth Sail and Seafood Weekend 10-13 June 2010
A fantastic oportunity to gain night hours and sea miles as we head west towards Weymouth, perhaps stopping at Poole or Lulworth Cove en route to Portland, site for the 2012 Olympic sailing events.

We plan to leave early on Friday morning passing the Needles as we head west for an overnight stop in Poole. Another early start on Saturday with breakfast en route, we plan to arrive late afternoon in Weymouth with time to swim or walk on historic Chesil Beach.

In the evening we walk beyond the Portland and Weymouth Sailing Academy to The Crab House Cafe on the edge of the Fleet Lagoon to sample their spectacular seafood.

Saturday morning provides time for a good stroll into the picturesque Harbour in Weymouth where we can sit and enjoy a leisurely coffee and watch the fishermen.

On late Saturday afternoon we begin our sail east overnight aiming to pass the Needles once more early on Monday morning, heading up the Solent and back into Gosport early afteroon.

Round the Island Race Weekend 17-20 June 2010
Come with us for one of the biggest and most exciting inshore sailing events in the UK when we join some 1800 other yachts for a thrilling race around the Isle of Wight.

This weekend comprises a day of training (including spinnaker) on the Friday before we head to Cowes in preparation for an early start on the Saturday. We can expect over 200 other yachts on our start line, which gets the adrenaline going early in the morning (we start around 6am).

We eat breakfast and lunch en route while crewing our yacht amonsgt the hundreds of others trying to make it past us. Seeing so many spinnakers behind us is a great thrill!

Enjoy a glass of champagne as we pass the finishing line and spend the evening in Cowes soaking up the atmosphere. On Sunday we head out for a sail in the Solent before returning to Gosport for mid afternoon tea and cake!

Osborne House Festival Weekend 23-25 July 2010
Join us on the Friday evening for a meal and a chance to meet your fellow crewmates. On the Saturday morning, following breakfast and a safety brief, we set sail into the Solent, eventually arriving at East Cowes marina in the mid/late afternoon.

From the marina at East Cowes it is a short walk to Osborne House, in a spectacular setting overlooking the Solent. Our picnic spot will already be laid out and waiting, all you need to bring is a drink or two (which we have time to buy enroute to Osborne House).

We spend the evening being entertained by Bournemouth Philharmonic Orchestra, who finish, of course, with Pomp and Circumstance (don’t forget your Union Jack flag!). The evening ends with a ‘bang’ – a spectacular firework display – before we wend our way back to the marina.

On the Sunday we set sail into the Solent again and arrive back at our berth in Gosport for mid/late afternoon.

Channel Cruise 27-30 August 2010
Join us on Friday evening for a drink and introductions. We plan to depart early on Saturday morning for Cherbourg or Alderney.

On Sunday we get to explore and stretch our legs before before sailing back across the Channel overnight, aiming to arrive back in Gosport by mid afternoon on Monday.

French Coast 7 day milebuilder/cruise 05-12 September 2010
The ultimate destination is the area around Brest on the Brittany coast (some 200 nautical miles from Gosport). This coastline provides some challenging sailing and some spectacular scenery.

What is included?
The cost of our cruises includes your accommodation on board your yacht, breakfasts, lunches and our now famous homemade cake. We tend to eat ashore in the evenings (apart from when we are night sailing) so that everyone can stretch their legs (this cost is not included).

Our yachts are vegetarian. Breakfasts and lunches will be warm, tasty and filling but will not contain meat! By eating ashore in the evening a non-vegetarian diet can be catered for.

The only additional cost is a proportion of mooring fees which are split between those aboard. These vary between nil- £5 per night depending on where we stay.

Upon booking you will receive your Joining Instructions which provide a suggested list of what to bring. Sailing waterproofs are an important item, whatever the time of year, as they keep you warm and dry. We have these for you to borrow, free of charge. You are likely to have most other items on the list and we encourage clients to travel light because of the limited storage room on board.

Your Joining Instructions will also detail where to find us. We sail from Royal Clarence Marina in Gosport which is easily accessed by road (it is 20 minutes from the M27 at Fareham) or by train to Portsmouth Harbour (from Waterloo).

We look forward to sailing with you!

Dates, availability and costs for 2010