Skills and Experience Weekend
Duration: 2 days
Venue: Cowes
Price: £249 pp
The perfect opportunity work on your sailing skills with the help of our instructor
Venue: Gran Canaria
Price from: £449 per person
Duration: 5 Days
Girls For Sail Verdict
A wonderful week of Autumnal sunshine at a time when the Xmas countdown begins in earnest - get away from it all and sail to some lively marinas and some beautiful old ports where sleeping under the stars is amazing! A great value unique get away.
What the Girls Had to Say
"A hilarious adventure in some cute little ports - I learnt loads about trimming sails and also improved my Spanish! " - Sue 2013
Starts: Flexible - Depends on your flight Las Palmas Gran Canaria- Meullo Deportivo
Finishes: Ends 10am Day 6
About The Event
We sail every day spending most of the week pottering around the Island of after meeting in Las Palmas Gran Canarias. The itinerary is very relaxed but the focus will be on learning as much as you can or want to about yachting. Undertake the 5 day syllabus for Competent Crew or Day Skipper whilst taking the yacht around so you can explore the older areas of this very popular British winter sun destination as very few people do - on your own yacht! We do our best to show you the sights of the Island from the sea. On this week, use the RYA qualified Instructor to do whatever you want - sail as much or as little as you like! Be the skipper on one day and laze on deck for the other days! It's up to you...
Turn the week into a well needed break from work or a week of pushing your sailing skills as much as you can! The beauty with us is that it's your choice.
About Gran Canaria/Canaries
Gran Canaria is the home of the start of the ARC race - a rally and race across the Atlantic Ocean to St. Lucia.
Food and wine is such a pleasure here - fantastic local robust reds accompanying great tapas with great seafood in abundance with great meats and cheeses...and those famous wrinkly potatoes! And what about some Sangria!!
Fly to Gran Canaria. Meet in Gran Canaria at Meulle Deportivo Las Palmas Marina
If you are feling adventurous, you can sail the 10-12 hours to Tenerife!Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the most of any Canary Islands. Tenerife hosts one of the world's largest carnivals.
The boat
We mostly coach on yachts of between 37 and 41ft. Our yachts have been specifically chosen as they are easy to handle, great for learning! There is no denying us girls sometimes don't have the physical strength of the boys but with our technical ability and a well-chosen yacht we can do just as well. You will usually find yourself aboard an Élan 37, Jeanneau 37 or a Beneteau 40.7. All of your time will be spent living as crew-mates on your yacht. Most of the yachts have 9/10 berths with 3 cabins and a saloon so the boats will normally have 2 persons in each cabin i.e. 6 - this is always the case for an RYA course, MAX 6 persons on-board. On some events e.g. races we use the saloon which can sleep an additional 2-4 person.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 Welcome to Gran Canaria!!! You'll be given a very warm welcome by your girlsforsail skipper on arrival at your lovely yacht in Meulle Deportivo Las Palmas Marina
After your bags have been stowed below deck, sit back and relax with a cold drink whilst your skipper takes you through the boat and a safety briefing. Then it's time to have a wonder around the city of 2 halves, the old town in the south with its cobbled streets and white washed houses, coupled with the north where the lively shops and open air cafes lead right up to the wide sandy beach to find somewhere to eat that evening. It's really cosmopolitan. Start to unwind and let the Spanish ambience remind you that you are now, finally on holiday!
Day 2 After a leisurely breakfast, your skipper will ensure you have all received an initial safety briefing. Then it's time to prepare the yacht for your first day on the journey around these beautiful islands. After a leisurely morning, we round up the crew do a spot of food shopping and you will set off on a tranquil sail around to Punta Sardinia, a small fishing town on the North West side of Gran Canaria. You will enjoy eating onboard at anchor next to some of the prettiest multicoloured fishing boats. This night is very quaint and restful - you can relax now - it really is peaceful. Decide what to do tomorrow!
Day 3 After enjoying a wonderful breakfast, practicing your knots, it's time to set sail for some more local ports in Gran Canaria OR depart early for the island of Tenerife. Take the time perhaps to get to grips with the sailing handbook and passage planning. ...up to you girls!! All part of the experience! We head to the Capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz since the 19th century, the harbour is the hub of this city. And Marina Santa Cruz is close to the monumental square, Plaza do Espana, where a lift can take you to the top of the monument to the Spanish civil war.
Day 4&5 We sail to a port or 2 in Tenerife and then the passage back to Gran canaria - all depends on what you and the crew find appealing. The distance between the islands does mean that there is a 10 hour sail on 2 of the days! Hopefully you will enjoy sailing and thats why you are with us - out in the fresh air wind flowing through your hair - marvellous. On the last night we hope you have a wonderful meal and some drinks looking very tanned now you have been on your yacht for a good few days!
Final Day - We depart the yacht at Gran Canaria Las Palmas. Thank you ladies hope you had a great week off :)
Experience required
As usual NONE!!! Just a smile :)
We use this amazing cruise to help all our lovely ARC ladies (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) to get some hard practice in before the adventure of a lifetime. The Canary Islands are a fantastic place to sail with challenging wind funnels and changing weather with also beautiful beaches. The warm Canaries sunshine makes November a warm month instead of starting your winter prep in the cold UK Solent!
We will focus on sailing downwind with safety techniques, how to rig a preventer and sail with a pole downwind...and of course a night sail or 2, just to be sure!
We start from Las Palmas, and cruise around practiscing all the techniques you'll be using on the ARC.
What's included?
- Fully coded yacht with safety equipment
- Fully qualified RYA skipper
- All safety equipment
- Accommodation on board
- Food starter pack
- Diesel, water, electricity
- FUN, FUN, FUN!!
What's excluded?
- Transport to and from meeting points
- Flights
- Food - contribution to kitty
- Alcoholic drinks and evening meals
- Mooring fees
- Departure taxes/customs entries per person
- Any clothing
- Accommodation ashore
Why choose Girls for Sail?
- First of all we want to give you some freedom, we want you to feel absolutely able to do anything onboard, so we will greet you, make you feel welcome, confident and safe, and of course you won't have anyone rushing you! You can learn at your own pace with our skippers and feel the benefit of this in your handling of our yacht!
- We pride ourselves on our levels of tuition. There's no such thing as a 'silly' question! There's no shouting onboard and as it's also your holiday, we want you to have fun and go home relaxed and satisfied with your time here! Not to mention you get to meet new lifelong friends!
Our values are simple: Encourage, Support, Challenge and Respect!
How to book?
Click on the link below to view available dates - or if you have any questions please feel free to get in touch with us!