George Burton, our Principal, mixing in Royal circles…

He attended a Christmas party In London for the Not Forgotten Association. This is a unique national tri-service charity which provides entertainment, leisure and recreation for the serving wounded, injured or sick and for ex-service men and women with disabilities. At the event he had the opportunity to meet Princess Anne, who has a keen interest in sailing. She keeps her yacht in a small harbour near where we used to live on the west coast of Scotland.

They discussed sailing, fish farms and what it is like to live in Greece with its present problems. She was very down to earth and interesting to talk to. He says you only have to say ‘Mam’ or ‘Your Royal Highness’ once then you can talk normally.

I don’t know exactly what he’s said when this photo was taken as she looks a little alarmed

Our grand-daughter, Emilia Wright, was born in Cambridge on Sunday 3 February. She is absolutely perfect and we’re delighted with her. To celebrate her birth, we’re giving away a bottle of champagne to the next five people who book with us (one lucky person has already won a bottle for booking a powerboat course in May).

Your champagne will be waiting on ice for you as an additional treat when you arrive on Aegina.

You will qualify whether you book an RYA sailing course, a place on our May rally, a powerboat course, or a bareboat charter. All you need do is to make your booking and pay your deposit. We’ll announce the winners as they book and hopefully get some photos of them sipping bubbly in the sun later in the year.

Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll send you full details and prices. Send your enquiry using the link below and you may have a champagne start to your sailing course or holiday.

Click here to send details of your enquiry

Here is a little video to send you our best wishes for 2013. Click on the arrow to see our greetings. We hope to see you again next year!

Do you get a buzz from a little competition when you are sailing? Do you enjoy the company of like-minded people in the evening? Come and sail with us in May on our Fun Rally around Aegina and the Saronic Gulf.

Aegean Sailing School plans what we hope will be a perfect blend of off-shore and on-shore events, with something for all the crew. The emphasis will be on fun and learning. This rally is designed for those who are less experienced sailors or new to racing. It’s not principally for hardened racing skippers – you know the type who won’t let you bring sufficient luggage on board in case it adds to the weight of the boat!

If you want to start racing in an enjoyable way, or would simply like the fun of sailing in pleasant company, our Fun Rally is for you.

OUTLINE RALLY PROGRAMME

The programme details are still being developed but this will give you an idea of what we plan:

SATURDAY 18 MAY: Crews arrive at Kalamaki Marina, near Athens in the afternoon. Your yacht will be ready to board between 2 – 4 pm. We’ll assist with provisioning and giving a full briefing for all the crews. In the evening there will be a Welcome Party and you’ll get some racing tips from our Chief Instructor, Mark Cooper, an experienced racing skipper.

SUNDAY 19 MAY: Start approximately 10:30am. Initial race to Perdika on the island of Aegina. Optional tour of the island and visit to Temple of Aphaia.

MONDAY 20 MAY: Perdika to Mandrakia/Ermioni. Cocktail party and on-shore competitions.

TUESDAY 21 MAY: Round the buoys’ competition. Evening barbecue party with competitions on Dhokos island, a pretty, uninhabited island in the middle of the Hydra Channel.

WEDNESDAY 22 MAY: Race Dhokos to Poros. On-shore competitions.

THURSDAY 23 MAY: Poros to Aegina Town. Rally meal and prize-giving ceremony.

FRIDAY 24 MAY: Free sailing back to Kalamaki Marina.

SATURDAY 25 MAY: Crews depart 09:30.

In addition to the sailing races, we’ll have competitions in Med-mooring, knot-tying, dinghy rowing, fancy dress, swimming and cookery. So, even if you don’t win any of the races, there’s still a chance to win a prize!

YACHTS

You can enter any yacht of your choice in this event and we will operate a handicap system to make the racing fair. Athenian Yachting, the Jeanneau dealer for Greece, is our main partner for yacht charter for this event. They have six Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43 yachts on hold for us, including two with deck saloon. We believe that these will be a very popular choice as they offer an economic way to participate in the rally. The yachts have a convertible table in the saloon so your crew could be up to 10 people if you wish. With a sail area of 92m² they offer a good balance between speed and comfort and excellent value.

For those who want a bigger or newer yacht we propose a brand new SO 469 or how about a 5-cabin Sun Odyssey 50 or 53? Prices for 7 different Jeannaeu yachts are below.

RALLY COSTS

The total cost of the rally will be comprised of yacht charter, a rally entry fee per boat, and a fee per head for each person on board.

Yachts Chartered through Us

We can arrange yacht charter for your group through Athenian Yachting who have given us special prices for the boats below. We can source other yachts so, if you don’t see anything you would like, please let me know your requirements and I will see what I can find for you.

All prices include linen & towels and end cleaning. Athenian yachts have the option of a non-refundable security deposit of 200€, which we recommend for this event. Alternatively you can pay a refundable security deposit of 1500-2000€ depending upon size of yacht.

These prices include the rally entry fee, which covers all the associated costs, including races, prizes, race boat and safety boat and mooring dues. See below for full details of what is included.

• Sun Odyssey 43, 2001-2003, 4 cabins/2 heads. 2800€
• Sun Odyssey 409, 2011, 3 cabins/2 heads. 3200€
• Sun Odyssey 439, 2012, 4 cabins/2 heads. 3600€
• Sun Odyssey 44i, 2010, 4 cabins/2 heads 3650€
• Sun Odyssey 469, 2013, 4 cabins/4 heads. 4450€
• Sun Odyssey 509, 2012. 5 cabins/3 heads. 4950€
• Sun Odyssey 53, 2011-12, 5 cabins/3 heads + skipper’s cabin/head. 5700€

Layouts of Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43 & Sun Odyssey 53

Participants Fee

We’ll make an additional charge of 120€ per head to cover the social events and evening meals organised by us, such as the Welcome party on the first night, the Cocktail party mid-week, and the final evening meal and prize-giving. Each person who participates will also get a T-shirt and small commemorative gift. As yachts of a similar size could have different numbers of crew we thought this was the fairest way to handle this.

So, for example, for four people on a SO43 with a cabin each the price would be 820€ per person. For 10 people sharing 4 cabins and the saloon, the price would be just 400€ per person! Four individuals on a SO44i would pay 1022€ each to sail on a 2010 yacht.

Rally Entry Fee for Yachts Not Chartered through Us

You are welcome to enter the Rally with any yacht. The Entry Fee is based on yacht size and covers race & social event organization, mooring dues, Rally administration, the provision of safety boat and judges, medals and prizes etc. IF YOU CHARTER A YACHT THROUGH US THE ENTRY FEE IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICES LISTED

• Under 35 ft: 700€
• 35-39.5ft: 1000€
• 40-45.5 ft: 1300€
• 46ft and over: 1600€

INDIVIDUAL PLACES

We have a few places for those who would like to participate in the rally but who do not have other people to sail with. We may also be able to find additional crew for any groups who would like some extra hands on board. We’ll post more on this option in the New Year but let me know if you are interested and you’ll be the first to get details.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE RALLY PRICE

• Mooring dues at ports used during rally. We’ll take care of all official paperwork that’s required.
• Welcome party on Saturday night.
• Cocktail party and barbeque during the week.
• Rally Prize-giving meal (includes house wine / soft drinks – additional drinks to be paid for by each yacht)
• Competitions and races.
• Racing rules information.
• Race tips from experienced racing RYA Yachtmaster Instructor.
• Safety boat /race officials boat.
• Overall Winners’ Cup and prizes for competitions.
• Assistance with travel and visas if required.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• Fuel, water, electricity.
• Security deposit for yacht charter.
• Food and drinks during the day.
• Evening meals for

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

• Professional Skipper: 160€ per day
• Airport transfers: approx. 50€ each way for taxi transfer for up to 4 people with English speaking driver. We can arrange minibus transfer for larger groups.

HOW TO ENTER THE RALLY

Contact us as soon as possible to reserve one of the rally yachts. We have them on hold for a limited period of time so please let us know quickly if you want to participate. We’ll send you full details and can put a yacht on hold for you while you arrange your crew. You’ll need to pay a deposit of between 750 – 1200€, depending upon the size of yacht reserved.

The balance for the yacht charter and rally entry fee will be due by 19 April and the individual entrants fees can also be paid then or in cash upon arrival.

It’s going to be a fun event so we hope you can join us!

Contact us for more details and to reserve your yacht/s.

Learning to sail is a great way to meet new people and to explore the Saronic Gulf. Why not join us on one or more of our winter weekend courses and you’ll be all ready to use your new skills next Spring?

School yacht sailing back to Aegina

Our weekend courses run between November and March. The sailing courses will be on one of our main teaching yachts, either a Sun Odyssey 45.2 or a Bavaria 44 and we can take up to five students on each weekend. Powerboat courses are on our fast 6.5m RIB with a maximum of three students per course.

Each practical course will start and end at our base on Aegina. The sailing courses are ‘live-aboard’ courses so you’ll sail to another port and sleep on board that night, eating out a local taverna with your crew-mates. The destinations will vary but will include Poros, Vathi, Epidavros and Korfos. Powerboat courses include one night in a hotel in Aegina.

WHICH COURSES CAN YOU DO?

Sailing

If you are a complete beginner you can take the RYA Start Yachting course over a single weekend. This is a taster to see if you enjoy sailing and you can follow it with further tuition if you decide it’s for you.

Over three weekends you can complete an RYA Competent Crew course which teaches you all you need to be a competent member of the crew of a cruising yacht. If you have taken Start Yachting then two more weekends will qualify you as a Competent Crew.

Those who want to learn to skipper a yacht can take an RYA Day Skipper course over three weekends. If you successfully pass the course you’ll receive an internationally recognised certificate that you can use to bareboat charter a yacht with your friends and family.

Before taking a Day Skipper course you’ll need either to have completed the RYA Competent Crew course or have equivalent experience. You’ll also need sufficient theoretical knowledge, and you can take the RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship (ENS) course either online or over a weekend in order to get this.

Powerboating

We’re also running RYA Powerboat II courses over two weekends. We can take a maximum of three people on this two day course, and the price includes accommodation in a hotel for Saturday night.

Details of the dates and our special prices for these weekends are below. Please email us if you have any questions or want to book on particular dates.

DATES

You can choose from the following weekends:

• 17-18 November – weekend practical sailing course
• 01 -02 December – weekend practical sailing course
• 08-09 December – weekend practical sailing course
• 15-16 December – weekend practical sailing course / Powerboat II course
• 05-06 January – ENS theory course (we may also run a practical course)
• 19-20 January – weekend practical sailing course
• 02-03 February- weekend practical sailing course
• 09-10 February – weekend practical sailing course
• 16-17 February – weekend practical sailing course/ Powerboat II cours
• 02-03 March – ENS theory course (we may also run a practical course)
• 16-17 March – weekend practical sailing course
• Dates beyond this will be announced in the New Year.

PRICES

We’re making a special offer on these weekend courses to encourage you to attend.

RYA Start Yachting or one weekend at any level:
Normal price 350€ – special winter weekend price: 250€ per person

RYA Powerboat II course:
Normal price 325€ per person + hotel – special winter weekend price: 300€ per person including hotel

Additional Weekends: 220€ per person

RYA Competent Crew / RYA Day Skipper:
Normal price 750€ for 5 days – special winter price for 3 weekends: 650€ per person (paid in full in advance of all 3 weekends)

These prices are for a cabin to yourself; we don’t expect you to share with someone you don’t know. However, if you are coming with a close friend or partner we can offer you a further discount of 10% for two people sharing a cabin so a couple or two friends can get a weekend’s Start Yachting for just 225€ each and a full Competent Crew or Day Skipper course for just 585€ each! (two people can do different courses on the same yacht)

Our prices include everything except getting to us and evening meals. We provide linen and towels, waterproof clothing, RYA course books & certificates, food for lunches and Sunday breakfast, and the price includes all yacht expenses and taxes. You can pay by bank transfer, credit or debit card.

HOW MANY PEOPLE?

We will need a minimum of two people to run each course and we take a maximum of five on sailing courses and three on Powerboat courses. Don’t worry if you are coming alone – lots of people sail with us by themselves and it’s a great way to meet people and have an enjoyable social time as well as learning a new skill.

Book now by emailing info@aegeansailingschool.com or calling our Aegina office on 22970 32265

Autumn in Greece is usually a lovely time to sail. We’ve had a real heat wave during September with daytime temperatures of over 30 degrees. Many people are still swimming every day in the blue sea. We can’t promise this will last but October usually has plenty of pleasant weather to offer visitors – it will certainly be warmer than in northern Europe!

If you’re tempted by a late sailing holiday we have some places available. You can either take one of our RYA recognised sailing courses or come just to get more experience without taking a course.

We have very special offers of up to 40% off our normal prices for the time of year. You’ll sail on our big boats with our highly skilled and experienced instructors … but at a much reduced price for the end of season.

Here’s what we have on special offer:

5-day RYA Competent Crew or RYA Day Skipper Practical
Times: 18:30 Sunday to 17:30 Friday – you may stay on board on the final night
Dates available: 7 and 21 October – 3 places available each week.
Special Prices: 510€ / £425 per person sharing a cabin or 595€ / £495 for single occupancy. This price includes everything except getting to us and evening meals.

7-day RYA Essential Navigation theory course + RYA Day Skipper Practical
Times: 09:00 Saturday to 17:30 Friday
Dates available: 6, and 20 October – 3 places, 13 October – last place avaiable!
Special Prices: 620€ / £516 per person sharing or 700€ / £580 for single occupancy
The price includes one night in a hotel then accommodation on board the yacht during the practical, and everything you need apart from getting to us and evening meals. If you arrive on Friday we can arrange an additional night in the hotel for just 35 euro.

12-day package: RYA Competent Crew, RYA Essential Navigation, & RYA Day Skipper
This package has been one of our most popular this year. It’s especially suited to those who have done a little sailing and who want to gain the skills to skipper a yacht themselves.
Times:18:30 Sunday to 17:30 Friday of the following week
Dates available: 7 & 14 October – 1 place, 21 October – 3 places
Special Prices: 1150€ / £958 per person sharing or 1340€ / £1116 for single occupancy
The price includes accommodation on board the yacht during the practical elements and in a hotel for the theory part, and everything you need apart from getting to us and evening meals.

AUTUMN MILEBUILDER TO THE CYCLADES 13-20 OCTOBER
The yacht is now full but we may put on a second boat if enough crew want to come. We have two people already interested so contact me immediately if you want to go on this trip so we can arrange another 50ft yacht to sail this lovely area.

For more information or to book on any of the above please contact me – melody@aegeansailingschool.com

Here’s more sailing inspiration from a former student. I received this email from Marc Beerts, who was living in London when he first came sailing with Aegean Sailing School.

Hope you are all doing well. Just a quick note to say hello.

I took Competent Crew with you way back in 2008 and then did a mile builder late 2010. All changed since then.

In early 2011 I completed Day and Coastal skipper at Southern Cross Yachting in Brisbane Australia. It was a weather thing … January!

After that I crewed on a Beneteau 57, sailing from Cairns to Darwin, then on through Indonesia on a rally. The boat was called Nae Hassle. anything but! Fantastic experience though.

At the end of the rally I switched to  Rogue, a Trintella 47. Beautiful boat, and sailed with them to Penang. Travelled up to Thailand and then raced in the King’s Cup Regatta on Curious, an Oyster 56. Incredible week. Sail all day and big, big parties all night.

After a quick rest back in England I went out to Mexico to join a boat for a Pacific crossing. It didn’t work out as the skipper couldn’t find any more suitable crew. Still had a nice sail down the Baja Peninsula. 25 knots downwind all the way. After two months hanging around in La Paz I went back to England and decided to buy a boat. Which I did with my friends Rob and Karen who I crewed with during the Indonesian experience.

The boat is a Jeaneau 43 DS, Alcheringa. Not a racer but very good as a live aboard. We are spending a couple of seasons in the Med (bought the boat in Palma, Mallorca) before heading out across the Atlantic and onwards. Should be in Greece next year. Maybe will stop by and say hello.

Pic below is me in the ‘smoking room’ anchored in  a bay somewhere in Ibiza.

Here are some more photographs that Marc sent showing his travels.

We love to hear from former students and how their sailing is progressing.

Ken and Linda Mann from Alberta learnt to sail with us in April of this year. They spent 12 days at our school, completing their RYA Competent Crew, RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship, and RYA Day Skipper Practical courses.

They planned to put their new skills into practice by chartering a small yacht once they returned to Canada. They booked charter boats three times but …

• the first time the City of Calgary drained the local reservoir (in anticipation of flood conditions from record snow-melt) so all sailing was cancelled
• the second time they arrived to find the people ahead of them had broken the tiller and the boat was off being repaired
• the third time the weather was too dangerous. Ken commented ‘I guess that’s to be expected when you rent a boat in a town called “Thunder Bay”’

However, I’m delighted to report that on their fourth attempt they finally made it! They successfully chartered on Kootenay Lake, one of the largest lakes in British Columbia, 104 km in length and 3–5 km in width. The photo above shows Linda at the helm of their yacht with rugged mountains in the background. From the sparkle on the sea it looks as if they had good weather.

Ken was kind enough to email me after their holiday to say:

We finally made our first charter – on Kootenay Lake British Columbia in a Hunter 30.  We really enjoyed ourselves – especially a night in a remote cove where the only light was millions of stars.  The boat-owner was impressed with our training and qualified us for bareboat charter within an hour or so.  Linda and I felt completely comfortable on our own almost immediately – even in white cap conditions;  your team did a great job with the training!

It is always lovely to get an unsolicited testimonial like that so thank you very much, Ken, and I hope it is all smooth sailing for you both from now on.

Join our special six-day Masterclass to the Argolic Gulf starting at 6.30 pm on Sunday 9 September.

The Argolic is the next gulf west of the Saronic where we are based. It frequently has stronger winds than the Saronic but it’s a little far to reach on our normal 5-day RYA courses.

There are some wonderful places to see on the Peloponnese peninsula, including medieval Monemvasia in the south and the lovely old city of Nafplion in the north. The mountains of the Peloponnese form a stunning backdrop to many of the little ports you will visit.

This week is especially suited to those who want to take a Coastal Skipper course but we’ll take adventurous Competent Crew students too. With a maximum of five students and a very experienced instructor this is a chance to get premium sea-time and instruction in a picturesque and less explored sailing area.

Price: 1086€ / £905 for a cabin to yourself; 978€ / £815 per person sharing.

This includes everything apart from getting to us and evening meals. We supply linen and towels (but bring your own swim towel please), food for breakfasts and lunches, and all yacht expenses are covered.

September is a wonderful time of year to sail here and the scenery in the Argolic is stunning. One place on the trip is already taken so book quickly to grab one of the three remaining places. Email Melody.

Well, Greece is pretty hot just now! It’s lovely and cool at sea but perfect for those who love the sun. We’ve had temperatures in the high 30s and lots of good winds so there has been some wonderful sailing. I’ve put up some photos and a video on our Facebook page.

We still have a few places at the end of July and in August but they are filling up fast so book now in order not to be disappointed. All our prices includes everything except getting to us and evening meals. We take a maximum of five students on one of our big teaching yachts – 44 or 45 foot.

29 July, 5 August, and 12 August – RYA Competent Crew or Day Skipper course

Two places left on each of these weeks at a special offer price of 898€ / £748 per person for single occupancy or 855€ / £712 for two people sharing.

9 September – Special Argolic Trip + RYA Coastal Skipper course

Special 6-day trip to the Argolic including Monemvassia and Nafplion (weather permitting). Lots of sailing and a couple of extended passages. Price 1086€ / £905 including everything except getting to us and evening meals. Limited places so book now!

13 October – Cyclades Milebuilder

Our popular annual trip to the Cyclades covering 350+ nautical miles in 7 days sailing. See our website or email us for more information. NEW this year – maximum six crew on a 52 foot yacht.  €966 / £862 per person (based on 2 sharing) or €1244 / £1036 for single occupancy of a cabin.