Saturday 30 March 2013

Fine weather

Easter weekend has transformed La Manga, the supermarkets and bars are bustling whilst the Mar Menor presents a beautiful image with sails glistening in the sun as the yachts dance across the safe but shallow water.

The weather could not be better with around 15-18 knots of breeze and temperatures warm enough to be sailing in shorts and t-shirts. There is still time to get yourself on one of our great value sailing courses, so don't get left in the cold, come sailing in Spain and get qualified in time for summer with our RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses.

Friday 29 March 2013

New sails on test

This year we treated El Rubicon to a new set of sails from Jeckells the sailmakers, with most of the wind strengths last week in the region of 25 knots plus we have had zero opportunity to try out the cruising chute but reefing practice has been plentiful. With the new sails and fresh antifoul we are easily achieving boat speeds in the region of 8 knots plus.

So far we have been very satisfied with the sails and I have to say that sailing fast has never been so easy. We chose Jeckells because they listened to our needs and offered a great value for money product. Sure we could have gone upmarket and spend another 50% for a set of beautifully crafted sails but as we are not a race boat, we are more interested in functionality and durability than aesthetics.

So if your thinking about a new sail, give Jeckells a call or visit their website and fill in the online contact form. As an added bonus the sails are made in the UK so you are supporting the British Marine Industry.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Tidal Sailing courses

Learn to sail with our Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses starting in Ayamonte on the Spanish Portuguese border. Explore the Algarve and Day Skippers can test their navigation skills as we sail along the coast and spend a night at anchor in the lagoon area around Faro, providing a quality pilotage experience as we look for a spot to drop the hook. We chose this area for its ability to provide navigational and tidal challenges - so far we have not been dissapointed, perfect for giving you all the necessary skills to become a competent sailor. Courses start every Saturday evening at 18.00 hours, fly into Faro and join us for a great week sailing in the Sun!

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Coastal Skipper - Yachtmaster theory

This week we are in the classroom which is rather cruel considering the perfect wind conditions we are experiencing at the moment.

Reflecting on the week so far you forget just how lucky sailors in the Med really are, very little variation around Spain in particular, no tides and certainly no secondary ports - the Med provides the perfect playground allowing you to focus on having fun and sailing the boat in a relaxed manner just like the way sailing is meant to be.

That said we do enjoy the navigational challenges of sailing in tidal waters, hence we make for tidal waters whenever we can, it also highlights the importance of keeping up theoretical knowledge and proves that with solid basic training - it is possible to sail in other destinations.

Find out more on our shorebased navigation courses or milebuilding experiences and put the theory into practice.

Saturday 23 March 2013

Spring is in the air

This week the weather in the UK has been awful, cold, wet, floods and even snow in some parts of the Country. So far this week we have had some fantastic winds and although we did not sail today, it has been a shorts day. Sailing is planned for tomorrow and the forecast is some cloud and 25 knots of wind, spring is clearly in the air and we are enjoying every moment of it.
Get away from the cold and join us for some great sailing and if your really lucky you may even get to wear your shorts!

Sailing quotes

The trickiest part of a voyage or cruise may turn out to be the short leg between any harbour entrance and dock, both on the way in and the way out - Carleton Mitchell

There is clearly a deeper emotional meaning to this quote but from a practical point of view at go-n-sail we can help take away the tricky part by improving your boat handling skills. Get the know-how on our Day Skipper sail training weeks and gain confidence around the marina.

So often we hear stories of the perfect day out going wrong at the last minute normally as the boat approaches the berth and the Skipper turns into Captain Bligh. Fortunately the cause of this sudden increase in blood pressure is purely down to lack of planning, ability and basic skills. So the condition is cureable.

Only you can overcome the phenomena known as berthing fever, but on our courses we are with you every step of the way.

Click here to find out more about boat handling courses and available dates

Friday 22 March 2013

Cracking start to 2013

With the World in turmoil and economic gloom from every press release, 2013 was always going to be a testing year, after an uncertain start things are looking up and this year could be our best yet. With new sails, fantastic winds and a healthy booking sheet we could not ask for a better start, as the UK and most of Europe is under snow we are sailing in shorts and fleece.
In order to satisfy demand for tidal sailing we have decided to relocate to Ayamonte on the Spanish Portuguese border from the end of September after the Southampton Boat show and the summer charter season in Mazarron.

With demand for tidal sail training on the rise and we are having another research trip in April until June before commiting to the area on a permanent basis. The Sailing School may have changed its name from Mar Menor Sea School to go-n-sail and we are swapping the Mar Menor for the Atlantic tidal waters of the Spanish Algarve but it is still us and little else has changed.

We still offer low student instructor ratios of 3:1 some of the lowest in the Industry, professional and personal tuition, home cooked food and great value sailing courses, in fact we believe the move will be very positive and infact improve the quality of tuition.

From September RYA sailing courses will be available for all levels from beginner to advanced in tidal waters year round so we hope you can join us in our new home, if you wish to find out more about how you can book a space on our unique training weeks and gain RYA qualifications, just pick up the phone and dial 0872 426 0837 (UK cheap call) or 00 34 695 326 184 from Spain.

We are here to help every step of the way
Go-n-sail your complete RYA training centre.

New for 2013

2013 is looking like a big year for us, we have changed the name of Mar Menor Sea School to go-n-sail in order to accommodate a relocation in September to our new tidal base in Ayamonte. The new go-n-sail site has been launched and we will be once again attending the Southampton Boat-Show. So please come along and say Hello you can find us on stand J105 in the Mayflower Hall.