RYA Practical Sailing courses with Faro Sailing in Spain and Portugal

Provider: Faro Sailing School
Location: Ayamonte, Huelva, Costa de la Luz, Spain

Participants: 5 or less

Phone: +34 959 321 824

Website: (12 times )

Special Offers

15% discount for low season 5 day courses during December 2011 and January 2012

price £420.75 GBP per person.

Overview:

Faro Sailing School is a fully recognised RYA Training Centre offering a full range of RYA/MCA practical and shorebased sailing courses and holidays all year round. The school is run by the Principal and Chief Instructor, Peter Lightfoot and his wife, Lorie. The school is now in its eighth year of operation on the Algarve. Peter and Lorie have a wealth of experience of running an RYA sailing school, having successfully run Ibiza Sailing School in the Balearics for five years before deciding to move to a new base with better all year round flight connections from the UK. After extensive research and visiting potential marinas and sailing grounds close to popular airports, they fell in love with the area served by Faro airport which incorporates the well known Portuguese Algarve and the lesser known Spanish Costa de la Luz. The area boasts golden sandy beaches, warm weather, crystal clear waters, friendly people, great food, stunning sunsets and the fact that it is tidal was the icing on the cake.

Peter is a fully qualified RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean and Yachtmaster Instructor and Examiner and has been sailing all of his life. By the age of twelve, Peter was a competitive dinghy sailor and at the age of twenty-one became a professional Skipper of large sailing yachts, and has gained a wealth of experience sailing in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean including several transatlantic passages between the two. For the last 13 years, Peter has been teaching RYA sailing courses on a full-time basis.

Lorie is also a fully qualified RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean and teaches shorebased courses. Lorie is also responsible for administration and will be more than happy to book your course or charter, arrange any shorebased accommodation you may need and generally help you with any queries you might have. She will ensure everything runs smoothly for you from the time you arrive until the time you leave for your journey home. All you need to arrange yourself is your flights and travel insurance.

Why Choose Faro Sailing School?

At Faro Sailing School, our emphasis is on creating a relaxed atmosphere by providing a personal, friendly and above all, professional service resulting in an enjoyable learning experience you will remember. Our unique location in the estuary of the Guadiana river, which is navigable up to 27 miles inland, allows us to sail all year round regardless of the weather, guaranteeing that you will sail every day of your course and no days will be lost due to bad weather. One thing is certain, you will receive expert tuition whether you are an absolute beginner or an experienced sailor and you will leave Faro Sailing School more confident in your abilities and therefore better equipped to enjoy your sailing.

General pricing info.

Prices are in GBP and are per person. Price bandings reflect low and high season High season dates 3 April - 1 Oct and 27-31 Dec. Low season - all other dates

RYA Practical Sailing Courses
RYA Start Sailing - 2 days
RYA Competent Crew - 5 days
RYA Day Skipper Practical - 5 days
RYA Coastal Skipper 5 days
RYA Cruising Instructor
RYA / MCA Yachtmaster coastal / offshore prep 5 days
RYA Combined Courses
RYA Day Skipper combined shorebased & practical 9 days
Fastrack 14 weeks includes exam fees full board
Skippering Experience
Try a Day / Day Charter min 2 people
ICC or own boat tuition
Skippered Charter / whole boat. incl RYA instruction 5 max

Prices
£245-£275
£495-£545
£495-£545
£495-£545
£595
£495-£545 plus exam fees
Prices
£840-£890
£7895
£495-£545
£125-£140
£150 per day
£1980 - £2180 (boat price)

Accommodation:

For practical courses, accommodation is included on board the yacht from the Sunday prior to your course start until the Saturday morning after your course finishes provided that your arrival time at the yacht is prior to 21.00pm Portuguese time (same as UK). Arrivals after this time could potentially disturb other crew members (unless you have booked the entire yacht) and so shorebased accommodation must be found and you may join the yacht at 09.30am on Monday morning. If you intend to catch the train or shuttle coach (see below for transfer options), you should ensure your arrival time at Faro airport is prior to 18.00pm (this ensures you can catch the 19.24pm train and arrive at the yacht by 21.00pm). If you choose an airport transfer, you should ensure your arrival time at Faro airport is prior to 19.30pm. If you would like to take the opportunity to discover the Algarve either before or after your course, we will gladly arrange shorebased accommodation for you from B&B to 5 star luxury hotel.

About the area:

The school is based in the marina of Vila Real de Santo Antonio, just a 40 minute journey from Faro International Airport and situated right on the Portuguese/Spanish border on the bank of the stunningly beautiful river Guadiana. The marina is right in the heart of Vila Real de Santo Antonio and so enjoys ample facilities including showers, restaurants, shops, banks and car parking. With several waterside café bars, it is an excellent place to relax after a great days sailing.

Vila Real de Santo Antonio is a very pretty Portuguese town which faces the delightful Spanish town of Ayamonte on the opposite side of the river Guadiana. The area to the East of Faro is relatively undeveloped compared to the busy Western Algarve which means you experience the “real Portugal” and “real Spain” when you sail with us - an old man sitting on a wooden cart pulled by a donkey is not an uncommon sight!

Our unique location, on the border between two very different countries provides a perfect base from which to explore the many lovely anchorages, estuaries and marinas along the Portuguese and Spanish coastlines and on one of our longer trips, even further afield to Gibraltar and Morocco. We are also ideally situated for you to explore the area by land at the beginning or end of your sailing course. For those who simply wish to relax, the Algarve region boasts miles of glorious sandy beaches. Inland, the local province of Huelva is dotted with sleepy whitewashed villages and the ancient City of Seville in the heart of Andalucia is a cultural paradise.

For the more active, you can choose from some of the best golf courses in Europe, the nearest being Castro Marim, Costa Esuri and Isla Canela. There is also scuba diving; big game fishing; horse riding and cycling on offer to name but a few.

How to Get Here:

With the boom in low cost air travel, getting to Faro is very easy from most UK airports. Vila Real de Santo Antonio is just 40 minutes away from Faro airport. An alternative airport is Seville at 90 minutes away, especially during July and August when flights to Faro are at a premium. Please scroll down for flight information.