Irish National Sailing School
2027 Keelboat | Level 1 | Course 1: Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th February
Overview
Always wanted to learn to sail? This is where it starts.
Our Start Sailing course is the ideal first step for complete beginners. You’ll learn aboard our fleet of J80 sportsyachts. They’re stable, dry and comfortable, so you can relax and enjoy the sailing while you learn. Because a J80 is sailed as a team, you’ll pick things up alongside your crewmates, swap roles and share the fun of getting the boat moving under sail.
With no more than 4 students per instructor, you’ll spend your time doing, not watching. By the end, you’ll be steering, trimming the sails and reading the wind, and you’ll leave with your RYA Start Sailing (Keelboat Level 1) certificate.
What you’ll learn
We follow the Royal Yachting Association syllabus, so the skills you learn here are recognised wherever you sail next.
- Take the helm: get to grips with the tiller and steer the boat yourself
- Read the wind: learn to tell where the wind is coming from, a skill you’ll use every time you sail
- Sail every direction: upwind, downwind and across the wind
- Set the sails: put the wind to work and feel the boat come alive
- Rig the boat: learn how a yacht is put together and prepared for sailing
- Tie the right knots: the essential ropework every sailor needs
- Know the weather: what makes a great sailing day, and when to stay ashore
- Dress for the water: what to wear afloat and why it matters
The boat: J80 keelboat
The J80 is a 26-foot keelboat that’s both stable and responsive. It’s reassuring for beginners and still lively enough to put a smile on your face. It can carry a crew of up to 6, but on our courses there are never more than 4 students on board with your instructor.
Cancellations
Our cancellation policy for this course can be viewed here:
Why do we have this policy?
As a small business, we plan every course around the bookings we receive. Once you book, we schedule instructors, prepare boats and undertake other preparations. We want sailing and boating to be accessible to everyone, so we keep our fees as low as possible. That means there’s no margin to cover late cancellations, and we can’t make exceptions to this policy.
Please only book once you’re sure you can make your chosen dates. We look forward to seeing you on the water!
What to bring
We provide waterproofs, lifejacket / buoyancy aid and all other safety equipment but it is necessary to bring the following:
- Warm layers to wear underneath water proofs.
- Grippy footwear that you don't mind getting a splash or two, old runners are ideal.
- Sun cream and hat (for sunny days) or
- Woolly Hat (for the colder days)
- Change of clothes, you're unlikely to fall in, but better to have them just in case.
- Shower Gear - Towel, Shampoo etc - for the same reason.
- Packed lunch, sandwiches are available from our onsite Café, or Monkstown Village is close by.
