Sailing is often an over-looked activity when it comes to choosing where to spend your vacation with friends and family, but it is one of the most amazing experience.
Sailing provides you a refreshing experience – you’re challenged in ways that simply don’t exist in your usual day-to-day life, whilst it also gives you a chance to ‘centre yourself’ again, as your only concern is you and the sea – nothing else matters!
Well, let’s discover the perfect destinations for sailing.
Where to go sailing?
Choosing the right place to go sailing is the first point. There are two main cruising grounds that have been popular for years and years, with sailors coming back to them time and again because the facilities are great, the islands and scenery is incredible, and the cuisine and climate are both very comfortable. These would be Croatia and Greece.
Of course, there are other suitable destinations, include France and Italy in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, North America, the South Pacific & Southeast Asia.
These areas are perfect in terms of the wind, weather conditions, tides, waves, & navigational challenges – all are relatively simple, which makes our vacation memorable and comfortable.
Find the perfect Yacht or Catamaran
Once you’re chosen where, the next step is to find the right boat. You should be able to choose which yacht is good for you and your group. If you have a Skipper, this might include a ‘Skipper cabin’ that keeps him a little more separate from your group.
There are two main types of boat – Yachts (also called monohulls) and catamaran (they have two hulls). There are also Trimarans these days, but there haven’t been many built, so there aren’t many available for charter across the world.
The most popular choice is the classic yacht, with it’s keen sailing lines, it is often faster in the water, easier to manouevre, and cheaper – both when you come to stay in a marina and for the cost of the charter. These are designed to provide the best sailing experience by slicing the water.
The area where the yacht loses out to the cat is in in the space – the seating area in yachts is quite compact as compared to the catamaran, which has double the floor space, if not triple.
Catamarans also sit much higher in the water so you can explore more shallow areas. These are great for large groups. And also, you can sail anywhere with these yachts.
When to go sailing?
You’ve worked out where to go, you’ve worked out what you want to be sailing in (probably a brand new 2021 Catamaran with separate Skipper quarters if you have the budget!) and now it’s a question of when.
There are two distinct sailing seasons in the world. The centre of the yacht charter universe is in the Mediterranean from April until October. 90% of the professional skippers in the world will be out in Europe, sailing in the Ionian or Adriatic, cruising around Corsica in France, or nosing their way around the Aeolian islands in Italy.
If you want to grab a bargain then head to Europe in April / May or September / October, as this is when you’ll find boats that are usually €7000 in high season for as long as €2500 a week.
As the summer heats up, so do the prices and the popularity, culminating in peak-peak season at the end of July, with schools out, hot sun all day, and perfect wind.
As the season in Europe winds down, the clients and Skippers head further afield – with a fair number heading to Gran Canaria and Tenerife, but the bulk of them switching their sailing to the Caribbean, where the sun is only just getting going in October.
The season in the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands and Antigua runs from October to April, with many travellers heading there for their Christmas vacation, or over New Years. Hurricane season starts to kick in towards the end of March, so it’s best to be out and away back into Europe if you’re looking to sail near then.
Wherever you sail, you’re almost guaranteed to have a fantastic time, and come home with memories that will last a lifetime.
