Elite Sailing

Having flown in from Canada to take the Coastal Skipper course, I would recommend Elite Sailing to anyone wanting a first class Sailing experience. Our instructor, Nihan was simply wonderful; she had that rare ability to impart her knowledge of sailing to all of us whilst maintaining a totally professional and positive environment.
Apr 28th, 2023

Just completed my motor cruiser Day Skipper certificate with Greg Godden of Elite, it was comprehensive, informative, interesting and an absolute pleasure. Topics covered were Navigation, boat handling, Pilotage, MOB, Passage Planning to name but a few. Each was covered in detail as Gregs knowledge was invaluable and put across in clear unambiguous language that was both informative and fun. Very profession outfit and would recommend them without hesitation Thank you all Captain Phil
Apr 25th, 2023

I recently completed my Day Skipper Practical sailing course with Elite Sailing and had a very positive experience. Our instructor Will was excellent at passing on his knowledge in a relaxed fashion which put all the crew at ease. Chatham is also incredibly easy to reach by frequent trains from London in less than an hour, so it's effectively on your doorstep. Many thanks to Will, Fred and his team. I'm looking forward to booking again soon with Elite to gain more experience and improve my sailing skills.
Mar 30th, 2023

Excellent training is provided. The instructors are highly skilled and deliver the content in a way that is easy to understand and there is loads of hands-on practice too. I would recommend Elite sailing if you want to learn to sail in more challenging conditions where you really need to pay attention to the weather, time of day, tide conditions, depth of water, traffic etc. You are well taken care of, the vessel is stacked with food and if you have special dietary requirements they can accommodate. My only complaint is the communications prior to starting the course. I did the 5-day Day Skipper course and I found the sailing terminology quite difficult to grasp on day one and was told I would have known had I taken the Competent Crew course first (which is not required nor is it compulsory for you to progress to Day Skipper). I would have liked a checklist of the things I am expected to know prior to starting the course so that I can be more in line with the expectations. Overall, the experience was great and feel well equipped to skipper a sailing boat
Apr 25th, 2023

I have always loved the idea of having a go at sailing, so I decided to do the RYA Competent Crew course to find out whether sailing and living aboard was for me. Elite seemed like a good choice for a sailing school, based on the reviews that I had read and being just a quick train journey out of London. I had such good fun on this course! I took to the Medway on a Jeanneau 389 with the Skipper, Steve, and three crew members who were attempting to get their RYA Day Skipper certifications. Each of them had more experience than me, having sailed (and raced) yachts and dinghies. Being the greenest sailor on board, I was initially concerned that I would be overlooked or have too little to do, as the other three students might be required to do all of the heavy lifting. I was wrong! I was busy from the get-go and got a chance to observe others perform some relatively advanced maneuvers on the boat, like bringing it to a standstill in strong winds to complete the man overboard exercise. Steve was a great instructor. He always provided detailed explanations when they were needed to help further my understanding. He also gave everyone sufficient autonomy on board the boat, which was appreciated because it meant that he allowed us to try for ourselves but still stepped in to provide us with information or to correct us. He would also question our decisions from time to time, not because they were wrong, in his own words, but to get us to think about them and consider possible alternatives. This was first-class teaching. It was good to know that we were always in safe hands with him on board too. Two things that I have taken away from the experience are: that I got so much from it. This was a first-hand opportunity to watch more experienced sailors plan passages and gauge the best courses from the tides, winds, obstacles and oncoming ships. Secondly, I learnt that Chatham, the Medway and that part of the North Sea is a great place to get your sea legs due to the many sandbanks, tide, changing weather fronts, and being quite busy with commercial shipping. I strongly recommend Elite to anyone considering progressing their RYA certification.
Apr 13th, 2023