Collaboration to Shake Up the Formula for Learning to Sail in the Caribbean

Online, October 18, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Intensive sailing courses such as those offered by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and the American Sailing Association (ASA) provide a perfect introduction for beginners to the world of yachting and in fact, a week long sailing course is very often the start of a lifelong passion for wind in the sails and the fizz of blue water. However, short courses come to an end all too quickly leaving new enthusiasts hankering for more.....more practice of newly acquired skills, more time on the water, more holidays....more SAILING! A new collaboration between RYA Sailing School, Bluewater Sailing and Yacht Ibis Adventure Sailing is set to satisfy the craving.

There's no doubt about it, a holiday in the Caribbean is not a bargain basement option. Flights are long and expensive; travellers often have to change planes; hotels and restaurants are pricey and island hopping requires a planning mastermind. With all the travel time and outlay needed to get there, it's not surprising that travellers want to stay for more than a week, and for travellers looking to head off the well trodden cruise ship path or take time to explore more than one island, a sailing holiday gives a taste of freedom and adventure. Sailing courses are an ideal way for single travellers or small groups and beginner sailors to reap the benefits of a sailing holiday without breaking the bank.

Courses follow a fixed training syllabus and run for between 2 and 5 days on board or in the classroom where they are full-on learning experiences within a specific sailing area. "With the need to cover off a range of skills during a short period of time it's inevitable that people find a sailing course both challenging and fulfilling, and with a desire to gain more practice, perhaps in a less intensive environment or in a different cruising ground" says Alex Johnstone of Bluewater Sailing. Yacht Ibis provides the opportunity for people completing a course to sail on a bigger boat and experience different sailing locations with some longer voyages involved.

By combining a short intensive sailing course with a longer cruise through the islands, newly qualified skippers and crew have the opportunity to continue their learning throughout the holiday with the safety net of a qualified skipper and sailing instructor. Venturing beyond the scope of Cruise ships and with plenty of time to explore different islands and anchorages, sailing travellers get a flavour of the real Caribbean - scenery, people, culture & cuisine - whilst having an active, healthy adventure holiday.

Yacht Ibis provides adventure sailing holidays throughout the Leeward & Windward Islands in collaboration with the best recognised sailing schools; for more information please visit www.yachtibis.co.uk. Bluewater Sailing is the only RYA recognised sailing school in the Windward Islands; for more information please visit www.bluewater-sailing.net .