Does anyone have any experience of these?

I have a 2^1/2 year old, a non-sailing wife and am new to small boat sailing. I see one of these holidays as a way to get some decent experience and maybe a qualification whilst still having a family holiday.

Will I get what I want?

Are there any alternatives? Apart form Mark Warner who only seems to operate July, August and September.

I can say you will get what you want on the Sunsail Holiday, but i am slightly biased as i have work at there clubs for a number of years. I was taken on them by my parents before I started work so have seen them from both sides. If you want further details don't hesitate to ask.

When talking to Mark Warner satff they are jelous of the amount of kit we have, Neilson would be the other option.

Rich

The best sailing holiday I have been on was Menorca Sailing. The teaching was great, the range of kit (boats & windsurfers) was excellent and the villa / flats were very clean and spacious.

There is a creche and a swimming pool for the non-sailors. By the end of the fortnight my mother ( a committed non-sailor) was racing about in a topper having seen how much fun we were all having.

Hi Luke,

I went to the Sunsail site at Kos nine years ago and had a fantastic time, as did my two sons who were aged 25 and 21. We were all experienced sailors and windsurfers.  My wife, who is not interested in sailing, was not impressed due to all the sailing talk all the time.  The Kos site is no longer a Sunsail site as the accomodation was very basic and, I believe, the company wanted better, with air conditioning, etc. All of the sailing/windsurfing equipment was excellent and there were very good facilities for child minding, all day, for all ages, so both of the parents got chance to sail or learn to sail.

You have not said when you wish to go.  Just at the moment, Sunsail have some good offers on for Club Colonna in Antigua, in January, for £999, for two weeks, half board. I have not stayed at this resort but I visited it about five years ago and it seemed great.  It is situated in the very north of the island and, when I visited, there were strong winds.  Antigua is a small island and you can drive around it in a day if you rent a car. Y & Y did an excellent feature on the resort but I can't remember how long ago it was.

Minorca Sailing is a great place with fantastic equipment but it is expensive and, I think (without checking) that is a 'summer' place.  Again, I have not stayed there but have visited it.

Neilson would be another option and there are sites all over the Mediterranean and I understand that they are very good.  I have a friend who has worked there for the last three summers, whilst he was at university.  He was at Mar Menor, Vassiliki and has just returned from Bitez. I have visited the site at Grand Anse Bay in Grenada, which was an 'all year round' venue. I was staying at a hotel in the next bay and used to sail amongst the Neilson clients, most of their boats were Lasers, 2000's, 3000's and Dart 16's or Hobie Waves. I don't think that the site is open this winter due to the damage caused by the hurricane.  I think it may open again in May but I am not certain.

I hope that this helps.

Ian  (Yorkshire Dales S.C.)

Thanks for all the great input so far – I was a little nervous about posting the question but am glad I did now. I have some more detail to add and then a couple of additional questions.

We’d be looking to go May 05 and at the moment Galini is looking favourite. Reasonable flight times, good price and we’ve done flotilla in the Ionian so know the area.

What me wife will be interested in a reasonable pool to sit around and read her book plus the option to escape for a bit of an explore now and then as a family.

Cost is a key consideration – I’ve got to sell this as not much more expensive than a normal package. This makes Minorca Sailing a little expensive and Neilson doesn’t have prices available yet.

Questions:

Will the instructors be able to cope with a beginner who knows (at least thinks he does) how to drive a yacht?

Will our little “terror” have enough to do to stop him going stir crazy?

Will the other guests/staff look down on my wife because she doesn’t sail?

I have been on a two holidays and worked at Galini and it would be fine for this. Speaking as an instructor we recive allsorts in the courses so are used to accomodating different levels in one course. Since iansmithofotley went to Kos the clubs have become far more family orientated and now all have large kids club areas but still have a large number of boats. Put your son in this and he should have enough to do ( he can also be removed at any point). Also because of this change to family holidays there are a large number of women who often refer to themselves as sailing widow who sit by the pool and catch rays. The pool at Galini is raised so you can look out over the sailing area for them to keep an eye on you, so I very popular.

If you think that you know how to drive a yacht on the first day there will be a skippers brief which will show you around clubs yachts and let you know the cruising area, after this you are able to go out for the day as a skipper. If you are not confident there are three day skipper courses with up to 3 other people, or you can hire a compotent member of staff for the day for £50 (I think).

Have to say for dinghy sailing Turkey is better with more wind, but for cruising in a yacht Galini is the best.

malawirich,

Thanks for the insight.

It's Dingy saling that I want to get into (I live to far from the coast in the UK for yachts to be family freindly) -  will there be enough wind in Galini for me to learn the basics and give the varoius options a try? i.e. Cat, Trapeze Asym, Singlehander e.t.c.

Galini is known within the company as a light wind resort, but as in most places within the med it does pick up in the afternoon. Remember flying in a 4000 in 97 when I was a guest. So there should be enough wind for you to try all of thoose out. If you want better wind Turkey is the place and where I choose to work. Have been at Marverde for the past two summers, this is the biggest so offers the best off the water activities, although I think all the rest are being improved (dont know much beyond what happens on the beach).

All the clubs will have the boats and staff to help you improve in thoose areas.

Hi

If you have read the previous posts, you will know that I have worked for Sunsail for a number of year. I would recommend it to anyone, but I would warn you that it is hard work and the amount of sailing you get to do can be limited (depends what club you are at). If you are interested about any aspect let me know and I will answer as best I can.

Sailor Girl did you friend work at either Marverde or Javalin, if so I will prob know them.

Rich

I worked at the Neilson Mar Menor resort (when TEAM Unlimited) for 2 seasons, followed by 1 season at Minorca Sailing Holidays.  Both were fab ... TEAM Unlimited for its high coaching standards - even towards the instructors and Minorca for all the kit available to advance your sailing techniques.
I guess it's down to the effort you put into the work!

Would recommend teaching at either of these resorts.  Did know a few of the Sunsail staff too, but never worked for them.

I've done 1 season with sunsail, followed by 3 at Neilson (the first 2 in uni holidays and 2nd 2 after i'd finished before i started my 'proper' job.

In my experince Neilson were a far better company to work for.  We got paid more at Sunsail, but had to spend almost every night eating with guests, with rules about staff not sitting too near each other etc.  They're also much stricter about uniform and stuff like that, which you even have to wear in evenings.  Accommodation was shocking for staff!  don't get me wrong though, i had a wicked summer!

Neilson paid less, but i had much more free time (a big plus if you want to improve your own sailing/windsurfing etc) we were also encouraged to improve and learn new skills - in quiet weeks some of the nannys were sent on the beginner dinghies course, and i did my safety boat course for example.

basically it depends what you want to get out of it, but i would defo recommend neilson.

Yeah I have go a job over summer for Minorca sailing, and was wondering what people thought of it. I hadnt realised how expensive it was, as my pay is barely enough to come back with any money after the time i am there.

What companies do sailing over the winter as i am taking a gap year and want to fill the winter with some sailing, Also does anyone have any info on Rockly as I want to work in their sail france program next summer.

Excellent centre for teaching at ... so much to choose from. If you can't afford to go there on holiday, then definately teach there !
With the salary as it is (just like most instructor jobs), the best is to just enjoy your time there ... not many summer jobs beat instructing at Minorca.

I too have done a summer season (not sailing unfortunately but camping) and it is not the sort of job that you do to make money. What you make is play money. So long as you get your accom paid for,  you should be fine! food on the continent (ie self catering) is dirt cheep. I worked out that if i had to i could live on 5Euro a week if i never drank or smoked. this was in a touristy part of frace too.. not sure if Greece/turkey would be more expensive but i would imagine it would be cheeper...

Def something i would recomend.... only 2 weeks to go before i go back out anyway!

only one warning i will give.... its addictive!

Oh where are you goin?

Yeah I kinda got the job accidentaly so it doesnt bother me about the pay, I was just suprised that you guys were saying it was the most expensive to go on hol to, as it is the least that i have seen as pay.

Neways does anyone know of gppd places in England that I can look at getting a job at over the winter? Or good summer ones in France, doesnt have to be south of, just want to keep up my french skills?

AM doing a summer season in the Royan (SW france) with canvas holidays. For the winter a ski season would be a laugh.

Have met alot of folk that have done that and loved it!! think i may do it myself next winter...

Cristal are apparently not bad, but heard mixed reviews but thompson/TUI dont treat their staff well.

One girl I knew was a chalet host, 5 of them lived in the attic, they couldnt stand up straight (no head room) and the walk between shower (was fun in its self) and their bedroom (shared) was across a mezzanine, open to the chalet down below... whats was even worse was that they had to use the kitchen in the customer's chalet to cook which was far from ideal....

She still had a crackin season though...

Would recomend it to anyone & everyone, regarldless of age... seriously i have met alot of "mature" couples doing summer seasons! sorry for being a bit off the sailing related topic

Not a huge amount of hiding places in Minorca, so be expected to spend a lot of time with the customers outside of your working hours  ... not a bad idea anyway .... so long as they offer to buy you beer etc !

Lol im liking the sound of that. Does anyone have experience teaching at Mark Warner. Had a long coversation with them at the dinghy show, they seem realy good, better pay, and have offered pre season training.

Just wondering if people had any experience of theire standard of teaching, and of venues. They mentioned their new Egypt location.

Yeah ok that would make sense.