Beginners

Learing to sail is best done in boats on the water rather than on the internet .

Sign up with a registered sailing school for a quick and structured approach.

Alternatively millions have learned to sail by just crewing for friends - being introduced this way is a cheap way of getting into the sport, but beware thereare some draw backs that you should consider, such as, you will only learn what you friend knows and your friend may not be a natural teacher.

Once you get the bug, you will want to learn more and this is where you may wish to turn to internet sites like this one here or more traditional learning tools (I think they called them books), I have selected a couple.

Intermediates

Now you have learned the basics and know your way around a sailing boat, it is time to start improving.

Even if your plan is to cruise large yachts, I still think it is worthwhile learning to sail a small dinghy and go racing. Your skills will develop quickly and are transferable.

Go racing! That might sound pretty daunting, but everyone has to start somewhere. If you learned the basics at a sailing school you may have already experienced some fun races.

Most clubs have an active racing section and you can always find a friendly mentor to help you with the basics. As long as you know the basic ‘rules of the road’ and competent enough to steer away from danger, you should be able to join in, just keep clear of situations until you have some experience.

Whilst real life experience is a must, some on-line games are pretty good for learning basic tactics and the rules. Try this SailX, you might get addicted.

Goal Setting

All sailors or all abilities will benefit from setting performace improvement goals. Read this article by some real experts on the matter. Get a free sailing goal map here.