Here at Solent Sail we are selective in the races we take part in, but not about the people who join us. You don’t have to be particularly strong or fit, you don’t have to be nimble and an expert in spinnaker handling. In fact you don’t need any experience at all.  Our aim is to get people involved, enjoy a little excitment of competition and mainlyto have fun, so we treat racing like a cruise in company, with a little friendly competition thrown in.

The Round the Island race is the annual spectacle with more than 1500 yachts sailing together around the Isle of Wight. It’s one of the largest sporting events in the UK if not the World. Just being alonside so many yachts is a spectacle, but when they all start flying spinnakers its amazing. You could take part in our 3½ day event this year by clicking on the link here

Then there’s the Fastnet Race which is one of the World’s classic yacht races (voted number 5 in the rankings and the top 3 are only for professionals). It only takes place every two years and is always popular, with this year being no exception and there’s just one place left. Because of its more substantial nature, there are qualifying requirements for the yacht and the crew including taking part in at least 300Nm of qualifying races before the Fastnet itself. So our offer is not just the big race, but a whole season of training and racing. By the end of it you will have gained lots of experience, become a much better sailor and made some new friends. Several of the people that have done the Fastnet with us in the past have gone on to become professional sailors and instrutcors. If the idea of commuting by boat rather than the Underground appeals, perhaps this could be your first step! You can find out more here.