Sunsail Worldwide

...Sunsail.

Portsmouth-based Sunsail are the world's leading watersports holiday company, focusing mainly on sailing, but also offering other activities. In this review, I will be concentrating mostly on the sailing aspect, and touching on other aspects briefly later on.

With bases for their fleets in 23 countries worldwide, you can sail in almost any part of the world you choose. The first thing to do, however, is to decide ...
...the lead boat (crewed by Sunsail staff) along with other boats in the flotilla, travelling to places on a set itinerary for however long you are there for. Having the lead boat so close by means that there is always someone there if you get into difficulties...but this is not overly restricting. You are given a fair amount of free sailing time to do your own exploring, and there are also social events organised by Sunsail especially for those in ... more

Some of you will know that, for the last three years, I have been going on yearly sailing holidays with my fiance and friends. It may seem like an expensive and exclusive way of holidaying, but in actual fact, even those with no sailing experience whatsoever can do exactly the same. How? By choosing a holiday with Sunsail.

Portsmouth-based Sunsail are the world's leading watersports holiday company, focusing mainly on sailing, but also offering other activities. In this review, I will be concentrating mostly on the sailing aspect, and touching on other aspects briefly later on.

With bases for their fleets in 23 countries worldwide, you can sail in almost any part of the world you choose. The first thing to do, however, is to decide on your experience level.

If you are a complete beginner, the best thing to do is to hire a yacht or a catamaran with a skipper, who will not only take care of the day-to-day running of the yacht, but will also provide valuable knowledge of the area, making sure you get the most out of wherever you are going. This is also an ideal opportunity for you and whoever you are travelling with to act as crew members and increase your sailing knowledge!

For those with a little more experience, but who are still not completely confident in undertaking a whole sailing holiday by themselves, Sunsail's flotilla option is a good way to get the best of both worlds. You charter your own yacht, but the holiday is spent following the lead boat (crewed by Sunsail staff) along with other boats in the flotilla, travelling to places on a set itinerary for however long you are there for. Having the lead boat so close by means that there is always someone there if you get into difficulties...but this is not overly restricting. You are given a fair amount of free sailing time to do your own exploring, and there are also social events organised by Sunsail especially for those in flotillas, which you may or may not decide to attend.

The third option, for the more confident sailors, is a bareboat holiday, where you skipper your own yacht and provide your own crew. This is what we have done for the past three years, with my fiance skippering and my friends and I as the crew. Here you have the freedom to do what you want, when you want, but again, there are certain restrictions. In some of the Sunsail locations, you must be of a particular experience level to skipper a boat. Some destinations require Royal Yacht Association certificates of competence, while others requires no formal training whatsoever...experience levels detailed in the brochure, available from the Sunsail website, will tell you everything you need to know.

THE BOATS:

With Sunsail, you have the choice of hiring a catamaran, a power catamaran or a monohull yacht for your holiday. The main aesthetic difference between the three is, naturally, that monohulls have one hull while catamarans have two, and that the power catamaran has engines rather than sails, whereas the standard catamaran features sails. There are some other differences, however, that you should consider when making your decision.

1. Yachts:

Sunsail yacths range from 28 to 52 feet long, but the selection of yachts available is different from destination to destination. The size of yacht you hire will probably depend on two things: firstly, your level of sailing experience, and secondly, the number of people sleeping on the boat. Most of the Sunsail yachts feature at least three cabins, with some having more and some having a table in the saloon that converts to a double bed.

2. Catamarans:

Sunsail catamarans range from 37 to 46 feet long, but again, the choice of cataramarans available depends on the location. Catamarans are generally better for those with limited sailing experience, as they are more stable in the water, and don't heel (tip) as much as monohulls. The also tend to have slightly more living space inside. with even the 39 foot cats being able to sleep 8 people.

3. Power Catamarans:

There is only one model of these available, and is only available in North America. Sleeping only 6 people, it is smaller than a lot of the other boats, but is more stable on the water and enables you to get around quite quickly.

Sunsail boats are all very well kitted out, with towels, sheets, all the kitchen utensils you will need and lots of equipment that is useful for the boat, such as a medical kit, flares and sail mending equipment. You are also provided with charts of the area and measuring devices, to plot your course, and VHF and normal radio are always included. The boats are of a very high quality, being checked regularly by Sunsail for any problems, and if you have a problem while on the trip, Sunsail are happy to help, even if they have to travel out to reach your boat.

There are also many extras available for the boats at an extra cost, such as outboard engines (for the dinghy included with your boat!), kayaks, windsurfers, and GPS systems for the boat. If it's extra people you want, you can even hire a Sunsail cook! And finally, if you're worried about having to make a huge shopping trip once you get to your destination, you can provision your boat online in advance through Sunsail, and your shopping will be on your boat for you when you arrive. They really have thought of everything!

INSURANCE

Unsurprisingly, you need specialist watersports insurance for holidays like these, but Sunsail have thought of that, and provide their own. This is very reasonably priced, and starts at £25 per person for a 9 day sailing holiday. Family and couples' rates are also available, with full details on the website.

FLIGHTS

Flights are all included in Sunsail's prices, and air travel is on licensed charter flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Glasgow, Stansted and Bristol. Most of the time we have had no problems with flights (they have departed on time, meals have been included in the price, and things have generally gone smoothly), but this year we were left at Gatwick airport for a whole day before we finally got off the ground. Sunsail did, however, put us up in a hotel and pay for our meals, and you can claim back money for delayed flights on Sunsail's insurance policy. First Choice Airways is the carrier of choice, but if you want, you can decide to make your own way there and meet Sunsail reps at the airport, the cost of flights being deducted from the price of the holiday.

DESTINATIONS

The bit you've all been waiting for...where CAN you travel to on a Sunsail holiday?

As mentioned earlier, Sunsail has a choice of bases in 23 different countries nationwide. Below is a list of all countries served by Sunsail:

Mediterranean:

- Croatia, France, Greece, Spain, Turkey

Caribbean:

- Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Martin, St Vincent

British Waters:

- England, Scotland

European Waters:

- Holland

North America:

- Canada, USA

Indian Ocean:

- Malaysia, Seychelles, Thailand

South Pacific:

- Australia, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Tonga.

So far, I have been on Sunsail holidays to Turkey, Croatia and the British Virgin Islands, and all three holidays have been fantastic. The Sunsail staff are all amazingly friendly and helpful, and all speak English (so if you don't know sailing terms in other languages, don't worry!) The fleets in all three locations were in brilliant condition, and any queries we had were solved quickly and efficiently. The only major problem we had was with the First Choice flight this year, but this was (obviously) not Sunsail's fault.

SUNSAIL CLUBS

If you don't fancy a holiday purely consisting of sailing, Sunsail also offer a Sunsail Clubs package. Their award-winning clubs are perfect for combining time to do what you want with a watersports holiday: with seven clubs situated in Greece, Turkey and Antigua, you can do as much dinghy sailing, yachting and windsurfing as you want (even working towards qualifications!) along with a huge number of onshore activities including excursions, mountain biking, tennis and much more. For more details, the website is the place to look, or request a Sunsail brochure.

PRICES

Time to find out how much you're going to be paying for a holiday like this! It's very difficult to give an "average price", as prices vary depending on how many people are on the boat, which optional extras/crew you hire, and whereabouts and what time of year you decide to travel. As an example, a week's bareboat (you skippering the boat) holiday in Greece, with 4 people on the boat and including flights and transfers can cost from £320 to over £1000 a week, depending on the factors above. The bigger the boat and the further the destination, the more expensive the holiday is the general rule. As you can see, the price isn't as expensive as you would expect from a sailing holiday, so it's definitely worth doing! If you want more of an indication of prices, take a look at the website, where you can type in your exact requirements and a rough price will be given.

OVERALL

I can't recommend Sunsail enough. This is a company that makes yachting affordable for "normal people" like me, and is a great introduction to the sport. Not only do you get to travel to new places, but you have the chance to travel around when you get there and explore all kinds of places that you wouldn't otherwise be able to visit so easily from the mainland (in the British Virgin islands we found some fantastic uninhabited islands, and snorkelled over a huge shipwreck a short way out from the islands). If you find you enjoy it, you can even buy a yacht from Sunsail, as my fiance's family have done, giving you not only your own boat, but cheaper holidays all over the world with a special agreement with Sunsail.

Basically, it's a fantastic way of holidaying - something different, which gives you a method of travelling around, accommodation and fun all in one! As I say, I've taken Sunsail holidays for the last three years and not regretted a thing, and plan to take more in the future. Sailing holdays are a perfect way of seeing the world, and Sunsail provide all of the necessary equipment and expertise to make your sailing holiday as enjoyable as possible. It's easy to see why this company is the world's leading sailing holiday company. Highly recommended.

For more information and to order a brochure, check out www.sunsail.com 

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