Pre-Season Sailing Refreshers: Essential Training for 2026 | Commodore Yachting
2024 pre-season refresher courses
Our pre-season sailing refreshers are designed to get you back on the water with confidence after the winter break, covering everything from boat handling to safety drills. With January behind us, now is the time to think about this year’s sailing plans, including brushing up on those essential skills that may have gathered some rust over the winter months, includinWe have a couple of suggestions that prove popular year after year. They are well worth doing and won’t break the bank, pre-season sailing refreshers..that prove popular year after year. They are well worth doing and won’t break the bank.
The whole day takes place in the safe, friendly environment of Portsmouth Harbour, usually around Gosport Marina. You will experience the typical tidal flows the Solent is famous for, along with varying wind conditions, plus the added benefit of manoeuvring in a lively, active marina, as true to real sailing conditions as it gets. By the end of the course, you will feel far more confident in your refreshed skills, making your weekend sailing trips far less stressful. We have various dates available for the Marina Skills and Boat Handling day, all at great value at £125 per person:
Why pre-season training matters
Pre-season sailing refreshers are essential for anyone who has spent the winter away from the water. Skills fade, confidence drops, and even experienced sailors benefit from a structured return to sailing. Our pre-season sailing refreshers are specifically designed to rebuild your competence in a supportive, low-pressure environment. Each pre-season sailing refreshers course is led by an RYA-qualified instructor who understands the challenges of returning to the water after a break. Our pre-season sailing refreshers cover the full range of skills you will need for the season ahead. From picking up mooring buoys under power and sail to man overboard drills, emergency procedures, and passage planning, these pre-season sailing refreshers rebuild both your technical ability and your decision making confidence.
Our course options for returning sailors
We offer several formats for our pre-season sailing refreshers. The Marina Skills and Boat Handling day focuses on the most stressful part of any passage, leaving and returning to your berth. Our pre-season sailing refreshers also include dedicated RYA VHF Radio courses, essential for anyone who needs to renew their certificate or get qualified for the first time. All our pre-season sailing refreshers are run from our base at Premier Gosport Marina, giving direct access to the best sailing waters on the South Coast. For those who want a comprehensive return to sailing, our multi-day pre-season sailing refreshers combine boat handling, navigation, safety drills, and passage planning into a single package. You will leave our pre-season sailing refreshers feeling confident, competent, and ready for the season.
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- 2Lunch is not provided, but we do stop in the marina so you can go ashore to grab something from the local shops or enjoy a packed lunch on board, pre-season sailing refreshers.. RYA VHF course as a prerequisite for anyone who goes out on the water. It is also required for the RYA Yachtmaster exam and other professional qualifications. It really is a no-brainer and takes just a day in our classroom, or you can complete it online at your own pace. The qualification is for life, plus you get to keep the excellent RYA VHF radio course book for future reference, includinIt is not just for skippers either, it is a great course for crew members too. Having someone handle VHF radio calls while the skipper is busy helming and organising the crew is a fantastic way to spread the load and reduce stress for everyone, includinIt is also an informative and fun day. You will use actual VHF radios in our dedicated classroom, learning about all the features modern radios offer, making ship-to-ship calls, practising mock Mayday and Pan-Pan calls, learning the terminology, and discovering who NOT to call for a radio check (a subtle hint: it is your local marina or the NCI Coastwatch, who generally do not mind being asked politely), includinWe hold RYA VHF courses monthly, including time for the exam at the end if you want to obtain your licence. The exam fee is not included, so you will need to book and pay that through the RYA website. The course is excellent value at £125 per person, pre-season sailing refreshers..aster exam and other professional qualifications. It really is a no-brainer and takes just a day in our classroom, or you can complete it online at your own pace. The qualification is for life, plus you get to keep the excellent RYA VHF radio course book for future reference.It is not just for skippers either, it is a great course for crew members too. Having someone handle VHF radio calls while the skipper is busy helming and organising the crew is a fantastic way to spread the load and reduce stress for everyone. It is also an informative and fun day. You will use actual VHF radios in our dedicated classroom, learning about all the features modern radios offer, making ship-to-ship calls, practising mock Mayday and Pan-Pan calls, learning the terminology, and discovering who NOT to call for a radio check (a subtle hint: it is your local marina or the NCI Coastwatch, who generally do not mind being asked politely). We hold RYA VHF courses monthly, including time for the exam at the end if you want to obtain your licence. The exam fee is not included, so youWhy not book a VHF course with us alongside a Marina Skills day? Browse our full range of one-day courses for more pre-season training options. For those looking to build further experience, our mile-building weekends are another excellent way to get back on the water, includinAnd as ever, we love arranging group bookings for courses, skippered charters, race days, you name it. Just drop us a line and tell us what you would like to do, no matter how wild it sounds. You would be amazed what we can organise!, pre-season sailing refreshers.24/”>12th May</Commodore Yachting has been delivering RYA-accredited sailing courses from Gosport Marina on the Solent since 1999. Over the past 25+ years, our qualified instructors have trained thousands of students in the challenging tidal waters of the South Coast, building genuine sailing competence that transfers to any destination worldwide, includiThe Solent offers one of the UK’s most rewarding sailing environments. Its complex tides, diverse ports of call, and changeable weather conditions create a proper classroom. Navigating the shipping lanes near Portsmouth Harbour, picking up a mooring in Newtown Creek, planning a passage across to the Isle of Wight, every trip teaches lessons you simply cannot learn in calmer, non-tidal waters. Training here means your skills are tested in real conditions, making you a better, more confident sailor wherever you choose to cruise, includiWe offer courses from RYA Competent Crew through to Yachtmaster Fast Track. Our all-inclusive pricing covers tuition, accommodation on board our Bavaria yachts, all meals (full English breakfast, lunch, dinner), snacks and soft drinks, wet-weather gear and lifejacket hire, all safety equipment, and free marina berthing at Premier Marinas (worth £50–80 a night). Group sizes are capped at 5 students per course, ensuring you get proper one-to-one attention from your instructor, pre-season sailing refreshers..ace days, you name it. Just drop us a line and tell us what you would like to do, no matter how wild it sounds. You would be amazed what we can organise!
Keep on sailing! The Commodore Chronicles
About sailing with commodore yachting
Commodore Yachting has been delivering RYA-accredited sailing courses from Gosport Marina on the Solent since 1999. Over the past 25+ years, our qualified instructors have trained thousands of students in the challenging tidal waters of the South Coast, building genuine sailing competence that transfers to any destination worldwide. The Solent offers one of the UK’s most rewarding sailing environments. Its complex tides, diverse ports of call, and changeable weather conditions create a proper classroom. Navigating the shipping lanes near Portsmouth Harbour, picking up a mooring in Newtown Creek, planning a passage across to the Isle of Wight, every trip teaches lessons you simply cannot learn in calmer, non-tidal waters. Training here means your skills are tested in real conditions, making you a better, more confident sailor wherever you choose to cruise.
We offer courses from RYA Competent Crew through to Yachtmaster Fast Track. Our all-inclusive pricing covers tuition, accommodation on board our Bavaria yachts, all meals (full English breakfast, lunch, dinner), snacks and soft drinks, wet-weather gear and lifejacket hire, all safety equipment, and free marina berthing at Premier Marinas (worth £50–80 a night). Group sizes are capped at 5 students per course, ensuring you get proper one-to-one attention from your instructor.
What sets our pre-season sailing refreshers apart
Our pre-season sailing refreshers are designed by experienced RYA Yachtmaster Instructors who understand exactly what skills deteriorate over winter. Each pre-season sailing refreshers course begins with a skills assessment, so we can focus on the areas where you need most practice. Unlike generic sailing days, our pre-season sailing refreshers are structured training sessions with clear learning objectives and measurable outcomes. We limit our pre-season sailing refreshers to small groups of five students maximum, ensuring everyone gets individual attention from the instructor. This is particularly important for pre-season sailing refreshers because confidence levels vary significantly between students. Our pre-season sailing refreshers are run aboard our modern Bavaria fleet yachts, fully equipped with Raymarine navigation electronics and all necessary safety equipment including liferafts and EPIRBs. For the 2026 season, we have expanded our pre-season sailing refreshers schedule to include weekend options for those who cannot take time off during the week. Our pre-season sailing refreshers are available from March through May, giving plenty of opportunity to get ready before the main season begins.
Book your pre-season sailing refreshers
Ready to get back on the water? Our pre-season sailing refreshers are now open for booking for the 2026 season. Spaces on our pre-season sailing refreshers fill quickly, particularly the weekend options which are popular with working sailors. Book your pre-season sailing refreshers early to secure your preferred dates and avoid disappointment. Call Commodore Yachting on 023 9250 4443 to book your pre-season sailing refreshers today. Our pre-season sailing refreshers represent the best investment you can make in your sailing year. The confidence and competence you gain from pre-season sailing refreshers will enhance every trip you make during the season. Join the many sailors who return year after year for our pre-season sailing refreshers and start your season with the skills and confidence you deserve.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I need previous experience? A: No. RYA Competent Crew is designed for complete beginners. You will learn everything on the course, sail handling, deck work, safety procedures, and living aboard a cruising yacht. Q: What type of yachts do you use? A: We maintain a modern fleet of Bavaria cruising yachts, 36 to 44 feet, fitted with the latest Raymarine navigation electronics and regularly serviced. Each yacht has multiple cabins, a galley, chart table, and full safety equipment including liferaft and EPIRB. Q: How many students per course? A: Maximum of 5. This gives you plenty of time at the helm and proper individual attention from your RYA-qualified instructor. Some schools pack 8 or more students onto a boat, we keep our groups small for a reason.
Q: What is included in the price? A: Everything. Tuition, accommodation, all meals, wet-weather gear, lifejackets, safety equipment, certificate, and marina berthing. No hidden extras. Many schools charge extra for food (£20–40/day), accommodation (£30–50/night), and kit hire (£15–25/day), we do not. Our prices are genuinely all-inclusive. Q: Can I do theory courses online? A: Yes. RYA Day Skipper Theory, Coastal Skipper Theory, and Yachtmaster Theory are all available online through Commodore Yachting. Work through them at your own pace and complete the practical course when you are ready. Q: What happens after I qualify? A: You can build experience with our Mile Building weekends, charter yachts from our fleet (available to qualified sailors), or progress to the next RYA level. Many of our students return year after year for advanced courses and cruises.
Why the Solent is the uk’s best training ground
The Solent is widely regarded as the finest sailing training area in the United Kingdom. The stretch of water between mainland England and the Isle of Wight offers everything a sailor needs to develop genuine competence: strong tides that demand careful planning, busy shipping lanes that teach collision avoidance, a wide variety of ports and anchorages that build pilotage skills, and weather patterns that can change from flat calm to a solid Force 6 in a matter of hours.
Sailors who train in the Solent develop skills that transfer anywhere in the world. The tidal planning you learn here prepares you for cruising the Channel Islands, the coast of Brittany, or the deep waters of the Atlantic. The IRPCS knowledge you practise daily in the Solent’s traffiLS
For further information, visit the RYA website.
