Sailing school

Beginners, individual or group courses for those wanting to approach the world of sailing. The courses can be held with a crew of two or more and the instructor is normally on board to guide the learning process. No minimum knowledge or previous experience is required, just the desire to embark on a new adventure. Among the aims of the course is the teaching of the nomenclature of the boat so that students are able to recognise every part and know its function, as well as the roles on board, and the launching and mooring of the craft in total safety. More technical notions will also be provided linked to safe movement onboard, safety in the water and how to autonomously arm and disarm the craft.

The basic course is suitable for children and also adults: It is the instructors’ responsibility to vary and personalise the teaching techniques by following either a game-sport itinerary or a more educational course. One of the fundamental aspects is that of teaching the participants how sailing can and must be carried out safely. The Instructors adapt the training offer, identifying the personal capacities and potential of each participant. This course can be collective or individual, held on boats for two or for groups. No previous experience is necessary, it begins with the basics in order to achieve the objectives that will make the student aware and capable of approaching the fantastic world of sailing. First there is the arming of the boat, followed by the launching and mooring with all the essential elements of sailing taken into account, with the use of the sheet, capsizing, the boat engine, use of the helm, sailing in rows or guided by buoys. Information about the weather is provided, the main seamanship knots taught, as well as how to use the wind depending on the route selected, the correct posture on board as well as respect for the environment and the materials. The course is a complete training experience, filled with thrills and new, unforgettable sensations.

This course is the natural continuation of the basic course: on principle, the same instructor follows the group of students that he/she has already trained in order to continue with the same type of teaching and to follow up the student-instructor relationship that has already been established. This is a useful practice for bridging any gaps remaining from the previous lessons, but also a good way for perfecting and better understanding what has already been acquired as a cultural framework by the student during the basic course. The navigation is now carried out in a knowledgable and aware manner and it is the instructor’s duty to give increasingly more headway to the students in the manoeuvring and piloting of the boat. The instructors may choose either two-crew or group boats or even use a backup craft such as an inflatable boat. Students must demonstrate that they have passed all the tests during the basic course in order to be able to take part in these types of lessons, as the fact of ignoring previous teaching or not having completely understood them would be detrimental for the continuation of the student’s sailing experience. In learning about the use of the helm and its effects on the movement and turning of the boat, the course centres on the perfecting of the piloting techniques of the craft with knowledgeable handling of the sails, autonomous perception of the type of sailing undertaken and the effects of the wind on the route chosen. Thanks to tacking, tack fitting and changing tack, the students of the intermediate course will have the chance to feel at home on the boat and will finally begin on the real road to sailing independence which is the ultimate goal of the Centro Velico Punta Ala.

The advanced course is the final step for total independence in the world of sailing. It is not necessarily connected to the natural continuation of the two previous courses since the student may already have the basics needed to cope with this type of experience: nor does this course fit into a precise timeframe as it may be organised on several weekends or even in other forms. With this type of course it is essential to integrate the running of the boat with a whole series of notions on a broader spectrumdealing with the weather conditions and general navigation. The purpose of this type of course is to improve and acquire more extensive knowledge outside the perspective of a race or a precompetitive itinerary. The course focuses on the following points: the reaching of a point, irrespective of where it is located, in relation to the starting point, use of the gennaker, information about meteorology and the effects of the tides and currents, notes on current regulations, passing vessels and the different roles of the crew on board, also in tough conditions, returning to the beach and/or wharf in all kinds of conditions. If the students overcome the difficulties linked to these rather complicated trials, they will become independent and gain awareness of their own capacities at sea, even in the toughest conditions.