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Weekend Channel Hops – Offshore Experience in Two Days

by | Nov 24, 2025 | Channel Crossing - Channel Islands, Mile Building Sailing Trips

Yacht sailing across the English Channel at sunrise during a weekend Channel Hop

Weekend Channel Hops – Offshore Experience in Two Days

Part of our Mile Building Sailing Trips series.

Yacht sailing across the English Channel at sunrise during a weekend Channel Hop

Yacht crossing the Channel at dawn – a true offshore experience.

Short Offshore Adventures That Build Real Experience

Looking for a short but rewarding way to build miles and real-world experience? Our Weekend Channel Hops are compact offshore passages — typically from Southampton to Cherbourg, or Alderney and back— that let you experience genuine offshore sailing without taking a week off work.

They’re perfect for anyone wanting to gain offshore experience, work toward Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster certification, or simply improve seamanship in varied conditions.

Unlike a classroom course, these trips focus on experience: different weather, tides, sea states, traffic and the unexpected things that happen at sea — and how to deal with them safely and calmly. Every hop teaches you something new, whatever your level.

Crew planning a Channel crossing from Southampton to Cherbourg on a mile building sailing weekend

Passage planning before departure from Southampton.

Opportunity to Skipper a 60-Mile Passage

Each Channel Hop offers the opportunity for two people — one on the outbound leg and one on the return — to take on the role of skipper for a 60 nautical mile passage. This is done under the supportive eye (and coaching if needed) of our RYA Instructor.

It’s an invaluable experience for anyone aspiring to become a Yachtmaster Offshore, as it allows you to log a qualifying passage, handle decision-making and navigation, and feel the responsibility of skippering a crew across the Channel.

Student skippering a 60 nautical mile passage under RYA instructor supervision

Opportunity to take command under the guidance of our RYA Instructor.

What You’ll Learn on a Channel Hop

  • Offshore passage planning and tidal calculations
  • Cross the busy shipping lanes
  • Night sailing and watch systems
  • Pilotage into foreign harbours (e.g. Cherbourg, Alderney)
  • Weather assessment and route planning
  • Customs procedures and entry formalities

Typical trips log around 100–150 nautical miles, giving you meaningful offshore experience and confidence in navigation and boat handling.

Typical Itinerary

Friday evening: Arrive in Southampton, safety briefing, passage plan and weather review. Depart that night or early Saturday morning.  You may tie onto a buoy at Yarmouth on Friday evening if the tide at the Needles make that a good option.

Saturday: Cross the English Channel, taking turns on watch. Experience offshore sailing, helming and navigation by day and night. Arrive in Cherbourg or Alderney, explore ashore and enjoy dinner with the crew.

Sunday: Depart early for the return leg to Southampton. Log your miles, debrief and head home Sunday late pm.

Yacht arriving in Cherbourg after Channel crossing from Southampton

Arrival in Cherbourg – a satisfying highlight of your weekend adventure.

Why Choose a Weekend Channel Hop

  • Ideal for time-poor sailors who want meaningful offshore experience
  • Excellent preparation for future Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster training
  • Opportunity to skipper a 60-mile passage under instructor supervision
  • Real-world practice of tidal navigation and night sailing
  • Invaluable experience of crossing the shipping lanes
  • Professional skippers offer coaching and guidance throughout
  • A sociable, adventurous way to build confidence and sea miles

Navigation plotter showing route for a weekend Channel Hop sailing trip

Navigation and passage planning are core to the experience.

Preparation and What to Bring

  • Passport and RYA logbook (for mile recording)
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, sailing gloves and headtorch (red light if possible)
  • Soft-soled deck shoes
  • Snacks or treats to share with the crew

If it’s your first offshore or night-sailing experience, don’t worry — your skipper will guide you through every step, ensuring you feel comfortable and learn as you go.

Sailing crew getting ready to depart Southampton for a weekend Channel Hop to Cherbourg

Crew tidy up down below before departure from Southampton.

Book Your Channel Hop

Join a Weekend Channel Hop and experience what real offshore sailing is all about — passage planning, watch systems, night sailing and teamwork. Each weekend will make you a more confident, capable sailor.

View more information and upcoming Mile Building Sailing Trips or email [email protected] to reserve your berth.

If a weekend Channel crossing whets your appetite, take a look at our other Mile Building adventures. You might enjoy exploring the coast on our Dorset Jurassic Coast Cruises, logging more miles on a 7-Day Channel Triangle Trip, heading north on a Norway Expedition, or venturing far offshore on one of our Atlantic Adventures. Find them all in our main guide to Mile Building Sailing Trips.

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Maurice MacSweeney profile pictureMaurice MacSweeney
11:45 30 Oct 25
Over the last few years First Class Sailing have taken me all the way from complete novice to Coastal Skipper, with theory and other courses along the way (like VHF, First Aid, etc), and there's now no other school I'd want to train and study with. They really stand out from other providers with the quality of their instructors and the support and responsiveness you get from the office team. There's never too many students on a course, so you get lots of time to practise and learn from the instructor. By the end of each course you really feel you've been stretched and graduated to a much higher level of skill. A really high quality outfit and thoroughly recommended!
Response from the owner 13:56 06 Nov 25
Hi Maurice, we're so pleased to have been with you from the start of your sailing journey. That's great that you enjoyed the ratio of students to instructor and felt confident with the levels you achieved. Thanks for the review, we hope you manage to get plenty of sailing in after all the hard work you've put in.
Marty Stromquist profile pictureMarty Stromquist
15:22 24 Oct 25
I just finished another training week at First Class Sailing’s training center. The week was dedicated to Yachtmaster Ocean Theory, with a highlight on Celestial Navigation. The instructor, Nigel Rennie FRIN (Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation), was fantastic. It was very fast-paced, but covered the basics and theory behind Celestial Navigation. The jewel of the week was Rennie. His abundant patience, coupled with his experiences and passion for the art, made the week incredible. First Class Sailing have the best instructors. They know their craft and have real-life experience to make training both fun and memorable. Well Done!
Response from the owner 13:42 06 Nov 25
Thanks Marty. We're so pleased you enjoyed Nigel's expert guidance and passion for sailing. Like all our instructors, he loves teaching and sharing his knowledge, but manages to make it fun too. Thanks for the recommendation.
Anne-Laure McLeman profile pictureAnne-Laure McLeman
10:07 15 Oct 25
Being in an all female boat is a great way to learn. Kirsten, our instructor, had a very calm and reassuring style. The small size of the group (only 3 of us) meant we got a lot of attention and many opportunities to practice. Such a good week!
Response from the owner 13:24 06 Nov 25
Thank-you for the review Anne-Laure. That's great that the all female option suited you well and you enjoyed learning with Kirsten. Hopefully all that practice has set you up well for future sailing. Good luck!
Angus Sandison profile pictureAngus Sandison
19:57 07 Oct 25
Really great experience with First Class. My partner and I did our Day Skipper over two weekends with our instructor Mark. He was fantastic. Patient as we learned and made the whole thing fun. The boats are great and organization by First Class was seamless. Would totally recommend.
Response from the owner 13:17 06 Nov 25
Thanks Angus. That's good that you enjoyed Mark's style of teaching and also had lots of fun along the way. Wishing you lots of happy sailing in the future.
Tricia Bunten profile pictureTricia Bunten
18:48 07 Oct 25
I just finished a fantastic week taking my Day Skipper practical with First Class Sailing and I highly recommend them. I chose the Women Only week and had an incredibly patient instructor who was able to help each of us individually with areas of weakness but also worked great with us as a group. I had never sailed in the Solent before and it was the perfect location for this class. I am so grateful for First Class and my instructor for helping me build confidence and experience.
Photo from customer review
Response from the owner 16:59 04 Nov 25
Thanks Tricia, we're so pleased you enjoyed the Women Only week and had a positive experience. We always say that the Solent really is one of the best places to learn and it has some beautiful scenery to explore too, so that's good that you appreciated it. Hope you manage to get out on the water soon.
Evan Ainsworth profile pictureEvan Ainsworth
20:30 05 Oct 25
They do say that what sets great companies apart is customer service. This is my third time with first class sailing the first time was a few years ago when we did our competent crew it was one of the best weeks of our lives. Then we came again in August for the kids to do their competent crew and my wife and I to do our day skipper course. Unfortunately when I did my day skipper course the weather was terrible and I was unable to have a good session to pass. So Jake said to me you can come back and have a free weekend on us to enable you to pass. And again I had a fabulous weekend. There was just three of us on the boat. A wonderful instructor, Tom, and another student. Tom was an excellent instructor he was relaxed, he had great experiences, he got on with the practical part of sailing not just a lot of theory and he was thorough. He had lots of practical tips to make sailing easier and had some good exercises forest to try. We had a super trip down to Yarmouth where he cooked a wonderful dinner and then we went to the pub. Where we met another first class sailing group and spent the evening listening to their tall tales. The following day we had a super sail back to Southampton, with lots of cool exercises and I was thrilled to pass my day skipper.
Photo from customer review
Response from the owner 16:46 04 Nov 25
Thanks for the review Evan and congratulations on passing your Day Skipper practical, the hard work has paid off. That's good that the whole family joined you for one of the trips and so now hopefully you have some willing crew members for future sails. Good luck!
hugo kirby profile picturehugo kirby
15:26 09 Sep 25
great course with a very engaged and helpful instructor - who was happy to go outside the curriculum and give us the benefit of his wider knowledge - throroughly recommended
Response from the owner 15:30 11 Sep 25
That's good that you appreciated the experiences and extra knowledge that the instructor passed on. Thanks for the recommendation.
Justin Brooks profile pictureJustin Brooks
11:11 23 Aug 25
We would highly recommend First Class Sailing.

Very well organised with a top quality instructor who provided tuition tailored to our differing needs.

A fantastic option for a couple wanting an entire boat to do a mixed Competent Crew / Day Skipper itinerary.
Response from the owner 14:21 28 Aug 25
Thanks Justin. We always find that mixing the Competent Crew & Day Skipper works well, so that's great that it worked for you too. Hope you manage to get out on the water soon and put all your learning into practice.
ChrisC profile pictureChrisC
15:37 22 Aug 25
Great experience doing a Yachtmaster Offshore prep week followed by exam. Lots of useful paperwork up-front for the course admin and training exercises. The 3-day prep format worked well and Hayley did a brilliant job of cramming in the training over those days. Lovely modern boat too called Sazerac. Will be back.
Response from the owner 14:17 28 Aug 25
Hi Chris, thanks for the review. Congratulations on gaining your YMO qualification. There's a lot to cover, but as you've found, the hard work really pays off. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Miles Barr profile pictureMiles Barr
11:27 03 Aug 25
I completed my Competent Crew and Day Skipper Practical with First Class Sailing. It was a great experience. I hired the whole boat each time, taking my family members along who also earned their Competent Crew qualifications.
Response from the owner 15:21 21 Aug 25
Thanks Miles. That's great that hiring the whole boat for your courses worked well for you all. Now that your family have their comp crew qualifications, you'll have plenty of help onboard for future sails! Good luck.

star rating  A consistently great experience  - Over the last few years First Class Sailing have taken me all the way from complete novice to Coastal Skipper, with theory and other courses along the way (like VHF,... read more

avatar thumb Mo M
October 30, 2025

star rating  All female boat for day skipper practical  - Being in an all female boat is a great way to learn. Kirsten, our instructor, had a very calm and reassuring style. The small size of the group (only 3... read more

ALMC62
October 15, 2025

star rating  First Class experience.  - Very good experience with First Class Sailing. Mark was a terrific teacher and the boat was well equipped and comfortable for a 5 day course. Would definitely recommend.

Michael K
October 8, 2025

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