Sailing events for your diary in 2016

by | Apr 20, 2016 | Sailing Events

Beaulieu Boatjumble

Beaulieu Boatjumble
Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire
24th April 2016
9am – 4.30pm

We’re big fans of the Beaulieu Boat Jumble, which takes place every year in the heart of the New Forest. The entry fee gets you access to hundreds of stalls selling new and used sailing kit, as well as admission to all the Beaulieu attractions including; The National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear, Palace House, Beaulieu Abbey and more. 

Get ready to haggle and get there early to find the best bargains.
Image credit

 

Round the Island Race
The Isle of Wight
2nd July 2016

The JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Yacht Race is one of our favourite events of the year. Taking place every summer, it brings together over 16,000 sailors from Olympic gold medalists and world champions, to amateur crews and those trying their hand at racing for the very first time.

It’s the largest yacht race in the world and a magnificent sight you won’t forget in a hurry. The only thing better than viewing from the sidelines is jumping on a yacht and joining in the fun, and if you’re looking to do so we have spaces available on our 72ft yachts. We’ll be making a weekend of it and setting off from Portsmouth with a training and preparation day on the Friday, before sailing over to Cowes to get to the start line nice and early on Saturday morning, returning to Portsmouth on the Sunday.

Find out everything you need to know and book your place

 

The America’s Cup
Southsea Common, Portsmouth
21st – 24th July 2016

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series has an exciting summer ahead with events in New York, Chicago, Toulon and Portsmouth. That’s right, after a successful event on Southsea Common last year, the America’s Cup is returning for another South Coast spectacular sailing event.

There’s a variety of tickets on offer, starting with access to the family friendly Race Village, to  seats in the Premier Grandstand, access to the Sailors Lounge and right through to VIP Hospitality.

The racing takes place over two days – the Saturday and Sunday, with the winner being announced after all the different rounds of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series 2015/2016.

Find out more information and follow all the action on Twitter using #LVACWSPORTSMOUTH


Cowes Week
Cowes, Isle of Wight
6th – 13th August

This iconic British sailing event is the largest sailing regatta in the world, and has been running since 1826. Held over 8 glorious days, with around 40 races each day and a whole host of shore-side activity, it’s not hard to see why Cowes Week is so popular with sailors and spectators alike!

As you can imagine, Cowes gets pretty busy during the event, and accommodation and transport is best booked in advance. Take a look at this guide from the Red Funnel for more information on the event and how to get there (if you’re not sailing over of course!).

Follow all the action on Twitter @cowes_week

southampton boat show

Southampton Boat Show
Town Quay, Southampton
16th – 25th September 2016

Britain’s best loved on-water Boat Show returns to Southampton for what promises to be yet another fantastic event. Alongside hundreds of boats, there’s also equipment, crafts, activities and much more. Did we mention it’s on water? The Boat show takes place on a purpose-built show marina in the city of Southampton. Image credit.

Find out more information and book tickets – under 15s go free

 

The ARC
From the Canaries to the Caribbean
November 2016

The ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) is one of those amazing life experiences you’ll never, ever forget. It’s an incredible journey, with over 200 yachts coming together to race across the Atlantic. Dating back to 1986, it started as a way for a few yachts to safely cross the ocean in the safety of each other’s company. It has since grown into the fantastic event it is today.

We’re proud to be entering a Challenger 72 into the ARC Rally 2016, and we have an opportunity for 12 people to crew in this trans-ocean race – the largest of its kind. Find out how you can join us.

We also blogged on board during last year’s event, catch up on all the action

 

London Boat Show
8th – 17th January 2017
ExCeL, London

Taking place in January 2017, this event may not be one for this year’s diary, but we couldn’t leave it off the list. Taking place at ExCeL London, what the London Boat Show lacks in water, it makes up in innovative sailing solutions. Featuring the latest boats and sailing products, it’s the place to be for keeping up with industry trends.

There’s also a whole host of activities, competitions and offers available on the day, providing fun for the whole family.

Find out more and sign up for email updates

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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  Excellent training course with Fergus!  - Excellent training course with Fergus! He made sure that across levels we were all learning and having fun! The extra context from his experience sailing was insightful and entertaining!

avatar thumb Jamie S
October 25, 2025

star rating  Yachmaster Ocean Theory  - 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... read more

avatar thumb Marty S
October 24, 2025

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

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