Learn to Sail
Punta Ala Sailing Center offers various types of courses using licensed instructors to teach
Our basic course is suitable for both children and adults: it will be the responsibility of our instructors to vary and customize teaching techniques according to the type of student. Whether following a game-sport course or a more purely educational one, one of the foundational aspects of this course will be to show students how sailing can and should be experienced safely. At the same time, our instructors will be able to adjust the training offerings, grasping the personal abilities and potential, of each individual student. The course may be collective or individual on double or group boats.
No prior knowledge is required and we will start with the basics to achieve goals that will make you knowledgeable to tackle the amazing world of sailing: we will start from rigging the boat and moving on from launching/hauling we will touch on all the basics of sailing such as using the sheet, sculling, boat motion, using the rudder and navigating in a row or buoy course. In addition to all this, hints of meteorology, the main knots of seamanship, the use of wind according to the chosen course but also posture on board as well as respect for the environment and materials will be corollary. Our course will be a comprehensive and educational experience but also full of new and unforgettable emotions and feelings.
This course is a natural continuation of the basic course: it is the rule that the same instructor follows the group of students he has already trained in the basic course in order to continue with the same teaching and because the student-instructor relationship is already established. It is a useful course to fill in gaps left over from previous classes but also a way to refine all that has already been acquired as cultural background by the student during the basic course. Navigation is now conscious, and it is the instructor’s job to allow more and more autonomy to the students in maneuvering and running the boat. The instructor may choose double or collective boats as well as decide whether to be on board or use a support vessel such as a dinghy.
It is necessary to be able to prove that you have passed every test of a basic course to be eligible for this type of class. In addressing the use of the rudder and its effects on the movement and rotation of the boat, the course will focus on refining boat handling techniques. It will be the aim of the course to continue to cover the topics already explained in the previous lectures but also to progress in the art of sailing with conscious adjustment of sails hand in hand with autonomous perception of the gait undertaken and the effects of wind direction on the chosen course. Students will begin the journey toward sailing independence.
The advanced course is the final step to total independence in the sailing world. It is not necessarily related to the natural continuation of the previous two courses since the student may come to us already with the necessary foundation to deal with this experience: it is not framed in a specific time space since it can be organized over several weekends but also in other forms. In this type of course, it will be essential to integrate a whole series of notions related to meteorology on the one hand, and to more general boating on the other, to the driving of the vehicle. This type of course is intended to refine the knowledge of those who have decided to gain more awareness outside of a competition perspective.
Getting to a point, wherever it is from the starting point, use of the Gennaker, mentions of meteorology and the effects of current and tide, mentions of current regulations, switching to different boats and roles on board, even in challenging conditions, returning to the beach and/or dock in all conditions. It will be the overcoming of the difficulties associated with these non-simple trials that will lead our students to be independent and aware of their abilities at sea even in the most hostile conditions. Our instructors will be happy to embark with you on this adrenaline-pumping but also technical and all-encompassing adventure.
Catamaran
HOBIE CAT 15 AND PACIFIC 18 FEET
Fast, adrenaline-pumping, acrobatic and at the same time safe and comfortable…
Hobie Cat 15 and Pacific 18 Feet
Fast, adrenaline-pumping, acrobatic and at the same time safe and comfortable, our Hobie Cats will be able to give you the strongest thrills and at the same time can guarantee you a lesson in total peace of mind. The catamaran is a fun and versatile craft. With little or very little wind, it is the ideal boat for newcomers, even very young ones, who want to approach sailing since, thanks to their structure, they move with relative speed making sure that all maneuvers can be completed and understood to the fullest. In stronger winds, our instructors will be able to make you appreciate the character of this boat!
Laser Bahia
Designed with stability, safety and performance in mind. It has a comfortable and spacious cockpit that can accommodate up to five adults, suitable for both the family and for those who want to race a bit. Maneuvers are simplified but the more experienced can then have the time of their lives exploiting the 14-square-meter gennaker, which is definitely a lot of fun.
Windsurfing
Do you want to confront the sea by bringing out your instinctive side and tack standing upright on a board with the wind in your hair and your hands cocking the sail? Windsurfing is the medium for you! For years an Olympic discipline and has always been one of the most spectacular sports. Our Sailing Center provides its students with equipment suitable for both novices and more seasoned windsurfers. You will find boards and sails that will allow you to start and progress in this sport easily, a sport that will give you priceless thrills.
