Lefkada, Greece Sailing school

Learn to sail in Greece

Up your sailing skills in the heart of the Ionian from our base in historic Lefkas, Greece. Our fully RYA-accredited sailing schools are the perfect place to gain a qualification, offering everything from the RYA Yacht Starting course through to the RYA Day Skipper, RYA Competent Crew certification, and beyond.

Learn to sail or hone your skills in the calm conditions and easy line-of-sight navigation of the Ionian Islands. Whether you’re completely new to sailing or want to earn your RYA Day Skipper qualification and start notching up those nautical miles, our Ionian Islands Sailing School has something to offer all levels.

Prices and availability

Level	Course
Beginner	RYA Competent Crew
Beginner	Flotilla Starter
Some experience	Flotilla Hero
Intermediate	RYA Day Skipper

**For availability and Flotilla Hero course price please talk to our Holiday Planners.

Practical information

You can find additional helpful information in our Lefkas Sailing School Joining Instructions. 

What to bring

• Tickets, money, passport and driving licence if you plan to hire a car.
• Clothing: Greece enjoys a pleasant temperature all year, however May, June, September and October evenings can be cool, so a fleece and long trousers are recommended. Bring some light wet weather gear with you just in case.
• Please remember to  bring photo ID and one passport size photo with you if you are taking the RYA Day Skipper course (and above) so that certificates can be issued.

RYA Day Skipper practical and RYA Competent Crew

RYA Day Skipper practical candidates must have completed an RYA Day Skipper theory course or have equivalent knowledge in advance of taking their practical course. We also encourage students to read the RYA Day Skipper practical book. If the theory element is not completed in advance, it is unlikely a student will pass the practical assessment. Day Skipper theory courses can be taken at our Port Solent, UK school or online.

Successful completion of this course will provide you with RYA Competent Crew or Day Skipper qualifications. For the Day Skipper course, each candidate should bring a passport photo for certification paperwork.

Accommodation

• You will be sleeping aboard your yacht.
• Duvet, sheets, pillow and a shower towel are all provided. If you have purchased a berth you may share a cabin with another student, if you have purchased a cabin you will have this cabin to yourself. If you have chosen to charter the entire yacht you will of course have this for your party only.
• Bring your belongings in a soft holdall as there is little storage on board.

Yacht course itinerary

Embarkation, course start Sunday 6pm

Welcome meeting                        Monday 9am

Course finish                                 Friday 5pm

Disembarkation                           Sunday 10am 

Sunday arrival

On arrival at our Lefkas base, you will be introduced to your skipper, who will get you settled on board your yacht and give a basic introductory briefing. After stowing your luggage, you have the rest of the day to yourself and can meet the other members of the crew.

If there’s anything you’d like to know about your boat or any available facilities, please ask your skipper or a member of the Sunsail team. However, a full yacht and safety briefing will be given on Monday morning at the start of your course.

Monday welcome meeting

This is a good opportunity to meet the other course members. Your Sunsail skipper will give a brief for the week, covering course content and the sailing itinerary.

Monday to Friday

Each day starts at approx 9am and finishes at approximately 6pm One day may be extended to allow four hours of night sailing. Your yacht is already provisioned for the five-day course, including breakfast and lunch on board. There’s free time in the evening when the crew can dine ashore wherever they wish. During the week, you will visit various ports and marinas.

Friday 5pm

Your course ends back at the base, where you can enjoy a drink or sample local cuisine watching the sunset over the bay.

Saturday

This is a great day to explore Lefkas Island. Hire a car or use the local bus route. The west of the island has some stunning beaches, and if you ask at reception we can recommend our favourites.

Sunday departure

Please vacate your cabin by 9.30am.

Children on courses

Sunsail welcomes your older children on any of our courses at any time of year, provided they are accompanied by at least one adult. However, to participate in courses they must meet the minimum age requirements.

• Competent Crew Certification Course- Minimum age 12+
• RYA Day Skipper Certification Course- Minimum age is 16+

Please note you will need to charter the entire yacht if a child under the age of 18 is participating in the course.

Course provisioning

• Breakfast and lunch are provided on board together with one evening meal. You are welcome to purchase any extra nibbles you may require, but there are a number of restaurants to dine at every night.
• We do not specifically cater for vegetarian or other dietary needs, but please inform us at the time of your booking or call a member of our aftersales team and we’ll endeavour to do so.
• Evening meals are at your own expense. Your skipper can recommend good restaurants at each overnight stop.
• Please note: you will be expected to help with the cooking, washing up and general housekeeping of the yacht.

Marina fees

Mooring/marina fees are not included in the course fees and are generally split amongst the crew. Check Lefkas base’s eGuide for more information on berth prices and we encourage you to bring some cash to cover this.

Travel & Base information

For further travel & base information, please find more detail here.

Flotilla Hero & Starter Courses

Why not combine your course with a family holiday on our Flotilla Starter course or our Flotilla Hero course? Climb aboard and share unforgettable family experiences while gaining your RYA Start Yachting or RYA Day Skipper certificate. On the Flotilla Hero course, up to two can earn an RYA Day Skipper certification or up to three crew members can gain their RYA Competent Crew qualification.