BEGINNER’S CATAMARAN COURSE
A catamaran is a sailing boat with two hulls. This allows for the use of a proportionally larger sail than that used on monohulls, enabling us to sail faster and more steadily. It also makes it easier to manoeuvre when approaching the shore. Isla Canela has magnificent beaches for this activity, as they are free of rocks, rarely have waves breaking on them, and usually enjoy a constant thermal breeze throughout the summer season. Furthermore, the surroundings—with the sandy islands, the River Guadiana and Portugal so close by—make for an interesting and enjoyable sailing experience.
The course lasts 10 hours, spread over 5 sessions of 2 hours each. Under normal circumstances, courses run from Monday to Friday and it is recommended to complete them consecutively. However, we adapt to the client’s needs, whether to shorten or extend the duration. The only requirement is to be over 12 years old and a confident swimmer. During the course, the school will provide all the equipment: boats and life jackets.
- The boat chosen by our school for the courses is the Hobie Cat-15, a perfect boat for learning and enjoying sailing as it has no boom, is very manoeuvrable and very easy to capsize. It has a capacity of 3 people
- We use our own custom-made sails, courtesy of VOP SAIL
COURSE STRUCTURE
We’ve broken it down into steps: parts of the boat, courses, manoeuvres, launching and hauling in the boat, man overboard recovery, basic safety rules and righting the boat. We start on land with a theory session covering all the above points, and the rest of the course is entirely practical on the water, with sailing from day one. We also teach you stretching exercises and warm-ups before getting into the water. There will be between one and three students on the catamaran, plus the instructor, who will teach the class from the boat. Students will learn how to navigate the sea relying solely on the wind. At the end of the course, we teach how to right the boat to sail safely in all conditions. Private lessons are also available for students who require more individual attention.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the course is for students to sail independently in light winds, to be able to sail in all directions, to gybe, to tack, to launch and retrieve the boat, and to return to the starting point. Students should be able to judge the direction of the wind and navigate accordingly. We will strive at all times to ensure that the lessons are dynamic and enjoyable.
