7 days
Duration
Martinique
Location
Medium, Hard
Physicality

Our newest release, this 7-day fast-track performance monohull course turns monohull skippers into fine-tuned sailors. Training happens on a legendary Pogo 12.5. All prices are per person.

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATIONMarina du Marin, Le Marin, Martinique
DEPARTURE TIMESunday at 9:30 AM
RETURN TIMESaturday at 12 midday
WEARComfortable athletic clothing, boating shoes, hat, rain jacket and sunscreen
INCLUDED
Professional instructor
On-board accommodation
All docking fees
All local fees
Food & wine on board
Fuel costs
Certification fees
NOT INCLUDED
Food & drinks off the boat
Instructor gratuity

Course Preparation

PREREQUISITESASA 104, NauticEd Bareboat, RYA Dayskipper or comparable sailing experience is recommended although not required
ONLINE COURSE PREPARATIONAbout 10 hours, course material will be provided after booking your course.
INCLUDED CERTIFICATIONS
ASA >104 (if required)
Sailing Virgins Performance Course

Who is a Performance Course for?

We started our school with the belief that people under 50 want a sailing experience that is more athletic, more exhilarating than your typical cruising course. Our strong growth last year and perfect five star ratings on Tripadvisor, Google and Facebook suggests we’re onto something. Here is a bit more about us.

This course follows our guiding principle, that sailing is one of the coolest, most exhilarating, athletic things you can do. Sailing courses are often held on tired old cruising boats. We have a Pogo. This thing is fast. Designed by Finot-Conq, the Pogo 12.5 is the boy-racer of monohulls. 15 or more knots is to be expected on a week with typical Caribbean trade winds.

How many people can go on a course?

On this boat we can take five students. We have a senior instructor for the week, making sure everyone gets both boat and instructor time.

What are the instructors like?

Your instructor makes or breaks a sailing course. Ours are the best in the market. If you are older, wanting someone to take things a bit slow, and keep the music down, our instructors would not be right for you. We are happy to recommend some more suitable schools if that’s the case.

To be a Sailing Virgins instructor you need to have at least two seasons as a lead skipper for The Yacht Week in the Med and Caribbean, plus have at least a couple of ocean crossings under the belt. These guys can sail like nobody’s business. And they can get on with anyone and everyone.

Catamarans or Monohulls?

We like them both.  The spoiler here is that it’s not about the boat so much as the crew. Nevertheless they have their pros and cons. While cats are normally faster, a Pogo will beat all but the fastest cats (one of the few who can beat it is the TS42, which we sail in our Performance Cat Course). We cover the difference in more detail here.

I still need convincing. Why Sailing Virgins?

To see if we are a fit for each other, check this page.

Additional information

MonthsFebruary, March, April, May, June, July
1

Day 1 – Sunday 9.30AM

Arrive at Kokoarum Restaurant, Le Marin, Martinique to meet your fellow students and instructor. Le Marin is near to many AirBnB and HomeAway accommodation options. Once you have settled in, your instructor will conduct a safety briefing and take you through the course plan.  Shortly afterwards you will be on your way! A popular first stop is Grande Anse where you will be able to have a snorkel and enjoy a fantastic locally sourced dinner. Every day you will moor or anchor up for the night, finish the official course activities at around 5pm and either cook aboard or go ashore to have dinner.
2

Day 2 – Day 6

Wake up to the sounds of the sea. You will get your sea legs as your instructor continues to teach you going through the course syllabus. All the modules in the course outline will be covered. The instructor will take time with every student to make sure they have a good level of competency at the end of the week. The locations visited during the course can change on short notice due to weather and other conditions, but for your reference they will most likely include: Fort-de-France, Grande Anse, St Pierre, Le Marin, Anse Noir.  Students are encouraged to do their NauticEd course work before commencing the on-board component.
3

Day 7

On the last day we sail back to Le Marin, tacking up the main channel. Once back ashore we will finish the course at the Kokoarum Restaurant. There will be a debrief with your instructor.

We can occasionally provide accommodation for the nights surrounding your course for an extra fee.  Contact us for options.

Martinique

More information on the Pogo 12.5 can be found here.

pogo 12.5