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Further trainingLearning for next summer - the best courses, webinars, books & co.

Nils Leiterholt

 · 10.01.2024

Sailing is best learnt on board. However, the individual topics can be covered in greater depth thanks to a colourful range of further training courses in winter
Photo: YACHT/Lars Jacobsen
Winter is training season. The offer ranges from traditional courses and online seminars to the study of textbooks and learning books. How to use the time off sailing effectively
Topics in this article

The owners' boats are in winter storage and the charter season is also over. It's time for the to-do lists, which often include things that have been put off from the previous year. This doesn't just apply to work on the boat.

Sailing training is also a topic that is all too often postponed. Yet there are now many ways to turn it into a real entertainment programme. We have put together some of the most popular topics relating to sailing.

1. astronavigation

Astronavigation continues to enjoy great popularity among sailors. Should the on-board electronics fail during an Atlantic crossing, there is hardly anything that sailors can rely on as reliably as navigation by the sun and stars.

The Munich sailing school JOJO-Wassersport organises astronavigation courses as a weekend seminar (€300) and as a one-week astro practice trip (€750).

The German Ocean Sports Association Hansa organises weekend seminars. The course fee at the Hanseatische Yachtschule Glücksburg is € 325 with full board.

The DSV Academy offers astronavigation as a weekend seminar in Stuttgart for €247.

2. radar theory

Radar systems are becoming increasingly common on board sailing yachts. They can be a vital aid in poor visibility conditions, at night or in fog. However, it is not enough to simply install the technology on board. Handling it and correctly analysing the radar image must be learned and practised so that the system is actually helpful and does not provide a false sense of security. Because when it comes down to it, dealing with the supposed helper is even more difficult than in theory due to stress.

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For sailors from Switzerland, Boatdriver offers a one-day seminar in radar awareness. The price is CHF 320 and the course takes place in Gisikon near Lucerne.

The DSV Academy offers two-hour radar seminars. The courses can be attended either in person in Hamburg for €29 or as an online event for €26.

In western Germany, the Sailingisland yacht school offers two seminars on its website, entitled "Radar I" and "Radar II". They take place on the same day in the morning and afternoon. The price for each seminar is €59, meaning that interested parties can be trained for a day for €118.

The online seminar organised by the Munich sailing school JOJO-Wassersport lasts two days and costs €345.

3. regatta theory

Not crossing the finish line first again this season at the Wednesday regattas? Or have the feeling that everyone else has right of way just because they shout louder? Winter is the time to do something about it, because only those who are fit in trim and rules can hold their own on the regatta course. However, basic knowledge is often lacking. The fact that a boat with wind from starboard has the right of way over a boat with wind from port also applies on the regatta course. The rule "leeward before windward" is also usually observed there. However, gaps in knowledge often become apparent when rounding the buoys for the first time. In winter, there is plenty of time to close these gaps.

Anyone who wants to brush up on their knowledge of regatta rules in winter will enjoy the computer and smartphone game "Virtual Regatta Inshore". Here you can compete against real opponents from all over the world. It can be downloaded from both the App Store and Google Play, and the computer version is available on the website.

On the YouTube channel of Sailing Team Germany, the playlist "STG instructional videos: Strategy and Tactics" is available free of charge. If the channel is already a good opportunity for ambitious regatta sailors to improve their skills, this playlist on tactics is recommended separately.

Uli Finckh's website is another place where you can improve your skills for successful visits to the regatta course in winter. On the one hand, sailors can train themselves comprehensively, and on the other, the newly learnt knowledge can then be tested immediately in the rules game.

4. yachtelectr(on)ics

Onboard electrics and the various electronic instruments play an increasingly important role on modern yachts. Networked electronic devices for measuring all kinds of data on wind, boat movement and water depth have long been standard equipment, as have anchor winches, sheet winches, furling systems and fold-down bathing platforms. Not only using this complex technology in everyday life on board, but also understanding it, adjusting it correctly to requirements, maintaining it and, if necessary, being able to repair it is more important the more dependent the operation of the boat is on it.

In Essen, the Yacht Skipper Academy Bernd Reese offers a two-day "Onboard Electronics Workshop" for €1,000.

The DSV Academy is also organising a "Yacht electrics for beginners" seminar. It takes place over two days in Hamburg (€239).

Interested parties can also attend such a practical seminar at Sailingisland in Mönchengladbach. The course costs €169.

The yacht outfitter SVB in Bremen offers a one-day course on "Yacht electrics" for €285 in its SVB Campus training programme.

5. sailing licences

In Germany, water sports enthusiasts are allowed to sail without a licence if their pleasure craft is less than 15 metres long and has a motor of less than 15 hp. Nevertheless, skippers are advised to obtain the official pleasure craft licence required for all other cases. Depending on the area, this is either a "sea" or "inland" licence. The licence is intended for non-commercially used pleasure craft. However, they are not subject to any restrictions in terms of motorisation or size.

In addition, there are officially recognised licences for the Sportküstenschifferschein (SKS), Sportseeschifferschein (SSS) and Sporthochseeschifferschein (SHS). These licences are purely additional qualifications for non-commercially operated pleasure craft, which are associated with in-depth training in all important nautical subjects.

Many sailing clubs offer inexpensive yet professional sailing licence courses. You can find your nearest DSV club on the association's website under "Clubs".

Most of the sailing schools where the official and officially recognised sailing licences and additional qualifications can be obtained are members of the Association of German Sailing Schools (VDS). You can find out where the nearest one is located or where distance learning is offered on its website.

The Association of German Watersports Schools (VDWS) is another major organisation for training. It is primarily aimed at surfers and kiters.

6. safety seminars

One unfavourable chain of events, as is commonplace in everyday life on board, and it happens. Despite all safety precautions, it can quickly happen that a crew gets into distress at sea. What to do in the event of water ingress, fire on board, rig or rudder breakage? What should be done if the ship has to be abandoned? What if a crew member goes overboard? How do you get on board and stay safely in the life raft? Many things can be trained.

The DHH organises an offshore safety training course at the "Maritime Training Centrum (MTC)" in Enge-Sande near Flensburg. The weekend course costs €695 including full board at the Hanseatische Yachtschule Glücksburg. A World Sailing certificate can be requested from the DSV after the course.

The two-day safety training course at the Munich sailing school JOJO-Wassersport is also certified by World Sailing. It costs €390 and takes place on Lake Chiemsee.

For sailors from the west of Germany, the "Sea Survival Training" offered by the ADAC Yacht School Möhnesee is ideal. It costs €345 and includes the issue of the World Sailing certificate.

The DSV Academy's offshore safety training takes place in Rostock (€ 495) or at the Navy's Damage Prevention Training Centre in Neustadt (€ 548). The World Sailing Certificate can also be obtained after both courses.

7. distress signals

If a yacht is in distress at sea, the use of distress signalling equipment is usually unavoidable. However, in the course of a yachtsman's life, it only happens once, if at all, that a distress rocket has to be set off or a flare has to be lit. But this is precisely why it makes so much sense to familiarise yourself with the subject in winter. Because in an emergency, routine is required, even when dealing with signalling equipment. The first step in gaining practical experience with pyrotechnics is to acquire the "Specialist certificate for marine signalling equipment". But there are also other courses on the subject.

At most sailing schools that offer official licences, it is also possible to obtain a certificate of competence. At the ADAC Yacht School Möhnesee, for example, in the "Course for the acquisition of the certificate of competence for distress signalling equipment" for €40 per person. The mix of theory and practice lasts around 2.5 hours, and anyone wishing to take the exam afterwards has to pay an examination fee of just under €30.

The pyro licence can also be obtained from the DHH. At the Hamburg branch, for example, participation in the three-hour course costs €39.

8. meteorology

On a regatta or on the high seas - the weather plays a central role on board. The non-sailing time is perfect for taking a closer look at the topic.

Certified meteorologist Sebastian Wache offers the two-part webinar "Cruise planning according to the weather".

The DSV Academy also organises various seminars on meteorology.

9. heavy weather training

If you can, you can avoid scenarios with wind speeds of over 30 knots at sea. But this is not always possible. Anyone travelling long distances will sooner or later have to deal with strong winds or storms. The time of year when such situations are most common - winter - is a good time to practise. Heavy weather training therefore also takes place in the cold season, and extreme wind speeds are not avoided. With the right equipment and an experienced crew, this can be fun as well as gaining knowledge and, in the best case scenario, give participants the confidence to be able to deal with heavy weather outside of training.

Sailing Island offers heavy weather cruises in both the Canary Islands and the North Sea. The price per person is generally €795, usually €1,395 for a double cabin alone.

If you would first like to learn more about the topic in theory, the DSV Academy offers a three-hour online seminar for €39.

The charter company Mola organises heavy weather cruises in spring and autumn. These cost € 448, in a single cabin € 784.

10. first aid on board

Every sailor wishes it would never happen - and yet the issue of "first aid on board" can quickly become a reality. Such situations usually arise unexpectedly and those involved are poorly prepared or not prepared at all. However, this should be prevented on a regular basis. Not least because refreshing first aid skills is also important in everyday life.

The "Sea Doc" Dr Fabian Steffen is a long-standing provider of seminars on the subject of medicine at sea. He offers his events nationwide.

11. boat engines

Practical seminars that involve handling spanners and filters are in demand and are quickly booked out. Because even if you have a good service man at your side, everyone is on their own when it comes to the all-important drive.

For example, the instructor MTCC from Celle organises one-day seminars for €285, which provide basic and advanced knowledge in technology, maintenance and repair.

Bonus: YACHT webinars and books

The editorial team itself offers an extensive programme of interesting online lectures on the most important topics relating to sailing. Let our experts get you in shape for the new season. We share practical knowledge and our experience in a series of webinars.

Time: 7 pm, duration: around 1.5 hours, price: 35 euros per appointment (25 euros for subscribers):

Books of substance:

Regatta sailing

Practical knowledge from Malte Philipp. Practising strategy and tactics. Delius Klasing, 29,90 Euro

Winning regattas on dinghies and yachts

The basics from Fred Imhoff. E-book, Delius Klasing, 3.99 euros

Theory and practice of on-board electrics

On-board electrics clearly explained by Jens Feddern. Delius Klasing, 19.90 euros

Heavy weather sailing

The standard work by Adlard Coles, continued by Peter Bruce. Covers all the usual tactics for surviving storms at sea. Delius Klasing, 39,90 Euro

Weather at sea

Reference book by Hans-Jörg Nafzger, Boris Herrmann and Ralf Brauner. Delius Klasing, 34.90 euros

Medicine at sea

Standard work for help in emergencies on board by Dr Jens Kohfahl. Delius Klasing, 59.90 euros

First aid on board - medicine boards

Practical knowledge from the "Sea Doc" Dr Fabian Steffen. Delius Klasing, 24.90 euros

Astronavigation

Clearly explained by blue water pioneer Bobby Schenk. Delius Klasing, 24.90 euros

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