-> Minimum 2 participants required to guarantee the start of a shared course.
Not included:
- The boarding allowance of €25/day/person includes food (excluding alcohol) with three meals a day, diesel and marina fees. The skipper takes care of the shopping (as healthy as possible, using local, quality products) -> In case of special dietary requirements, please inform the skipper.
- Remember to bring your sleeping bag to sleep on the boat! Laurent provides pillows, pillowcases and fitted sheets.
- Everyone helps out with household chores and life on board!
- Available on :
- Full boat
- Cabin cruise
Your cruise
Discover sailing on a comfortable, fast 12-meter sailboat from La Rochelle.
Set sail for Ile de Ré, Oléron, Les Sables d'Olonne and Ile d'Yeu... or Morbihan on a minimum 5-day course.
During your cruising course, you'll maneuver, follow a course, learn to read maritime charts, and analyze the weather and tidal currents. During your stay, you'll learn to become progressively autonomous. This extended sailing course allows you to fully experience sailing aboard a sailboat and understand the ins and outs of cruising.
Your possible stops during this cruise
Program for your 2 to 7 day sailing course from La Rochelle
The itinerary given is subjective. It adapts to weather conditions, tides, your desires, those of your skipper and, above all, your pace! Don't worry, all levels are welcome.
DAY 1: La Rochelle, Ile de Ré or Sables d'Olonne.
You meet your sailing instructor at the port of La Rochelle. Once you've settled in and been reminded of the safety rules, you'll head for Ile de Ré and then Sables d'Olonne, where you'll spend the night. During this day of sailing, you'll learn the basics of sailing and the essential maneuvers for a cruise.
DAY 2: Disembarkation at La Rochelle.
You'll set course for La Rochelle, alternating theory and practice to consolidate your sailing skills and progress in your sailing training. You will arrive and disembark at the port of La Rochelle at the end of the day.
For those who wish and have more time, you can extend your sailing course to 7 days. Here's an idea of what to expect:
DAY 2 to 7: Charente or Morbihan islands
Head for the Charente-Maritime islands! Discover the famous Ile d'Oléron, Ile d'Aix and Ile d'Yeu, depending on the length of your course. The most deserving can sail to the Quiberon peninsula and then on to the islands of Morbihan: Houat, Hoëdic, Belle-île, La Trinité sur Mer and the Gulf of Morbihan, with superb night-time anchorages.
Your days will be punctuated by sailing and stopovers, with maneuvering exercises at sea. You'll learn how to trim the sails according to conditions, manage the weather, and anchor the boat in protected coves.
The last day will be the final day, during which you'll be able to take stock of the situation by sailing on your own. You'll have the opportunity to put all the skills you've learned into practice, by taking part in an autonomous sailing trip under the supervision of Laurent, your instructor.
Throughout your stay, I'll do my utmost to adapt the sailing to your aspirations.
I teach sailing, maneuvers and life on board. Everyone helps with maneuvers and chores. You'll develop a true seafaring spirit.
During your sailing course, you'll work on technical and theoretical aspects, such as sail trimming, coastal navigation and chart reading. You'll learn to be autonomous on a sailboat, integrating essential skills for day and night navigation. On a long course of 5 to 7 days to Morbihan, it is possible to make one or two night sails on the outward and return journeys, if conditions are acceptable.
The skipper
Laurent likes to transmit his passion and technical knowledge in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. On the water since he was 6 years old, he has been an instructor for 40 years.
Quality and simplicity in my teaching.
View ProfileIf cabins are occupied, the skipper sleeps in the middle
The skipper helps you to cook but everybody is participating
I manage the supply on board
- Places of embarkation:Les Minimes Port - La Rochelle
- Boarding time:09:00 / 9AM
- Time of landing:17:00 / 5PM
La Rochelle is accessible by train or car (think carpooling!). The La Rochelle train station is a twenty-minute walk from the Minimes marina, or you can take the illico 4 bus.
GENIAL!!! I learnt a lot during the course, the sailing was way beyond my expectations, the crew was very nice, very friendly atmosphere, I'll come back for sure. The boat is very well maintained, it feels like home, everything is organized to feel comfortable from the first day. In any case, excellent course for beginners or not who wish to learn or improve in a very short time, the days are long but enriching and captivating. I have already had the opportunity to do some courses, this one is by far the best and most effective.
Laurent is an outstanding skipper, frank, generous, very pedagogical, kind as all, patient and calm. He knows how to reassure and motivate, his explanations are clear, precise and efficient. If you are looking for a cool yet rigorous skipper, you have found the best. Laurent is an excellent sailor, he loves to share his passion for sailing and the sea.
On September 17th, after analysing the winds, weather and currents, Laurent decided to sail around the Ile de Ré, it is true that the conditions were right to have favourable winds all along the navigation. 4 trainees were on board, the atmosphere was good, the sun was shining, we were ready to sail more or less 50 miles during the day. I think that on this single day we all had the opportunity to fulfil all the roles of a crew member on a sailboat, steering, tacking, jibing, taking two reefs,..., lofting, knocking down, tucking, tucking in, shocking,... I'm talking about the best of them. In addition to this very marine technical didactic aspect, I also remember the human aspect where each one had his own story to tell, his journey, his dreams, his hopes ... this long navigation finally allowed us to know each other better and to form a real team in perfect symbiosis with our captain. This day will remain for me unforgettable, rich in emotions, intense in training, humanly grandiose. The cuisine on board during navigation is excellent 😉 Laurent is brimming with ideas to prepare dishes in all simplicity during navigation, leaving us to manage the boat entirely.
Inspirations cruises
Skippers professional and graduated
Access to the direct price of skippers
Responsible tourism
Travel Agency Warranty
Customer Satisfaction 4.75 / 5