UK Staycation sailing holiday around English Riviera with a classic Elan 333!

With most of Europe in Amber, we invite you to stay in England and set sail around the Solent;

Published by Eldin Basic (BA Hons) on 21st June 2021

While Brits and those living in the UK permanently are hoping for the so-called Freedom Day to arrive any day now, running low on patience may not be a bad thing. Namely, with most European and Mediterranean destinations still requiring you to self-isolate and complete a PCR test on return to the UK, you can avoid the extra costs and queuing up with face masks at airports by staying put. We namely invite you to complete a STAYCATION holiday and visit one of the many ports and harbours alongside fabulous British isles.

With almost 20,000NM of coastline, including all British islands such as Scilly, Isle of Man or the Hebrides, sailing in the UK is simply an unforgettable experience. The tides are nowhere as strong and diverse as here, with only the most capable of sailors able to navigate on their own or indeed charter a yacht on a bareboat basis. One such yacht available for family sailing holidays or a club-racing getaway for members of a local sailing club, is Elan 333 based in Poole harbour. Yachting Monthly, the famous British sailing magazine defined her as a pretty, deservedly popular sailing yacht that's easy to handle by a couple and which provides great sailing speeds. On top, the Escapade as she is named, offers comfortable accommodation for the two or even a small family. Spacious cockpit with high coamings provides good protection and powerful sailplan a well-balanced and stable performance.

Test your sailing skills by cruising in an area with complex tidal pattern and on occasion very strong winds, where even during the summer Force 10 is not unusual occurence, and hit locations such as Studland bay for relaxed anchorage or the SPITHEAD, an area off Gilkicker Point near Gosport, where Royal Navy is traditionally reviewed by the Monarch of the day! A Special Area of Conservation for most part, the Solent is indeed a natural wonder and a tourist hub too. Many restaurants invite for fabulous English Breakfast or simply offer great outdoor seating for those keen to sample traditional fish and chips or more exclusive steak of the day. Isle of Cowes, ports of Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington amongst others, will round up anyone's itinerary in this special sailing area.

To experience best of UK sailing, as well as local nightlife, you should try and book your charter during the famous COWES WEEK. During first 2 weeks of August, thousands of sailors and hundreds of sailing clubs meet around for numerous formal and informal racing events and regattas. Being part of one such event is a must do experience for any Brit in fact. Do not miss being part of probably the best Cowes Week events in 2021 as huge crowds are expected to hit this fabulous stretch of water where some of the best sailors in the World meet every year.

Unless you charter a luxury air-conditioned vessel however, we recommend that you bring some warm clothes, proper sailing gear including oilskins and a sleeping bag. It can namely get cold out there, especially if it is not a summery day and by participating at an event, or even sailing on your own, you are bound to get wet at least once during your weekly sailing adventure. A number of clean and fresh towels are also a must and plenty of water to refresh yourself should be on board too. If you will need a skipper or even a deckhand as an inexperienced party, feel free to request this too as we will certainly be able to find a suitable professional. Local skippers charge a daily rate from around £200 plus provisions. You can also opt to receive an SUP (from ca. £100/week) as it does provide plenty of fun while at anchor. A 2m tender with a suitable outboard can be hired on request too.

In case you cannot afford to charter the yacht on your own or with your partner and family, do contact us anyway for recommendation about local sailing events and long-weekend adventures that may be available through some of our partners. To reduce the cost, base manager may also allow up to 6-guests on board in which case sleeping bag becomes obligatory. For those seeking more luxury or better performance, sailboats such as Beneteau 40CC or Jeanneau 43 are also available on a bareboat basis. In case your sailing club would like to have a private regatta, a whole fleet of Oceanis 37's can be made available as well. In that case bookings for 2022 are recommended however as 2021 summer is mostly booked out already!

To book your bareboat or skippered yacht charter around English Riviera and on board of the classic Elan 333 sailboat or on one of the other yachts available for charter across the UK including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or Cornwall, on a lastminute deals or advance bookings for next year, please do get in touch by filling out the enquiry form, by email, on WhatsApp or on social media.

This news relates to ELAN 333 (2000) sailing boat based in Poole, Dorset.