Where can you learn to sail a yacht in Cyprus?
Cyprus is seeing a growing number of marinas, yachts, and aspiring sailors who want to learn to sail for regattas, for independent rentals, and for ownership. Cyprus is unique with its year-round sailing season, and statistically, 90% of the days are windy, making it an excellent place to learn to sail!
- Skipper Courses in Cyprus
- What kind of yacht can you sail?
- Where does the training take place, and what is the cost?
- How long does the training take?
- Upcoming training dates and contacts
Skipper Courses in Cyprus
The skipper course for sailing yachts is conducted under the International Yacht Training (IYT) system, and you can start with a course called IYT Day Skipper / Crew Sail + VHF (see the links for course details on the official IYT website). This means that after successfully completing the training, you will receive international skipper and VHF radio operator certificates, allowing you to independently rent sailing yachts, not just in Cyprus but almost anywhere in the world!
The IYT system includes hundreds of schools worldwide, so you can start in one location and continue to the next level elsewhere.
What kind of yacht can you sail?
The Cyprus Skippers Training Center starts IYT system training on a Fareast 28r yacht of the CISC club. It is the largest international sailing club in Cyprus, regularly hosting sailing events and regattas, with over 15 sailing (and motor) yachts and hundreds of sailors. Since its founding in 2017, the club has been awarded the "Best offshore Sailing Club" by the Cyprus Sailing Federation every year.
After graduating, you can rent yachts up to 10 meters long without a captain (and not just from this club) and independently sail them in good weather within 5 miles from the shore during the day.
At the Cyprus Skippers Training Center, you can continue to the next level with the IYT Bareboat Skipper Sail course on larger yachts to obtain certificates for sailing yachts up to 24 meters long and 20 miles from the shore. Further, if desired, you can advance to Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore.
Where does the training take place, and what is the cost?
The sailing takes place from Limassol Marina, and the cost of the initial course is 830 euros for a full course that teaches you independent sailing.
The training is led by Yuri Spiridonov, the owner of Cyprus Skippers Training Center and an accredited IYT instructor since 2017, who has trained over 350 sailors. Many of them have become skippers or active sailors who love the sea, and some even own their yachts.
How long does the training take?
The course includes both theory and practice, taking place over 4 days on weekends, along with homework in the form of an interactive online course.
Each weekend day includes 4 hours of practice on the water and 2 hours of theory.
Time: from 9:00 to 15:00.
Upcoming training dates and contacts
For Russian-speaking groups
- September 7, 8, 14, 15
- October 12, 13, 19, 20
- December 7, 8, 14, 15
For English-speaking groups
- November 2, 3, 9, 10
You can ask questions and register for the course with Yuri on Telegram: @spirkinson
Read reviews about the courses, and learn more about the course levels on the Cyprus Skippers Training Center page.