Girls For Sail announces eight-week New Year adventure in Caribbean

From Easier Travel
The UK and Europe’s only female sailing school has announced a two-month New Year adventure in the Caribbean for those looking to ring the changes in 2015.

Female-only sailing experts Girls For Sail has introduced an eight-week voyage to tempt even the most committed workaholic to take a Career Break with them in the sunshine and turquoise waters of the Caribbean.

And the Isle of Wight and St. Lucia based Royal Yachting Association sailing school is reducing the cost of this once-in-a-lifetime trip, which will see new sailors take in the most beautiful sights of the Caribbean from the luxury of their own yacht. The team are offering £700 off the original price, dropping it to £4999.

On arrival at St. Lucia every crew member will be shown the ropes and made ready for a glorious life aboard, hopping from one island idyll to another for two whole months.

But the time away from the stresses of life in the dark and wet UK while relaxing will also allow the all-female crew to gain new skills and complete one of the RYA courses supported by the Girls For Sail team.

GFS Principal and founder Annie O’Sullivan said: “Our first stop will be the magical island of Mustique so that the crew gets to ease themselves into life aboard. Our skipper will be able to help teach new skills and of course show our guests the secret bays and spots that only those with experience of life on the water in Caribbean know about.

“Arriving by yacht into some of the world’s most amazing locations really can’t be equalled and we know the power that experience has had on our previous crews.”

The adventure continues when the Girls For Sail crew continues north to take part in possibly the most exclusive sailing event in the annual calendar, The Voiles de St. Barts, where every finisher is greeted with champagne on the finish line.

From here there will be a week of cruising and relaxation while making for Antigua and a week ashore to lounge by the pool and take in the sights of Antigua Classic Week. Then it will be time for the crew to take their place among elite and amateur sailors alike for the most famous sailing regatta in the world, Antigua Race Week.

Annie added: “The price for our incredible Career Break two-month trip also includes all entry fees and race training for these two fabulous regattas. We just love teaching women to sail and there is no better place, and no better pace, to do it than in the Caribbean when the weather is wintery in the UK.”

Girls For Sail is based at the home of UK sailing in Cowes on the Isle of Wight and was launched in 1999 to offer competitively priced sail training holiday and weekend breaks from the firm’s UK and Caribbean sail training bases.

Founded by Annie O’Sullivan, GFS exists to give women the opportunity to learn to sail in a supportive and fun environment. GFS also offers a Fastnet campaign package to encourage more women to tackle ocean-going sailing challenges.

The Rolex Fastnet Race is the toughest and most prestigious in the UK’s sailing calender and attracts more than 250 teams each year. It is considered a supreme challenge to ocean racers, with more than 600 miles of thrilling offshore racing. The race can take between four and six days depending on prevailing conditions.

And Girls for Sail will line up alongside the 250 boats expected at the start line in August 2015 in Cowes before heading out to the English Channel and across the Irish Sea heading for the infamous Fastnet Rock. After rounding the rock the race is then on to the finish line at Plymouth.

Award-winning sailor and mentor Annie added: “Our yachts love racing, we use an élan 37 and a Beneteau 40.7. We use them because they are small enough for ladies to handle and spacious enough to be comfortable while racing. Both can take ten crew and are equipped with the latest safety equipment.

“We specialise in encouraging women to achieve their personal goals and love nothing more than seeing our crews fall in love with sailing.”

For more information, visit www.girlsforsail.com