Courses from Flying Fish

Flying Fish UK is headquartered at Cowes on the Isle of Wight in southern England, famous as the birthplace of British yacht racing. As the training base for Flying Fish yachting, its position on the Solent is unmatched in the UK. The Solent is a broad stretch of sheltered water between the Isle of Wight and the English mainland. It is the country's busiest waterway and with its complicated tidal regime it offers challenging navigation and pilotage exercises to all who sail here.

Six yacht clubs are based at Cowes, the most famous being the world’s oldest: the Royal Yacht Squadron. All six clubs join forces to host the Cowes Week Regatta each summer. Without doubt Cowes Week is one of the world’s most exciting events available to the non-professional sailor – and as a member of the Flying Fish International Yacht Training (IYT) programme you can enjoy the excitement both on and off the water.

Cowes offers a variety of visitor attractions and places of interest, including Queen Victoria's country home at Osborne House. The Isle of Wight is officially classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but if you tire of sailing and the open air you’ll find it’s an easy journey to central London by Red Jet catamaran and train.

While you train with Flying Fish in the UK your shore-based stay will be at our well-furnished Point Cottages, at the water’s edge near to the ‘floating bridge’ linking Cowes with East Cowes. These three cottages offer great comfort in twin-bedded rooms, many with harbour views. They are equipped with good laundry facilities and kitchens that make self-catering a pleasure - or you can take a short walk into the centre of town if you prefer to eat out. There are over 30 restaurants and cafes and countless pubs in and around Cowes. Here is variety to suit all tastes, from curries to fish and chips, from traditional to Thai, from steaks to fish, from pizza to Spanish, French and Italian.

The warm waters of the Mediterranean and brisk local breezes produce superb sailing and windsurfing conditions at Vassiliki. Windsurfing and introductory dinghy sailing are based at Club Vass, the largest and best-equipped windsurfing centre in Europe. Race training and advanced sailing take place next door at Wildwind on a fleet of catamarans and high performance sailing dinghies.

Vassiliki Divers is the home of Flying Fish dive training in Greece. Start your underwater career here or simply take a dive holiday - the choice is yours.

Vassiliki is a small fishing village which has kept its character despite being a welcome host to hoards of sailors and windsurfers every summer. The little harbour is lined with tavernas and bars, mostly quiet but with one or two that are famous for their party atmosphere! Flying Fish accommodation here is a purpose-built house with 14 twin rooms, each with private shower and balcony. Shared kitchens are equipped for simple self-catering.

If you have no previous experience we recommend our Professional Traineeships as a reliable route to paid work in the sun. If you are a good communicator and have previous work experience (in any field) you are a candidate for a Basic Traineeship. If you are already a proficient sailor or windsurfer, consider the Fast-track courses.

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES: With its dramatic cliffs, rocky islands and stunning beaches, Sydney is a watersports paradise. Sydney Harbour is the base for our International Yacht Training and Sail & Board Sports programmes. The city is undoubtedly the liveliest in the southern hemisphere. It is also home to Professional Dive Training at the Pro Dive Academy, and the focal point for the whole Pacific dive industry.

Summers in Sydney are hot with a wind pattern of warm nor'-easters and fresh southerly busters giving excellent sailing conditions. While training with Flying Fish you will stay in comfortable self-catering accommodation in Manly with direct access to one of Australia's most famous surf beaches. Manly's outdoor lifestyle is captivating. The cosmopolitan restaurants and bars offer remarkably good value to visitors from Europe and America - and you are just 15 minutes Jet Cat ride from Sydney's city centre.

WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS, QUEENSLAND: The pristine Whitsunday Islands nestle in the protected waters of the Great Barrier Reef. They are the winter destination for Professional Dive Training and International Yacht Training with Flying Fish. The climate here rivals that of Fiji, Tahiti or the Bahamas, making it ideal during the Australian winter months. Famous for their natural beauty, these islands of white sand, palm trees and aquamarine seas do nothing to spoil the myth. While ashore you stay at Airlie Beach, a surprisingly vibrant little town, devoted almost exclusively to diving.