FAMILY YACHTING IN FRANCE. THE ACADEMY OF YOUNG YACHTSMEN - 1st SHIFT 2020

The Academy of Young Yachtsmen is a special project for us. The organization of children's family trips on yachts is always a responsible task, as every detail needs to be taken care of. But the result is worth it! In the summer of 2020, we will open the sixth season of family yachting. There will be a lot of new and interesting things!

WHAT IS IT?

The Academy of Young Yachtsmen is more than yachting! We organize family trips on yachts for the sixth year in a row, we know from experience - a sea trip on a yacht with active training and participation in the life of a boat is a complete change in the usual picture and type of activity, a reboot for adults and children, an exciting alternative for the package tourism. Children's regattas are an opportunity to live a new emotional experience of traveling together with a child when there are no passive roles. Parents discover children from new angles, see their wisdom and courage, their willingness to work together and overcome difficulties, their happiness every minute at sea.

WHAT IS THE FORMAT?

The format is active recreation for children with parents. We spend 3-4 hours in the sea a day.

During sea crossings, skippers share their knowledge on yacht management, laying routes, setting sails and more. We will stay overnight at ports and anchor in quiet bays. There will be a lot of swimming, games, and walks. You will gain new knowledge and skills.

HOW EVERYTHING HAPPENS?

With the guidance of experienced skippers and counselors, the team goes on a week-long sea expedition in comfortable cruise yachts. We select qualified skippers who teach the members of the expedition the basics of yachting, and charge adults and children with love for the sea and adventure!

WHAT WILL WE DO?

Together with the skippers we will raise the sails, stand at the helm and lay the routes on the maps. Together with the counselors, we will learn how to knit sea knots, learn all about the life of real sailors, make a play and shoot a film, build sandcastles, have a picnic on a desert island and find a treasure! And also we will see the North Star, we will find the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in the night starry sky. While the children are having fun, parents can devote free time to their hobbies, or they can join the children, which is often more interesting! You will not need to think what to do with your children on vacation. Especially for parents, we came up with a “parental hour” - every evening the counselors will take the children and watch a movie on the deck under the stars or read a book to them, giving parents the opportunity to sit with a glass of wine after dinner or take a walk along the romantic streets of Italian cities.

HOW DO WE LIVE?

Children and parents live on boats in comfortable double cabins.

5 cabins have 3 bathrooms with showers and hot water (depending on the model of the boat). Each boat has its own kitchen with everything you need.

Children's regatta is when training alternates with entertainment and relaxation. The crossings are small - 1.5-3 hours, every day we go to new beaches and spend a lot of time doing activities on the shore.

And no gadgets! First of all, there is no time for them! Secondly, no one remembers about them!

HOW ARE MEALS ORGANIZED?

We prepare breakfasts and lunches on yachts together or taking turns - each crew on their boat. Dinners are usually in restaurants onshore. We will buy products from the yacht common fund. The common fund is formed by the crew, usually, it is from 50 to 100 euros per week per person. Restaurants and alcohol are not included in the common fund.

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU?

By the end of the trip, parents and children will know what the work of a sailor, a boatswain, a skipper, a radio operator, an assistant captain is, as well as what is the bowline, how to knit fenders, give and receive moorings and shout “the anchor is clear”, when we start sailing. In addition to a new experience and vivid memories, you will make new friends. And not only children but their parents will have them! Yachting unites entire families around the world who are happy to visit each other and meet at new regattas!

SAFETY AND HEALTH

All yachting participants are insured. This is insurance for outdoor activities on the water.

In addition, an experienced pediatrician from the EMC clinic (European Medical Center) will be with us. There will be the first aid kit on the yacht, but if you have special medical needs, then take the necessary medicines with you. It is also important to carefully fill out a medical questionnaire for each participant.

WHAT IS THE AGE GROUP OF CHILDREN THAT CAN PARTICIPATE?

Children's programs are designed on average for children from 6 to 12 years old. If the children are younger we need to talk and discuss it. We sometimes have four-year-old participants who feel great and fit perfectly into the team. For younger children, it can be tough in the sea voyage conditions, but most importantly, it can be difficult for you, parents.

As for children 12 years up, we group them according to their interests in a separate group - they either help counselors or are real assistants to skippers. By agreement with parents, we can form a separate boat with teenagers, where there will be an experienced counselor and an experienced skipper, and where the guys will control the boat and their life on it. This yacht will be in the same flotilla as everyone else, so at all stops and swimming spots, we will be all together.