First time sailing, Learning to sail, Sailing courses in the UK and Mediterranean
About First Sail
First Sail is the offspring of two areas of interest (sailing and web design) colliding, overlapping, and then trying to find a way to live together. We hope the result is something that is enjoyable, nice to look at and above all useful to new or prospective sailors in need a bit of help and advice.
What's Our Heading?
The site is updated and amended on a regular basis in response to changes in the sail training scene in the UK and the Mediterranean holiday market. Feedback recieved from users and advertisers will also help us to modify the content according to our visitor's needs and desires.
Who's at the Helm?
This site was launched in Summer 2009 and is hosted and operated by Holman Design, web design and graphics agency based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Michael Holman has worked in the communications industry over 20 years, starting in graphics and commercial printing, gradually diversifying and developing skills in design and development for new media with the emergence of the internet and the world wide web.
Michael's other long term interest has been sailing which he has pursued as work and family commitments have allowed. He is an RYA/MCA Yachtmaster and Cruising Instructor, teaching and skippering on the Solent as time permits.
"The best thing about designing sailing sites is that I can day dream about sailing whilst working"
First Sail is proud to endorse the work of the UK's No 1 sailing charity. Be sure to visit the UKSA site by clicking on the logo.
More Good Reading
General Books
- Manual of Seamanship by Tom Cunliffe The diverse range of skills, knowledge and best practises collectively known as seamanship are brought together and presented to the reader in an individual and distinctive style. The author writes with great authority and an insight gained over many years of practice.
- Reeds Nautical Almanac 2009 A slightly obvious choice I know, but if you go sailing you just have to have it onboard. It's hardly pocket sized but does seem to answer about 99.9% of most questions and queries and is a standard point of reference. It's brilliant.
Books for the Armchair Sailor
- The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier One the all time great blue water sailors. Strange, mystical and utterly compelling, this book recounts his one and a half times around the world, ten month voyage from Plymouth to Tahiti in 1968/69.
- A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols If this were a work of fiction it would be so far fetched as to be laughable. The fact that it's all true and the words so finely crafted make it a totally unmissable read.
- The Magic of the Swatchways by Maurice Griffiths Just gives you a warm glow all over. Sympathetically edited with beautiful photography and illustrations, the elegant descriptions of wonderful lanscapes and marvellous sailing stories are told by a true English gentleman.
"A sailor went to sea sea sea. To see what he could see see see. But all that he could see see see, was the bottom of the deep blue sea sea sea"
-Unknown
