golden vanity yacht

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Golden Vanity: The rebirth of an artists’ boat

• January 27, 2021

A true working yacht, the 112-year-old Golden Vanity has a new role for 2021, as Nic Compton discovers

The lockdown of spring 2020 prompted all kinds of unusual purchases. People bought puppies, bikes, hot-tubs… Not many opted to buy a 23-ton, 112-year-old wooden cutter, yet that is exactly what Southampton-based charter operator Charlie Tulloch did when he purchased Golden Vanity .

“Everyone’s got a lockdown story,” he says. “Mine was trying to keep the business running and home-schooling the kids. It was incredibly stressful. I realised that, although we have three boats of our own, we were reliant on other people’s boats to supplement the fleet.

We needed another boat to take more control. When I heard Golden Vanity was for sale, I thought about it – not for very long – and bought her.

“Lockdown madness? I don’t know. We’ll see!”

There is some logic to it. Golden Vanity offers First Class Sailing’s existing customers a very different kind of experience, while her heavy construction provides a steady platform for beginners.

Golden Vanity has a new lease of life working for a Solent charter company in 2021. Photo Nic Compton

But the real reason Charlie bought the boat was emotional rather than rational. “I did some relief skippering on Provident, Keewaydin and Golden Vanity a few years ago, and I liked the ethos of getting young people involved. I loved the boats, the history, the wood, the teamwork, the skills, the look, smell and sound of them. My livelihood is in GRP yachts, but my heart is in these old boats.”

Golden Vanity’s  beginnings

Charlie isn’t the first to have fallen for Golden Vanity ’s charms. The yacht was commissioned by Arthur Briscoe in 1908 when he was just starting to make a name for himself as an artist. He had previously owned an 8-ton gaff cutter which he, his wife May, their son William and their terrier Jock lived on for eight months of the year, cruising extensively on the East Coast, the English Channel and in Holland and Belgium.

On the way, Briscoe sketched continuously, gathering material for his paintings which depict mainly working boats and their crews, in what turned out to be the last days of working sail. He held his first solo exhibition of mostly nautical paintings on Bond Street in 1906, to rave reviews.

Two years later, when he was 35, he commissioned a new boat, funded by his mother. This was an era when cruising yachts tended to be closely based on working boat types, and Briscoe was in no doubt what boat he wanted: a ‘Mumble Bee’, the little sister of the famous Brixham trawlers he loved so much.

Briscoe designed the boat’s rig himself but left the design and construction of the hull to WA Gibbs and J Sanders & Co in Galmpton, on the River Dart – one of the most prolific builders of Brixham and Lowestoft trawlers in the country.

Photo Nic Compton

Briscoe named his new boat Golden Vanity after the eponymous shanty set in the ‘lowland sea’ – an appropriate name for a yacht that was destined to spend a great deal of time in the lowlands of Holland.

For the next 20 years, Briscoe and May lived on board for most of the year, famously going out in any weather, accompanied by their Dandie Dinmont terrier, while their son William was looked after by his grandmother.

Erskine Childers was a regular guest and is thought to have borrowed the boat and sailed to the ‘lowlands’ (although this was long after he had written his celebrated book The Riddle of the Sands ).

Lost to a new love

After the war, Briscoe conceded to some home comforts and fitted a small Kelvin engine and a heads. He also discovered a new artistic medium in which he would excel and make himself a very comfortable living: etchings. He was soon producing striking images of English and Dutch working boats and square-riggers – often etching the plates on board Golden Vanity .

By his early 50s, however, Briscoe had divorced his first wife, May – who by all accounts was a jolly, outdoorsy person – and in May 1927 remarried an Alice Baker, who was more of a city dweller.

Article continues below…

OSTAR reunion

The Half Crown Club for skippers of all previous OSTARs is being reactivated before this year's race and a reunion…

Lulworth races again

After a remarkable restoration, which brought her back to near-original, the great gaff cutter Lulworth

The couple moved to London, and Golden Vanity was chartered out. Briscoe did take his new wife, together with his publisher, on a cruise to Holland. But despite the new engine and heads, Alice didn’t enjoy the boating life.

Golden Vanity was put on the market the following year, and the artist had to content himself with a small lugger based at St Mawes instead.

Changing hands

Over the next few decades Golden Vanity attracted an illustrious list of owners. The two after Briscoe were both former Olympic rowers: including Arthur Frederick Reginald Wiggins, who won silver at the 1912 Games.

In the 1940s, she was owned by Captain Clifford St George Glasson, an influential figure at Trinity House, who kept her on a mud berth on the East Coast for the duration of World War II.

In the 1960s, she caught the eye of another marine artist, David Cobb. Cobb served on motor torpedo boats during the war, and afterwards moved to Newlyn to become ‘a painter of our sea affairs’.

He and his wife Jean Main, also an artist, lived on the 36ft gaff cutter White Heather , followed by the Alfred Mylne 8-Metre Alpen Rose , before buying Briscoe’s more commodious ‘floating studio’, aboard which the couple lived for six years.

Although Cobb was fond of painting ships in their full glory, usually heeling over in a breeze, for his own yacht he chose to paint her alongside a quay with the tide out, having her bottom scrubbed.

Cobb’s painting ‘Scrubbing the yacht Golden Vanity’. Photo: National Maritime Museum

The resulting painting, entitled ‘Scrubbing the yacht Golden Vanity’, was exhibited at the Royal Society of Marine Artists in 1966 and immediately snapped up by the National Maritime Museum – the only Cobb painting in its collections.

Golden Vanity was next bought by an army captain who planned to sail around the world, but got only as far as Inverness before giving up. It was here, in the Inverness coal dock in the spring of 1970, that Peter Crowther discovered her.

He wanted to cruise around Japan and the US west coast. But he was also fascinated by the OSTAR, which had by then been run three times, and was eventually persuaded to enter the 1972 edition of the race with Golden Vanity .

“It would have been a stupid idea to take Golden Vanity across the North Atlantic, so I went south,” he recalled. “I thought I could do it in 60 days, and I made it halfway across in 30 days.

“But I went too far south and there was no wind. The sails needed constant repairing and she wouldn’t go to windward. I didn’t have self-steering, so I rigged up a line from the jib down the side to the wheel with a bungee cord.

“She was a lovely boat and very well balanced when she was close-hauled, but off the wind she would go anywhere.”

A few days before the start of the race, Peter’s cat Gypsy gave birth to a litter of five kittens. Rather than leave them behind, he made a bed for them out of an old suitcase and took them with him. He named the kittens after Lord of the Rings character; the most adventurous being Bilbo Baggins, who delighted in clambering onto the boom.

Peter Crowther with Gypsy the cat. Photo c/o Peter Crowther

One day, Peter came on deck to find the cats looking anxiously over the side and saw that Bilbo Baggins had fallen overboard. He immediately jumped over the stern onto the top of the rudder and managed to scoop the kitten up as the boat drifted past.

Exactly 89 tacks, five reefs, 71 sail changes, and two blown-out sails later, Golden Vanity arrived in Newport to take last place with a time of 88 days – the slowest crossing in the history of the race – a record unbroken to this day.

The story of the transatlantic kittens was immediately taken up by the American press and within days of arriving Peter had sold them all.

After the race, Peter and Golden Vanity carried on their way, sailing down the Intracoastal Waterway to Florida and then across to the Caribbean.

Golden Vanity’s 88-day crossing in the 1972 OSTAR remains the race’s slowest. Photo: c/o Peter Crowther

The yacht was nearly wrecked when she went aground on a reef off the island of St Croix, but Peter managed to refloat her and get her patched up in Antigua. It was all too much for Gypsy, however, who jumped ship at this point, and left Peter to sail the boat back to the UK on his own.

Golden Vanity in disrepair

The boat was sold on twice more, and in 1981 was listed in the Old Gaffers Association newsletter with the inauspicious description: “Extensive work on hull by Uphams of Brixham. Some internal fitting required.”

In fact, Golden Vanity was going downhill fast and languished on her mooring looking very sorry for herself indeed, until three men met in a pub and decided to do something about it.

Local businessmen Howard Young, Jack Spencer and Tony Ripley formed the Golden Vanity Trust in 1983 and bought the boat to restore, and use for sail training for the young people of Torbay.

New lease of life

The trio paid just £200 for the yacht, compared to the £4,000 Peter bought and sold it for, and spent the next five years completely rebuilding the boat with a team of up to 18 people, many of them on the Government’s Youth Training Scheme, led by local fisherman Colin Beer.

One of Arthur Briscoe’s trawler prints enjoys pride of place in the saloon. Photo: Nic Compton

Their 1983/8 rebuild was comprehensive: the topside planking, stem, beam shelf, deck beams and decks were all replaced, as were all her spars. The steering wheel was removed and her tiller steering restored, and her engine was completely rebuilt.

It was in many ways a new boat that was launched into the Dart in June 1988, and it’s thanks to all that hard work that she is still sailing today.

For 11 years The Golden Vanity Trust ran sailing training charters out of Brixham, as well as taking part in several Tall Ships Races. Despite being the smallest boat at these gatherings, in 1995 she managed to not only win her class but won the whole event on handicap, sailing 1,195 miles from Edinburgh to Bremerhaven, Frederikshaven and Amsterdam.

She joined forces with the Brixham trawlers Provident and Leader to form the Trinity Sailing Foundation in 1999 and for two decades the three boats held pride of place on the Heritage Pontoon in the middle of Brixham Harbour.

Coiling a halyard aboard Golden Vanity. Photo Nic Compton

“ Golden Vanity was great for teaching small groups of young kids,” says Ben Wheatley who skippered the boat when he joined Trinity Sailing in 2013. “She was so well balanced you could tack and gybe without touching the tiller – just by adjusting the sails and moving people’s weight around.”

Government cuts, however, meant there was less money for the social care work which Trinity relied on for its cash flow, and in 2019 the trust was wound down and all three boats sold off. Which is when Charlie stepped in.

Sailing on board Golden Vanity just before she headed to the Elephant Boatyard for her winter refit, it wasn’t hard to see why Charlie, along with a dozen owners before him, have been seduced by the boat.

She has the patina of age, a sense of being solid and well-built, and of having survived countless Atlantic and North Sea gales. You can see how much love and attention has been poured into her over many years, in a way that a newer boat can never hope to match.

Lockdown madness or not, there is something life-affirming about sailing on a boat that has weathered so much and still managed to keep her integrity. It’s as if the boat itself is saying: life goes on.

First Class Sailing is currently crowdfunding to enable the restoration of Golden Vanity with a variety of rewards available for pledges from £10 upwards. 

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams. Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Name Golden Vanity

Construction

GOLDEN VANITY was built in 1908 for the artist Arthur Briscoe by J Sanders & Co, Galmpton, on the River Dart, and registered at Brixham. Although built as a yacht she was constructed and gaff cutter rigged to resemble the ‘mumble bee’ type Brixham trawlers of her day, and has the same solid feel and kindly manner. Her name was taken from a ship in the sea shanty ‘The Golden Vanity’, which dated from the seventeenth century.

As a marine artist, Briscoe used her to follow the fishing fleets which he sketched and painted, helping to record the last working days of sail. His wife Mary, and their friends, crewed for him. One of the friends who sailed with him was Erskine Childers – who had already written his famous yachting spy novel ‘Riddle of the Sands’. Before the First World War they sailed GOLDEN VANITY extensively in the southern North Sea, regularly visiting Holland and Belgium, the ‘lowlands, low’ mentioned in the shanty.

GOLDEN VANITY was cruised by a variety of owners and, when owned by Peter Crowther made several trans-Atlantic crossings in the 1970s, including entry in the Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race in 1972 with a crossing time of 88 days, during which time the ship’s cat had four kittens. In 1981 she was lying derelict in Brixham, but was spotted by three local businessmen, Howard Young, Jack Spencer and Tony Ripley who formed a trust to restore her. She was restored to sailing condition between 1983 and 1988 by the Golden Vanity Trust, for sail training with young people. Initially progress was slow, but between 1986 and 1988, as part of a government training scheme for the unemployed, work done at Baltic Wharf, Totnes, included a new beam shelf, beam clamp, new deck beams, carlins and decks, refitting below, new mast, top mast and gaff. Her old engine was completely stripped and rebuilt.

On 4 June 1988 GOLDEN VANITY was re-launched into the River Dart and became a youth sail training vessel. In 1999 she joined Trinity Sailing (which was formed through collaboration between the owners of LEADER, PROVIDENT and GOLDEN VANITY) and embarked on holiday cruises and charters out of Brixham between May and September. 

Owner Trinity Sailing announced it would be going out of business at end of 2019 sailing season.

Vessel sold to new owners, First Class Sailing, August 2020. A major refit was carried out and in the summer of 2021 resumed sail training. Golden Vanity now operates from Shamrock Quay in Southampton. She offers RYA Courses, Duke of Edinburgh award trips, and sailing holidays.

• 1908 Built by Sanders at Galmpton
• 1980s Restored to sailing condition by Golden Vanity Trust

Owner Trinity Sailing announced it would be going out of business at end of 2019 sailing season. 

Vessel sold to new owners First Class Sailing.

A major refit completed. Golden Vanity now operates from Shamrock Quay in Southampton

Classic Boat: Brixham trawling for Funding, June 2004 

Own this vessel?

If you are the owner of this vessel and would like to provide more details or updated information, please contact [email protected]

National Historic Ships UK acknowledges the financial support of its sponsors

• The Registers
• Shipshape Network

Golden Vanity

Golden Vanity is a traditional classic wooden gaff cutter and Mumble Bee class Brixham Sailing Trawler. She is a ‘fishing smack’ – although she was built, in 1908, as a yacht for the renowned marine artist Arthur Briscoe, who regularly sailed on board with his close friends and spy novelist Erskine Childers, who wrote “Riddle of the Sands”.

An army captain, Peter Crowther, entered her in the 1972 edition of the OSTAR race. Exactly 89 tacks, five reefs, 71 sail changes, and two blown-out sails later, Golden Vanity arrived in Newport to take last place with a time of 88 days – the slowest crossing in the history of the race – a record unbroken to this day.

Privacy Overview

Home   News   Article

Help rescue the 113-year-old Golden Vanity

In August 2020, First Class Sailing at Shamrock Quay in Southampton, purchased Golden Vanity with a view to using the boat for sail training and cruising. The boat had been for sale for a while and was in need of a good home.

Golden Vanity was built in 1908. At the time of writing that makes her 113 years old. She is a Mumble Bee class of Brixham Sailing Trawler and is from an era of working sail that no longer exists. There are a handful of other Brixham Sailing Trawlers left but only one other Mumble Bee.

She was built on the River Dart in Devon for a renowned marine artist, Arthur Briscoe, who used the boat as a way to get out amongst the fishing fleets to paint and record some of the last days of working sail. He also sailed the boat regularly with close friends one of which was spy novelist Erskine Childers, who wrote The Riddle of the Sands .

Since then she has passed through a number of different owners and charities and one owner sailed her single-handedly across the Atlantic.

She is part of the National Historic Register and within that part of the National Historic Fleet alongside ships such as HMS Victory and HMS Warrior!

First Class Sailing have a team of volunteers and paid helpers working on her. She is currently having all her paint scraped off her hull below and above the waterline before new paint is applied.

Her ballast is being stripped out (circa 3.5 tons of peculiarly shaped lumps of iron) to allow a good inspection; lots of her interior is being repainted; hot water is being fitted; the heads are being reconfigured; a lot of the decks are being recaulked to stop her leaking; the engine is being lifted out into the saloon to allow a new drip tray to be fabricated and the engine mounts to be changed, at the same time sound and fire insulation will be fitted to the engine bay; a lot of her electrics are being replaced; areas of her decks are being recaulked to stop her leaking and the original capstan is being given a makeover.

The spars are being varnished; some of the standing rigging will be changed; all 26 blocks are being stripped and oiled. The list goes on!

Money and more volunteers are needed.

Once the work is complete she will sail again and only minor annual refits will be needed for a long time.

Sailing a boat such as Golden Vanit y gives people the opportunity to learn about themselves, to deal with some kind of personal challenge, to work in a team situation and discover hidden strengths and talents. It improves sustained social confidence and people's ability to work with others. It gives people an opportunity for adventure, for making new friends, to have a break from whatever their life situation may be.

A Crowdfunder page has been set up to bring this beautiful old trawler back to life. If you're in a position to lend your support, please click on this link t o donate.

There are also rewards to be had depending on how much you contribute! Thank you so much in advance, it really is appreciated.

Round the Island Race 2024 availability

Maiden's coming home! An iconic yacht, a world tour and an historic race, all for a world changing cause

MDL prepares grand homecoming parade for iconic yacht Maiden and her all-female crew

Standout debuts at the South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show 2024

Optima Yachts to showcase major strides in green innovation at South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show

We use cookies.

• Sailing Yachts
• Motor Yachts
• Small Craft
• Classic Yachts
• Sell Your Boat

TEL/FAX +44(0)1803 833899 | [email protected]

Sailing yachts

Gaff Cutter Golden Vanity

• Designer: Traditional
• Builder: Sanders and Co, Dartmouth
• Location: Devon
• Length on deck: 39'
• Beam: 12'2"
• Draft: 6'8"
• Tonnage: 21TM

Enquire about Gaff Cutter Golden Vanity

Email us: [email protected]

Alternatively please fill in this form and we will contact you about this boat

• Contact number
• By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. *

Apply for finance

Visit our partner’s website to apply for finance

Full specification

Wooden Ships Comments on this Gaff Cutter Golden Vanity

Built in 1908 by Sanders and Co, Galmpton on the Dart.  The design was known as the Mumble Bee class of Brixham sailing Trawler but she was launched as a yacht for Arthur Briscoe, a marine artist who used her as a floating studio recording working lives at sea in the early 20th century.

Through the 1970’s her then owner sailed her across the Atlantic a number of times, including taking part in the 1972 OSTAR, where she collected the record for the slowest ever Atlantic crossing under race conditions, a record held to this day.

In the early 1980’s she underwent a major 5 year rebuild after being bought by the newly formed Golden Vanity Trust.  Since then she has been a youth sail training vessel taking part in several Tall Ships races, working as an RYA training boat and introducing all manner of young people to the work of traditional sailing.

Her current condition has been largely established by a December 2019 survey.  The vessel is in need of some refit work before sailing commercially this season, details of which can be provided.

Length on Deck                 39′

Length Overall                   53′

Length Waterline             36′

Beam                                    12’2″

Draft                                      6’8″

Thames Tonnage             21TM

Construction

Planked in Oregon pine on sawn oak frames fastened with galvanise nails.

All planking was new in the 1980’s refit.

Sawn timber and iron floors across the centreline

Internal ballast of concrete and iron.

Straight laid pine deck on oak deck beams, caulked and payed with painted cover boards.

Bulwark on stanchions mounted through the cover board in the traditional way.

Small coachroof with mahogany coamings and straight laid pine coachroof deck.

Self draining cockpit with mahogany coamings.

Gaff cutter rig on a keel stepped hollow wooden mast setting 125sqft of sail

Varnished wooden boom, gaff and bowsprit.  New bowsprit 2019.

Galvanised wire standing rigging with dead eyes and lanyards to external galvanised chain plates.

Running backstays on tackles

Large galvanised drum winch on the main mast for halyards

Mainsail 2017, Jib 2015 plus staysail in good condition, topsail, flying jib and storm jib.

Beta Marine 75hp 4cyl diesel.

PRM Newage gearbox to a port side offset fixed 3 blade bronze propeller giving 4 knots cruising speed.

2 steel fuel tanks, 1 under each quarter berth with total capacity of 315 litres.

4 x 105ah 12 volt batteries for engine starting and domestics.  Twin engine alternators for charging.

Shore power system with a Victron 12/25 Blue Smart Charger.

Accommodation

9 single berths in cavernous interior.

Steps down from the companionway with a quarter berth either side

Forward facing chart desk to port.

Galley to starboard the full length of the saloon.  Single stainless sink with manually pumped fresh water.  Domestic Moonlight 3 burner gimballed gas cooker with oven and grill.  Top loading 12 volt fridge.

Saloon with U-shaped seating around a dropleaf mahogany table.  Pilot berth to port under the side deck.

Starboard side passageway going forward with large heads compartment to port.  Jabsco manual sea toilet, discharges directly overboard.  hand basin with manually pumped water.

Large forward cabin with 6 single berths.  Steps up to the forehatch.

Full specification and details available upon request

Disclaimer:

These particulars have been prepared in good faith from information provided by the Vendors and are intended as a guide, Wooden Ships cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. The Purchaser should instruct his agent or surveyor to validate all details as necessary and satisfy himself with the condition of the vessel and its equipment.

Wooden Ships classic yachts brokers have an extensive database of boats for sale. With a wide range of sailboats , classic yachts , motor yachts and small classic boats , Wooden Ships has one of the largest selections of traditional wooden boats and yachts for sale in the UK.

Latest listings

45′ Laurent Giles Bermudan Cutter

Camper and Nicholson Motor Launch

Laurent Giles Vertue V54

G.L. Watson Gaff Cutter

Cornish Rowing Punt

Salcombe Net Boat

Trearddur Sailing Club One Design

12′ McNulty GRP Sailing Dinghy

12′ Clinker Sailing Dinghy

Iain Oughtred Acorn 12 Rowing Skiff

International Six Meter GBR32

International Six Meter GBR31

Facebook posts.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

2 weeks ago

How to Sell a Yacht

September 5th 2022

How to sell a classic yacht – 10 things to expect from your broker.   Selling a classic yacht can be daunting, but working with a broker can simp…

GOLDEN VANITY

Vessel stats.

Golden Vanity.

Specification

• Name: GOLDEN VANITY
• Nationality: United Kingdom
• Year built: 1908
• Home port: Brixham, England
• Height: 13.8897359788876 m
• Length of hull: 11.5397279824596 m
• Entered by: Trinity Sailing Foundation
• Special diets catered for: Yes
• Special needs catered for: Yes

Golden Vanity is a traditional classic wooden gaff cutter and Mumble Bee class Brixham Sailing Trawler – First Class Sailing purchased her in a very sorry state back in 2020 from Trinity and after an extensive refurbishment she is now a much-loved part of our sail-training fleet.

She was built, in 1908, as a yacht for the renown marine artist Arthur Briscoe, who regularly sailed on board with his close friends and spy novelist Erskine Childers, who wrote Riddle of the Sands. She went on to have a variety of owners who used her for cruising far and wide. She has several trans-Atlantic crossings under her keel, including entry in the Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race where she came last and still holds the record for the slowest crossing.  

This kind of boat was built to be a stable working platform from which to trawl a net along the seabed and then return to port with their catch as quickly as possible and in all kinds of weather. Consequently, Golden Vanity makes for a solid, seaworthy and spacious boat to sail on.

On deck Golden Vanity looks as she did over a century ago, while below deck she has been fitted with all the necessary comforts you would expect.

She has wide decks and sturdy high bulwarks (sides). She has a cavernous interior and makes for a fantastic classic sailing cruising boat for family and friends who are keen to get involved in sailing her. There are 10 berths in total. Golden Vanity is well suited to cruising with family and friends (plus skipper and maybe a mate/cook) in cruising grounds such as the West Country where 20/30-mile day sails can be had combined with stopovers in delightful Devon and Cornish anchorages and harbours.

Your help will be needed to sail the boat. A traditional boat, there are no winches – apart from the original 1908 capstan (that can be used to raise the anchor if necessary) so teamwork is required to raise and lower the sails. That said there will be plenty of time to watch the world go by. She has 5 sails to play with at any one time. The main and topsail plus 3 headsails – staysail, working jib and if conditions allow the flying jib.

Marlow Navigation Netherlands Bursary Fund Announced

Oman bursary scheme 2024 opens for applications, a final parade and prizes in cadiz.

c side yacht

• News/Events

Apr 27, 2023 | Boating News

Skippered Sailing Holidays in the UK

Our skippered sailing holidays offer a unique and exciting way to explore and relax onboard a range of different yacht types. With our skipper and crew on board, you can sit back and relax whilst an experienced First Class Sailing crew navigates the seas. This makes it an ideal holiday choice for those who want to enjoy sailing without the added responsibility of skippering the boat themselves… but, if you want to get involved, you can!

Whether you are an experienced sailor or a beginner novice, our skippered sailing holidays offer an unforgettable experience. You will learn about the local area and its history, as well as picking up sailing tips along the way.

So, if you’re looking for a unique and exciting way to explore some incredible destinations, a skippered sailing holiday could be just what you’re looking for.

Cruise on the Golden Vanity

One of our most popular family sailing holidays for beginners is aboard the Golden Vanity. A holiday on this classic yacht feels like stepping back in time, as you embark on a hands-on sailing adventure, visiting some of the most beautiful and popular cruising areas across the UK and Europe.

Destinations you can choose from include the Jurassic Coast, Channel Islands, and many more other stunning cruises.

We welcome a mix of people, young and old, families and friends that take the whole boat, couples, and people that come by themselves. It’s the perfect sailing holiday for beginners, as you can choose to be involved as much or as little as you like.

If you have never been sailing before, the Golden Vanity cruises will offer you an adventure on the sea, and an experience of sailing like no other.

• Find out more

The Isles of Scilly

If it’s a boating holidays for beginners you want, but also something a little more exotic then why not try the Isles of Scilly? This Caribbean’esk’ archipelagic gem is in the UK so offers a different experience to any other UK skippered sailing holiday.

While sailing in the Isles of Scilly, there are more activities than simply being on the water. You can also explore the area on foot and take part in some of the gorgeous coastal walks available. You can enjoy sampling an afternoon tea, local pubs, restaurants, or chill on a beach.

The Isles of Scilly is also home to some of the UK’s rarest wildlife, such as Atlantic grey seals, Manx shearwaters, and basking sharks. During your Scilly Isles beginner’s sailing holiday, you’re likely to spot dolphins and porpoises at some point.

The West Country

Sailing in the West Country lets you take in views including rolling hills, prominent headlands and pretty seaside towns set beside rivers bustling with activity from all sorts of watercraft.

In our opinion the West Country offers some of the best cruising in the world and lets you completely detach and get away from it all. Sit back and watch the world go by as we explore some lovely Devonshire and Cornish villages.

The Channel Islands

We have several five and seven day skippered sailing trips to the Channel Islands on a variety of yachts. We stop at places such as Braye Harbour in Alderney, St Peter’s Port in Guernsey, plus anchorages off the Islands of Herm and Sark and St Helier in Jersey.

We could also get to France if you like, with options for St Malo, possibly Cherbourg and maybe St Vaast.

Falmouth Classics

This eight day skippered sailing holiday lets you all be part of the pageant that is Falmouth Classics. You can soak up the atmosphere and be part of the event onboard our classic tall ship, Golden Vanity.

The cruise starts from Brixham and includes stop overs in places like Dartmouth, Salcombe, Plymouth and Fowey.

Our Golden Vanity boat was built in 1908. Down below she has all the modern comforts you would expect of a boat these days but on deck she is all tradition with block and tackle and tanned sails.

Norway Sailing Adventures to the Fjords and Back

This 16 day voyage is a fantastic opportunity for you to sail to Norway to explore the dramatic Norwegian Fjords and then sail back.

This sailing holiday puts you on a 72ft steel yacht which starts and finishes from Portsmouth. You’ll sail through one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, the Dover Straits, before heading up the North Sea to Norway where we will explore the outstanding natural beauty of the Norwegian Fjords.

Sailing to France

Book 7 day skippered sailing holiday that takes in the Channel Islands and France.

Our modern yachts are all spacious cruising yachts with the accommodation arranged into double cabins and single berths in the saloon. They can take as many as eight people.

Why take a skippered sailing holiday

Whether you’re a family, a couple, by yourself, or a group of friends, skippered sailing holidays offer a unique and exciting way to experience yachting. With a First Class Sailing skipper on board, you can relax without having to worry about the complexities of navigating, anchoring, or mooring the yacht.

It’s convenient, as you don’t need any previous sailing experience to enjoy a sailing holiday. One of our qualified and experienced skippers will take care of all the technical aspects of sailing, leaving you free to enjoy the experience and take in the stunning sights, sounds, and smells.

And of course, there’s your peace of mind.

When you book a skippered sailing holiday with us, you’re in safe hands with a professional skipper on board.

Skippered sailing holidays can also be a great way to introduce children to sailing. Our skipper will show them the basics of sailing and ensure that they have a safe and enjoyable experience on the water.

Everyone can learn though, no matter your age.

The post Skippered Sailing Holidays in the UK appeared first on Sailing Blog .

Events Calendar

Sign up for the latest signature yachts news -.

Get our email newsletter and find out first about new and used boat listings, rendezvous plans, and educational events.

Please give us a call!

• Rosatom Global presence
• Rosatom in region
• For suppliers
• Preventing corruption
• Press centre

Rosatom Starts Life Tests of Third-Generation VVER-440 Nuclear Fuel

• 16 June, 2020 / 13:00

This site uses cookies. By continuing your navigation, you accept the use of cookies. For more information, or to manage or to change the cookies parameters on your computer, read our Cookies Policy. Learn more