Sailing Virgins engages the world's most advanced sail training platform.

Looking for the most efficient way to become a skipper? In our quest to find and work with the best sail training platforms we are happy to announce that Sailing Virgins has partnered with NauticEd. Through this platform we bring what we believe is the world’s most advanced sailing training and education to our students in the gorgeous waters of the British Virgin Islands.

A different approach to Sail Training

Traditionally, training programs for sailors have consisted of theory books, proctored paper tests followed by practical on-the water training and certification stickers in a paper logbook. Today however, many students simply don't want, nor have the time, to buy paper textbooks and pour through them. They prefer to access lessons on their device, run animations, watch quick snippet videos, and have a personalized training program fit seamlessly around their own busy lives.

Furthermore most employees in the US only get two weeks vacation. So those two weeks need to count!  Sailing Virgins offers a vacation with a qualification: guests come to sail and at the same time learn how to be a skipper. For all future holidays students themselves are the skipper.

So how does the NauticEd platform work from a student’s point of view?

Within minutes of booking your bareboat skipper course with Sailing Virgins, you can begin your coursework online. There is no need to purchase any separate books, nor any need to use your valuable vacation time with proctored paper tests. It's all there, on your desktop or your device weeks in advance so that once you arrive at in the British Virgin Islands, you’ll be at least halfway through your skipper knowledge and can then spend your island time learning from the professionals with your hand on the wheel and the wind in your face.

NauticEd works around a "sailing resume" model, where every bit of learning and every sailing experience you have goes into your electronic logbook. The software then produces a real-time resume. Once your resume rises to an acceptable documentation of knowledge and experience, yacht charter companies aroud the world will recognize and accept it. 

Grant Headifen, Global Director Education for NauticEd, states “aspiring sailors need to watch out for the ‘certification trap’. Oftentimes people gain a certification thinking it is all they need. However the certification is but one part of the requirement, and not even the important part. Yacht Charter companies require a sailing resume over and above a certification. And rightly so, as they want to know if their boat will come back in one piece without a lawsuit attached. By properly balancing theoretical knowledge with practical experience, a student become confident and competent at mastering a yacht on a sailing vacation and is thus globally recognized.”

In Europe the push for a universal "basic sailing skills" licence has manifested itself into the International Certificate of Competency (ICC). Increasingly, European countries demand the ICC as a ticket to sail there. When you follow the NauticEd system, you will have the opportunity to also obtain your ICC. Here is a link to a NauticEd site on the ICC.

James Kell, Chief Instructor for Sailing Virgins says; “we are excited how this model suits our ideal customer - a busy young adventurous professional who wants polished and recognised training in a fun and relaxing environment. That’s what we offer. Right here in the British Virgin Islands.”

NauticEd is helping potential Sailing Virgins clients get started by offering two free courses as a getting started package. Learn more about this Sailing Virgins tech-based, high-touch training program at https://sailingvirgins.com/sailing-courses/

Questions and Answers

When can I do one of these Skipper sailing training courses?

Please look at our calendar or email us to ask about availability.

What about Yachtmaster? Where does this fit in?

There are two ways to answer this question. First, you can achieve your captain’s level through NauticEd’s own system. However if you’d like an MCA approved RYA Yachtmaster, NauticEd is also aligned with the RYA and can offer the Day Skipper (which is the prerequisite to the Yachtmaster) through its system. Your sailing resume is important for your Yachtmaster exam. As such the NauticEd sailing resume is a comprehensive summary of the sailing skills you have acquired to date.

Is there anywhere it won’t be accepted?

The NauticEd Sailing resume is accepted by every Yacht Charter company in the world. However, some governments (particularly Croatia) require the International Certificate of Competency  (ICC). In this case, we can help our students gain the ICC.

Do I still get a certification?

Yes you do. The NauticEd certification lists Rank, Level and Verified Competence which work in concert with each other. Rank refers to the online theory courses passed, Level refers to the amount of experience and Verified Competence refers to the instructor’s assessment of the students confidence and competence.

Does it cost any extra?

No. Right now as an introductory offer Sailing Virgins is including the NauticEd cost in its overall course cost. Which means you don't have to pay any extra to use the NauticEd platform.

Does this mean ASA, IYT and RYA are old school?

Not at all. These three organisations all have highly regarded and well-evolved certification systems. Sailing is sailing. People simply have different modes of learning. NauticEd's mode of learning, with a heavy online/device base, suits some people very well. For more on the qualifications from these three organisations please see this blog post.

How do I document my experience in my logbook?

NauticEd’s cloud-based logbook software allows you to enter day by day previous history sailing experience, whether you were crew or master of the vessel, the size and tonnage of the vessel, and other pertinent information. Additionally, an innovative feature allows students to authenticate their entries via a piece of software which polls their CrewMates. Yacht Charter companies view this as valuable in assessing the reality of the logbook entries.

In a Nutshell

Sailing Virgins is excited to announce this partnership with NauticEd. If you are looking for a tech-based way to become a skipper, you now have an avenue to do this in the BVI with Sailing Virgins and NauticEd. You can check out our calendar of courses here, email us to ask a question or click here to check out our most popular course, the fast-track Bareboat Skipper course (this states ASA qualifications for now but is exactly the same course/cost).

We have a few gifts for our readers if you haven't already taken us up on it. If you would like to know (or be reminded) of the two fastest methods of tying a [conventional] bowline head to our blog post or to download a one pager click the button below:

And if you'd like a free e-book on tips to working in the sailing industry free free to click on the button below:

 See you out there. :)