Free adult start sailing courses with the Royal Naval Sailing Association

For the partners of serving members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Gain skills for life and enjoy the benefits of time on the water with others in the Naval Community

Go Sailing is a new initiative from the Royal Naval Sailing Association, creating free sailing opportunities for partners of serving personnel.

Alongside learning to sail, Go Sailing provides a way to meet and find support in others who may be facing similar challenges that service life brings, whether that be deployment, weekending or homeport.

Eligibility

RNSA Go Sailing has been created exclusively for partners of serving 
Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.

Read our FAQs

Certification

Gain your Level 1 & 2 certification following the RYA National Sailing Scheme. Each course runs across two days and you can expect to progress quickly, from a complete beginner to competent sailor in less than 
a week.

View RYA course details

Locations

We are offering training at three sailing centres located at the Andrew Simpson Centre Portsmouth and partner centres in Plymouth, and in Helensburgh, Scotland.

Find free sailing spaces

Exclusively for partners of 
serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel

All training and certifications are provided free of charge, generously 
funded by Greenwich Hospital and delivered through the Not-For-Profit Andrew Simpson Foundation at locations across the UK. All equipment will be provided and training will be delivered by fully qualified sailing instructors.

Sailing centre locations

We are running sailing courses across three key locations, carefully chosen for their proximity to Naval bases in the UK:

Hampshire

Andrew Simpson Centre Portsmouth

Eastern Road, Portsmouth PO3 5LY

View in Google Maps

Devon

Horizons Plymouth

Mayflower Marina, Richmond Walk
Devonport, Plymouth PL1 4LS

View in Google Maps

Scotland

Blairvadach Outdoor Education Centre

Blairvadach, Shandon, Helensburgh G84 8NN

View in Google Maps

Book your space

You can complete your Levels 1 & 2 across four consecutive days, subject to availability, or as two separate two day blocks to best suit your schedule. 
No previous experience is required to join the Level 1 course. To complete Level 2 you must have completed Level 1.

Choose your location

Devon

Plymouth

Horizons Plymouth

Hampshire

Portsmouth

Andrew Simpson Centre Portsmouth

Scotland

Helensburgh

Blairvadach Outdoor Education Centre

Select your dates

To complete your booking, you will need to select both course dates.

This exciting RNSA programme is designed to help families enjoy the many benefits of sailing. There are 5 dedicated projects that introduce and develop sailing skills for serving Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel and their families.

For under 18s.

For partners of serving personnel.

RNSA Go Yachting

For those looking to try bigger boats.

RNSA Sailing Club

To help consolidate skills learned on RYA dinghy courses.

RNSA Family Days

To allow families to sail together.

Sailing together as a family, as friends, as a naval community offers a shared experienced, a chance to try something new, an opportunity to have fun and above all the vehicle to help build lifetime skills and friendships. RNSA is all about making sailing accessible and enjoyable and we are most grateful to our members, funders, partners, volunteers and supporters that make this possible.

Get in touch to find out how to get involved.

FAQs

To join Go Sailing, you must be the Partner of a serving member of the RN, RM and RFA. This means that you are married, cohabiting, in a civil partnership or in a long-term relationship with a serving member of the RN, RM or RFA. To complete your booking, you will need your partners’ RN Service Number. 

We are able to support you with any additional needs, including those who are neurodiverse. Please speak to us after booking your place so that we can ensure they have the right level of assistance and that your individual needs are met during your time with us.

Founded in 1935, the RNSA is a Service Sports Association and charity that delivers the sport of sailing and association activities for the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary and their associated reserve forces.

Following on from the successful launch of RNSA Youth Crew (www.rnsayouthcrew.org.uk) in 2024, the RNSA has created Go Sailing in 2025.  Go Sailing provides free sailing opportunities for the Partners of serving members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Go Sailing will not only develop new skills in learning to sail, but also develop friendships and support amongst those who remain at home experiencing service life. 

Partners who complete the course will receive their RYA level 1 and 2 and be all set with the skills to take their sailing journey further through RNSA Sailing Club sessions. 

You do not need any previous sailing experience and do not need to be competent swimmer.

If you would like to speak to us before booking, or to talk about an existing booking, please contact our Go Sailing  team below on gosailing@rnsa.org.uk. If you would like to talk to the RNSA Outreach Team for Go Sailing, please email outreach@rnsa.org.uk.

Please contact the RNSA Go Sailing team by emailing gosailing@rnsa.org.uk to speak to us about changing or cancelling an existing booking.

Got a question?

If you would like to speak to us before booking, or to talk about an existing booking, please contact our RNSA Go Sailing team:

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