Intro
Learn to Sail & Explore Istria
Experience the thrill of sailing with “Sail Istria.” Our expertly crafted Beginner Sailing Course is designed for those ready to tackle & learn the basics of sailing and for adventurers looking to travel in a truly unique and active way.
You’ll actively participate in every aspect of sailing – from navigation and sail trimming to steering and docking. Our experienced instructors guide you through each technique, building your confidence on the water with each nautical mile.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or have some sailing experience, this adventure packs unforgettable memories into just three days. You’ll return with new skills and stories to share for years to come! No sailing background is required.
Highlights
- Up to 5 People
- Professional Instructor
- 3-Days of active sailing
- 2-nights in the Apartments
- No prior knowledge needed
- Free cancellation
Itenerary
Weekend Sailing in Istria Itenerary
Beginner Sailing Course
Summary
The beginner sailing course begins on Friday morning in Pula. You meet your instructor, a certified kinesiologist with years of experience and together you head to the dock where a Bavaria 36 Cruiser awaits you for three days at sea.
You dive straight into hands-on practice aboard the sailboat. A maximum of 5 participants per course ensures that everyone receives the instructor’s full attention, no waiting your turn, no watching from the sidelines. You choose your own accommodation: a cabin on the sailboat or an apartment in Pula.
From the basics of helming and anchoring off Cape Kamenjak on the first day, to tacking, jibing, and precise maneuvering on the second, to a solo regatta around Brijuni National Park on the third. Every day the bar is raised, step by step.
Never set foot on a sailboat before? That’s exactly why this course exists. By Sunday afternoon, you’ll have the foundations for independent sailing and an experience no classroom can give you.
Pula
On Friday morning, you meet your instructor at Marina Veruda in Pula. Before boarding, you have plenty of time to get acquainted over a coffee, ask questions, and go through the full course plan and curriculum.
After that, you make your way to the Bavaria 36 Cruiser. Boarding the vessel is your first contact with the boat you’ll be spending the next three days on.
Once aboard, the orientation begins: you tour the vessel, get familiar with the safety equipment, and learn how to conduct yourself on deck. The instructor walks you through every part of the boat until you know where everything is and what purpose it serves.
Before you cast off from the dock, you’ll have a clear picture of how the boat works and what to expect each day. The rest is practice — and all that takes is a willingness to learn.
Core Skills
The first day of the course begins with sailing out of the marina. You become active immediately: the helm is in your hands, you raise the sails yourself, and the instructor corrects and explains your every move. The focus is on the fundamentals of boat handling — the foundation for everything that follows.
The route leads around Cape Kamenjak, where you’ll practice anchoring in one of the sheltered coves. This is a skill that gives you the freedom to stop wherever you choose, and Kamenjak is the ideal training ground for your first attempts.
After anchoring, you get acquainted with the sails — how to raise, trim, and lower them. The instructor explains how the boat responds to each adjustment, and you try it out on the open sea right away. There is no theory without practice on this course.
The day wraps up with docking and undocking drills. Maneuvers that look complicated when you watch them from the shore become natural with proper technique and repetition. In the evening, the choice is yours: a cabin on the sailboat or an apartment in Pula.
Manoeuvres and Docking
The second day starts early from the marina with a clear goal — mastering sailing maneuvers and both docking and undocking. Unlike the first day, the demands are now higher, with different angles of approach, sides of the dock, and scenarios. Repetition until each movement becomes automatic.
Out on the open sea, you move on to tacking and jibing — the two essential maneuvers without which independent sailing is impossible. The instructor demonstrates, then you take the helm. Between maneuvers, you refine your sail trimming and learn to read wind shifts in real time.
Alongside the practical work, the instructor conducts a safety briefing at sea. Emergency procedures, equipment use, and the basic rules of navigation. Knowledge you must have before you take responsibility for the boat on day three.
The day ends with a return to the marina and one more docking. By evening, the sailboat is no longer an unknown — it’s a tool whose logic you understand.
Exam at Sea
The third day is a test of everything you’ve learned. You sail out of Pula toward Brijuni National Park — and this time, you’re running the boat. You make the decisions, you steer, you trim the sails. The instructor is there only if needed.
Sailing around Brijuni calls for applying every technique in real conditions: shifting winds, sea currents, navigation through the islands. Everything you practiced over the previous two days, you now do on your own.
You’re at sea all day, from morning until late afternoon. No rushing, no hour-by-hour schedule. You sail, make corrections, and learn from every mistake in real time. That is the most valuable part of the course.
By the time you return to Pula marina, you’ll have a clear picture of your abilities on a sailboat. Three days, over 60 nautical miles, and skills you can put to use straight away.