We can not rate these guys highly enough. My wife and I both attended their Southampton centre at Shamrock Quay for 5 & 9 days (effectively taking 3 courses between us). This was my wife's first sailing course however I have done several RYA theory and practical courses at other sailing schools. Stormforce surpassed the others by miles.
We visited the boat show and spoke to several sailing schools. At the Stormforce stand we met the owner, Doug who talked us through what we would get and why we should book with him. Having been on these sorts of things before I was a little skeptical about the promises being made, none the less he opened our eyes to what we should expect from a sailing course, he gave us a discount for booking as a couple and he sounded like he knew his product far better than his competitors, he gave up considerable time to talk us and he was prepared to run with the dates we wanted.
My wife arrived four days before me to take the theory part of her nine day Day Skipper Course. There was three other students in the classroom with her. The instructor, Simon covered the syllabus in easy bite size chunks and taught her tricks I had not even learnt at coastal theory. I gather he was very entertaining. She loved every minute of it and I am rather jealous of her experience compared with mine at a different school previously. After her four theory days I joined her to take my Coastal Skipper Practical while she completed the Day Skipper Practical. I'm really pleased to say that everything Doug promised was delivered and so much more. The Stormforce team genuinely love instructing and the approach is very hands on. I was pushed to try all sorts of new techniques and given regular feedback throughout the course. Tom our Instructor was very patient and politely went through things I had forgotten (never learnt). The yacht, Storm Trooper sailed far better than the yachts we have sailed previously, making 7 knots upwind. On board were two Competent Crew (beginners), another Coastal Skipper, my wife and myself, this was a winning combination for all of us. Tom our Instructor let me skipper two good passages, one from Lymington to Weymouth and a shorter one from Bembridge to Hamble, I also skippered two "simulated fog," exercises and two night exercises locating spots on the chart, my wife skippered lots of shorter legs, again making me rather jealous. On my own Day Skipper two years previously I skippered one short passage. Tom found plenty time for boat handling sessions both under power and under sail and we both now feel confident to bareboat charter. There was plenty of food and snacks on board and all the meals were included in the course fee, as was just about everything else. The only extra was marina fees, which cost us less than a tenner each for the week. We have now booked our daughter into Stormforce's teen week next summer and chartered the same yacht as a family for the week after her course. read more
