Hamilton Sailing

So glad I chose Hamilton Sailing - the location, standard of equipment (brand new life vests, oil skins etc) and instruction was top notch.We had Owen Timms as our instructor - clearly extremely knowledgable, and with a real eye and skill for teaching, our group quickly fell into working together. Owen never shouted, had to raise his voice or actually intervene - and this is down to his very clear instructions and calm demeanor. Stick a G&T in him in the evenings and the stories start to unfurl.....I have sailed in many places around the world and felt that Ipswich . Felixstowe are some of the best places to get so much variety of experience you don't get in the Med - locks, extreme tides, tidal directions, angry seas, challenging navigation and weather.I can't speak highly enough of the Hamilton set up.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 5 day Day Skipper course with Hamilton Sailing. My instructor (Owen) and fellow crew mates were really friendly which made for a very enjoyable trip. I learnt a lot and perfected many skills all in a very supportive environment. I now feel a lot more confident in both my sailing and general boat handling abilities. The facilities on board Sirius were great and the home cooked food was excellent!I also enjoyed my the Day Skipper theory course in London with Mark. I found the classes very interesting and engaging and could clearly see my progress developing week on week.I would highly recommend sailing with Hamilton Sailing!

Having recently completed my Day Skipper theory earlier on in the year, my assessor recommended Hamilton Sailing for the practical expertise they have to offer. Based in Ipswich, Neptune Marina is a brilliant place to start out on the East Coast.I must say how happy I was with the tutelage they offered. I had no prior experience of sailing outside of the course having only previously been a motor boater. With their expertise I became familiar with all the necessary skills to Day Skipper level and have now actually booked my first solo sail on the water. Mark and the other students made the whole experience very enjoyable, spending 3 long weekends with them. There was great balance between serious instruction and having some fun!Keen to do more, the following weekend I booked the 1 day VHF course with Owen - again, another brilliant and very personable instructor who got us all through the course in their one day intensive class.I cannot recommend Hamilton sailing enough and will happily spend some more time on the water with their team should I need anymore practical experience!

Having already obtained several RYA qualifications in 3 other clubs, this was a very unpleasant surprise. Would rate zero stars if possible.Recently found out that a friend also did a course here this year, and had such a terrible experience that was able to get a partial refund.

Our experience with Hamilton Sailing was truly unforgettable! We embarked on an incredible sailing journey, participating in the RYA VHF, RYA Competent Crew, RYA Day Skipper Theory, RYA Day Skipper Practical, and an exciting weekend sailing trip. Mark, Owen, Greg, and Chris, our instructors, were not only friendly but also highly knowledgeable and experienced. Their guidance and passion for sailing created a supportive and enriching learning environment. Hamilton Sailing exceeded our expectations, offering a remarkable adventure filled with learning, fun, and lasting memories. We highly recommend Hamilton Sailing for anyone seeking an exceptional sailing experience!

Choosing a company to enhance my practical experience of flotilla sailing with a professionally recognized qualification was not easy and I spoke to many schools before I found Hamilton Sailing on an internet search. When I first contacted Mark, I found him pleasant to talk with and he was professional and reassuring without any hard sell at all.I originally booked a day skipper practical course supported by an online RYA Essential Navigation course. The online course was easy to follow, informative and well suited to provide me with the knowledge that I needed to move on to the practical course.Throughout the day skipper course I found Mark to be very informative and engaging with all the students in a very calm and positive way that suited all of our different skill levels over the 5 days that we were onboard. I am now looking forward to my next sailing trip with enhanced skills and plenty of confidence thanks to Mark and I hope to move up to coastal skipper next year.

Just finished the five days (over two weekends in Oct 2020) Day Skipper Practical course with Hamilton Sailing. As a mixed group of Day Skippers and Competent Crew we were certainly all put through our respective paces in terms of applying our theoretical learning in real-time to real-life situations (the weather was appalling which was exhilarating but very challenging). The teaching was rigorous in covering the syllabus but varied in its approach - some parts were fun yet supportive of any gaps in our knowledge (tying knots for example!) and other technical elements were comprehensive and challenging, yet I would say still supportive to make sure we really knew what we were doing. All in all if you really want to learn to a very high standard with great support all the way I would highly recommend Hamilton Sailing.

Hamilton Sailing is a great experience and a fantastic way to get qualified across all levels from no experience to instructor. Our teacher Owen was clear and precise. You will first and aways be reminded of safety whether it is where the equipment is located, man over board or sea sickness. Owen at Hamilton Sailing is well knowledgeable and can teach; whilst making it fun. In a short time of 4 nights you will learn how to tie knots, park, sail, save lives, anchor in different marinas/ countrys, use wind and a ton of more knowledge. Learning my course of competent crew was going to school whilst on vacation. I met an amazing group of people Owen, Michael, George and Lord Dingy who all was curious to share the same dream of Sailing. Hamilton Sailing gives value and qualifications and I would definitely recommend to anyone especially the curious.

Just undertaken my RYA Day Skipper Theory with Hamilton Sailing - I was specifically looking for an evening based course in Central London and the course run by Mark Hamilton proved to be nothing short of excellent. Mark has an excellent teaching style and a backs up the theory with real-world examples and funny stories....always engaging!. The course pace was well judged and proved for me to be a fun antidote to a hard day in the office each week. Mark made chart work fun and navigation straight forward. If your planning on becoming a Day Skipper and your are based in London I can absolutely recommend Mark and Hamilton Sailing as a great start in your journey

I have just spent 5 days on Sirius with Hamilton Sailing doing the RYA Day Skipper Practical course. Had a fantastic time and learnt a lot. I did the shore based Day Skipper Theory course earlier in the year, which was also very interesting and well run. Owen and Mark are great instructors. Highly recommended.