Bridge Sailing Team

03/06/2026

What are the most famous canals in the world that changed the map of navigation forever?

Most people would probably name the Panama Canal (51 miles) and the Suez Canal (120 miles), and for good reason! Both transformed global shipping and reshaped trade routes across entire continents.

The Panama Canal saves ships from the epic voyage around South America. The Suez Canal spares them the equally inconvenient detour around Africa. Together, they have saved countless miles, billions in shipping costs, and probably a few captains’ sanity along the way.

But there is a third canal that deserves a place on that list, especially if you are a sailor: the Kiel Canal.😎

It may not be as famous as Panama or Suez, but for anyone travelling between the North Sea and the Baltic, it is a game changer.

The Kiel Canal cuts straight across northern Germany, connecting the North Sea with the Baltic Sea. At just 53 nautical miles (61 miles / 98 km) long, it saves vessels around 250 nautical miles compared with sailing all the way around Denmark via Skagen.

In other words: less distance, less fuel, less time, and significantly fewer opportunities for the North Sea to remind you who’s in charge.

What makes it even more interesting is that passing through the canal is an experience in itself. First come the locks. You wait your turn, enter alongside commercial ships that make your yacht look rather modest, and watch this enormous piece of engineering quietly do its job.

Once through, you spend almost 60 miles sailing through the German countryside. One moment you’re sharing a waterway with cargo ships; the next you’re passing farms, villages, ferries, cyclists and forests. It feels less like a canal and more like a moving front-row seat to northern Germany.

This summer we’re heading through the Kiel Canal into the Baltic, and there are still two opportunities to join us:

⚓ 24–27 July — The Hague to the Baltic via the Kiel Canal.

⚓ 24–27 August — Kiel back to The Hague via the Kiel Canal and the North Sea.

Not just a yacht passage, but a chance to experience one of the world’s great maritime shortcuts from the water.

Check details of the trips here https://bridgesailing.co.uk/milebuildingbaltic

28/05/2026

Rolex Fastnet 2027 — we’re in!

This time we’ll have two boats on the race: Jazz and Petruchio, with Oliver and Afanasy skippering the teams.

We’ve already started taking bookings and places are going quicker than expected.

If you’ve always wanted to do the Fastnet, this is your sign to stop thinking about it and actually make it happen. It’s an incredible race, a great experience and a brilliant group of people to do it with.

Whether you already have offshore racing experience or just want to be part of something special, you’re very welcome to join us.

All the details and conditions are on the website — just get in touch if you’d like to come along.

https://bridgesailing.co.uk/fastnet2027

28/05/2026

28/05/2026

Don’t know what to gift someone?

Please don’t buy another random thing that will just sit on a shelf collecting dust 😅

Give emotions instead! New experiences, memories, proper moments people will remember for years.

We have gift vouchers for any amount and for any of our events — so the person can choose what they really want.

Honestly, the best gifts are the ones people actually remember. 😎

27/05/2026

The Most Common Questions About Day Sailing ⛵️👇🏻

“Do I need sailing experience?”

Not at all.

Many of our guests have never been on a sailing boat before. You can be as involved as you like — learn to steer, work with the sails and help with manoeuvres, or simply sit on deck with a coffee and enjoy the sea breeze pretending your inbox doesn’t exist.

Both approaches are equally welcome.

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“Can we bring children?”

Yes.

The main rule is one parent per child under 10.

Very young children (around 1–7 years old) are usually only suitable if you privately charter the whole boat. For mixed groups onboard, it works much better when children are a bit older.

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“Is food included?”

During our regular day sailing trips we stop in Cowes on the Isle of Wight for lunch and free time.

There are plenty of pubs, cafés, restaurants and ice cream spots to choose from.

Onboard we always provide tea, coffee, water and snacks — but lunch itself is flexible because some people want seafood and wine, while others are perfectly happy with chips by the marina.

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“What time does it start and finish?”

Our standard day sailing trips usually run from 10am until around 5pm.

Round the Island sailing days start around 9am and finish approximately 6–7pm, depending on wind and tides — because sailing still refuses to work like public transport.

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“Can we come as a private group?”

Of course.

You can either book individual places onboard or privately charter the whole yacht for your group.

And yes — weekdays are usually a little cheaper than weekends.

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“What dates are available?”

We can organise day sailing on most available days during the season, so if you see a green day in our calendar, it usually means we can sail ⛵️

Our next day sailing trip is on Sunday 31 May and we currently have a special offer: 20% OFF with code MAY20.

The forecast is looking very promising, which in England already counts as exciting news.

https://bridgesailing.co.uk/day-sailing

27/05/2026

If you’re feeling slightly fried, mildly dysfunctional and one more Teams call away from moving to a lighthouse, we have a solution.

Come sailing with us for three days Jurassic Coast trip.

From 5–7 June and again from 3–5 July, we’re escaping civilisation aboard Petruchio for a relaxed sailing trip around the Solent, Poole, the Jurassic Coast and the Isle of Wight.

Friday we sail from Gosport past the Needles to Poole, where we stay overnight right in the marina. Saturday we head along the Jurassic Coast, possibly stop for a swim if the British weather has a rare emotional breakthrough, and then sail to lovely little Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. Sunday is an easy sail back to Gosport with lunch onboard and absolutely no urgency whatsoever.

No sailing experience needed. This is very much “pleasant sea air and a glass of wine” sailing rather than “captain screaming obscure rope instructions while everyone suffers”.

Petruchio has comfortable cabins, a cosy saloon and everything needed for a proper reset. Think mini-holiday, but without airports, baggage reclaim or paying £14 for a sad sandwich.

£375 per person including:
⛵ skipper
⛵ fuel
⛵ marina fees
⛵ food onboard

(Dinners ashore not included.)

July trip will have two boats sailing together as a small flotilla.

Honestly, at this point, three days looking at the sea instead of your inbox feels medically necessary.

https://bridgesailing.co.uk/jurassic_cost

26/05/2026

We have a very good last-minute sailing offer for this week’s event! 😎

- Wednesday, 27 May — Round the Island Day Sailing
- Sunday, 31 May — Day Sailing with a stop in Cowes

PM me for details and make the most of this fantastic weather on the water. ⛵️

26/05/2026

We still have a couple of places left for this weekend’s De Guingand Bowl Race ⛵ (29-31.05)

The team is great, some of the guys did the Fastnet Race together last year, so it’s a fun and experienced crew that likes proper racing and good sailing.

We meet on Friday morning for training, start the race on Saturday and sail through until Sunday.

The forecast looks really great: sunny, windy and perfect for a weekend on the water.

If you’d like to join us for a fun, active and slightly adrenaline-filled weekend, send me a message.

https://www.bridgesailing.co.uk/rorc_races_2026

20/05/2026

If you’re coming to Portsmouth for a day sail, make sure to visit these places!

Fancy a relaxed walk through bygone eras? ⚓🚶

Start at the Millennium Walkway just in front of our ferry terminal in Portsmouth and take a stroll back through history, discovering medieval fortifications, hidden stories and stunning Solent views along the way.

Leaving the waterfront at Gunwharf Quays, the path leads to The Camber — once a Norman fishing settlement and still home to a small fishing fleet alongside yachts and working boats today. Seafood lovers should make time for a stop at FISH to admire (and perhaps buy!) the day’s catch. 🐟

The walkway then takes you through Spice Island, once notorious for smuggling, prostitution and Royal Navy press gangs during the 18th and 19th centuries. Once packed with taverns, two historic pubs still remain today — The Still & West and the Spice Island Inn. 🍻

Continue onwards to discover Portsmouth Harbour’s historic defences including the Hotwalls, the Round Tower and the Square Tower. This former artillery barracks is now home to local artists and designers, making it a wonderful place to explore. 🎨

For even more history and points of interest, download the official trail map from Portsmouth City Council:
[Millennium Promenade Map](https://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/explore/millennium-promenade/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

20/05/2026

Few places left for our Atlantic crossing from Bermuda to the Azores in June.
PM me if you want to disappear from routine, screens and noise for a couple of weeks and experience real ocean sailing instead.

https://bridgesailing.co.uk/transatlanticbacktoeurope2026