Rachel's Week at Minorca Sailing

New Llangorse member – and newcomer to sailing, Rachel Duncan reports on her week of dinghy sailing in the warm sunny waters of Minorca, at the resort devoted to sailing.

For those wanting sailing all day – every day, then Minorca Sailing is the place to go. It is based in a large, enclosed bay only half an hour’s drive from the airport. Well fitted-out with a range of boats available to swap-in-and-out-of - just as you choose. 

I was keen to get over my fear of capsizing and gybing, so started with the forgiving but soggy Fusion. By day-2 I was on the Laser (with a play-it-safe 4.7m sail). Others were on various asymmetric boats, foiling dinghies, or windsurfers.

There’s small-group (like 3 or 4) instruction all morning, and 3 races every afternoon. After this you can book an hour of individual instruction (all included). I fully intended to have a private lesson every afternoon but was so shattered by the end of the day, I didn’t manage it!

Race results are aggregated as the week goes on, and on the last day there’s a three-race regatta. On a couple of days, we had gps trackers fitted, and in the evening the races were analysed on a big screen. This would be fun to do at Llangorse.

Minorca Sailing has a villa-share option for accommodation. We tended to buy breakfast and lunch from the shop round the corner. And on most evenings, we walked the twenty minutes into town for a meal, choosing from about a dozen restaurants mostly specialising in local seafood.

By the end of the week, I was battered, bruised and exhausted, but had definitely pushed myself out of my comfort-zone – and much improved. I’m not sure about the rather chillier water at Llangorse to return to though!