What Is the Difference Between a Sailing Course and a Sailing Holiday?

If you are thinking about spending a week sailing in the Canary Islands, one of the first decisions is whether you want a structured sailing course or a more relaxed sailing holiday.

At first glance, the two can look quite similar. Both involve spending several days onboard a sailing yacht, visiting different harbours, enjoying time on the water and experiencing life as part of a crew.

The main difference is what you want to get out of the week.

A sailing course is primarily about developing your skills and, in many cases, working towards an RYA qualification. A sailing holiday places more emphasis on enjoying the experience, exploring the islands and taking part in the sailing without necessarily following a formal syllabus.

Canary Sail offers both, including RYA practical sailing courses, relaxed cruising options and its Just Sailing experience for people who want something in between. Canary Sail

What Happens on a Sailing Course?

An RYA practical course follows a recognised training programme designed to develop specific sailing skills.

The exact content depends on your existing experience and the qualification you are working towards.

For complete beginners, the RYA Competent Crew course introduces the basics of sailing and helps you become a useful and confident member of the crew. No previous sailing experience is required. Canary Sail

More experienced sailors can progress to courses such as RYA Day Skipper, where the emphasis moves towards navigation, passage planning, boat handling and managing a yacht and its crew. Canary Sail

At higher levels, courses such as RYA Coastal Skipper introduce more demanding passages, advanced navigation and greater responsibility for decision-making onboard. Canary Sail

So while the week is still enjoyable, there is a clear learning objective.

What Is a Sailing Holiday Like?

A sailing holiday is less focused on completing a syllabus or achieving a qualification.

The priority is usually the experience itself.

You can enjoy sailing between islands, spend time in different harbours, experience life onboard and take part in sailing activities without feeling that every day is structured around a formal training programme.

Some Canary Sail cruises are designed for people who already have sailing experience and want to enjoy longer passages, build miles or take a more active role onboard. For example, the Eastern Canary Islands cruise includes passage planning, opportunities to skipper the yacht and some night sailing. Canary Sail

Other options are designed to be more leisurely, particularly when an exclusive yacht is booked by a couple, family or group of friends. Canary Sail

Do You Have to Learn on a Sailing Holiday?

Not necessarily.

One of the attractions of a sailing holiday is that you can often choose how involved you want to be.

Some guests simply want to experience being on a yacht, enjoy the scenery and spend time visiting different destinations. Others discover that they enjoy helming, handling sails or learning more about navigation.

That is where Canary Sail’s Just Sailing option becomes particularly useful.

It allows you to join one of Canary Sail’s sailing weeks without the pressure of following a formal course. You can enjoy the sailing and learn as much or as little as you wish while still benefiting from having an experienced RYA instructor onboard. Canary Sail

For someone who is interested in sailing but unsure whether they want a qualification, this can provide a useful middle ground.

Is the Accommodation Different?

Not necessarily.

With Canary Sail’s practical courses, the week includes seven nights onboard and six full days of sailing. Hotel-style bedding and towels are provided, along with provisions for breakfast, lunch, snacks and soft drinks. Evening meals are generally enjoyed ashore. Canary Sail

Cabin options vary depending on the yacht and booking, with single occupancy and shared options available on many courses.

If you are wondering what staying aboard is actually like, our guide to What Is It Really Like to Sleep on a Sailing Yacht? explains more about cabins, facilities and everyday life onboard.

In many ways, this is one of the areas where a course and a sailing holiday feel most similar. You are living aboard the yacht, waking up beside the water and experiencing the day-to-day rhythm of sailing.

Which Option Is Better for Complete Beginners?

Both can potentially work.

If your main aim is to learn to sail and gain a recognised qualification, the RYA Competent Crew course is the obvious starting point.

It is specifically designed for beginners and does not require previous sailing knowledge. Canary Sail

If you are more interested in experiencing sailing first without committing to a qualification, Just Sailing may be more suitable.

It allows you to find out whether you enjoy life aboard a yacht while still having the opportunity to get involved.

Which Is More Relaxed?

Generally, a sailing holiday will feel more relaxed because there is no formal syllabus to complete.

That does not mean an RYA sailing course feels like being back at school.

Canary Sail’s courses take place while cruising around the islands, so practical training is combined with visiting harbours, spending evenings ashore and enjoying the sailing itself.

Even the beginner-level Competent Crew course is described as both a training experience and a sailing holiday, with visits to marinas, harbours and anchorages along the way. Canary Sail

The difference is simply that, on a course, your instructor also needs to make sure you cover the relevant skills.

Can Couples or Families Choose Different Options?

Yes, and this is one of the advantages of booking an Exclusive Use sailing yacht.

People on the same yacht can work towards different practical course levels, while someone else in the group can simply join under the Just Sailing option. At entry level, no previous experience is needed. Canary Sail

This can work particularly well for couples or families where one person wants formal training and another simply wants to enjoy the holiday.

You can still spend the week together without everyone having to follow exactly the same programme.

Which One Should You Choose?

The easiest way to decide is to think about your main reason for booking.

Choose a sailing course if you:

Want to develop specific sailing skills
Want an RYA qualification
Prefer structured instruction
Are working towards becoming a skipper
Want to progress through the RYA sailing scheme

A sailing holiday may suit you better if you:

Mainly want to enjoy being on the water
Want to explore the Canary Islands by yacht
Prefer a more relaxed experience
Do not currently need a qualification
Want to try sailing before deciding whether to train formally

And if you fall somewhere between the two, Just Sailing can offer the best of both worlds.

You Can Still Have a Holiday While Learning

Perhaps the biggest misconception is that choosing a sailing course means sacrificing the holiday element.

With Canary Sail, the two overlap considerably.

You are still spending six days sailing around the Canary Islands, staying aboard a yacht, visiting different ports and harbours and enjoying evenings ashore. The difference is that your instructor is helping you build practical skills at the same time. Canary Sail

For many people, that combination is exactly what makes an RYA course appealing. You return home with the memories of a sailing holiday as well as greater confidence and, where appropriate, a new qualification.