Sailboats conjure up the most romantic visions. Seeing their silhouettes at dusk makes it easy to think of chucking it all and heading off into the wild reaches of foreign seas. There will be extreme adventures, new discoveries and no one to answer to ever again! The reality, though, is that a sailboat is a few tons worth of fiberglass and steel and you must have some skills to operate it. Luckily, there is a place you can go, perfectly situated in the heart of the Caribbean, that will provide you with the ultimate sailing experience.
Sailing is at the heart of the Bitter End Yacht Club. Since 1985, the Sailing School at Bitter End has helped thousands of guests learn to sail. It is US Sailing Association accredited and has a staff of certified instructors from all over the world. Sailing instruction is available for all ages and levels, using the Club’s professionally maintained boats.
It’s probably easier to learn how to sail than you think. It just takes great instruction and the perfect location. North Sound, Virgin Gorda is completely protected from ocean swells – surrounded by islands (Virgin Gorda, Prickly Pear, and Mosquito Island), reefs and mountains – the Sound always has smooth flat water that makes it feel like a lake in the middle of the ocean. This makes it the perfect location for beginners to master the basics, and “old salts” to refine their skills.
Sailing Instruction at Bitter End
A variety of courses are offered to cover a wide-range of boat types and sailing experiences. The Introduction to Sailing Course, and use of the Club fleet are available to all resort guests — and is included with most stays. Courses are available individually, part of the Learn to Sail Adventure Package, or towards your Basic Keelboat Certification.
- Learn to Sail Adventure Package:
You will achieve the skills of getting under way, maneuvering and docking, as well as learn to read the waters, judge the wind, trim the sails and anchor. This is an intensive three and a half day course. - Basic Keelboat Certification: You will be able to demonstrate the ability to responsibly skipper and crew a simple daysailing keelboat in familiar waters in light to moderate wind and sea conditions. Basic Keelboat Course will be taught on Rhodes 19s and IC-24s. Classroom instruction takes place in the 15-seat Bitter End Sailing School building (adjacent to the Watersports Center), complete with dry erase boards, and wall-mounted Laser-model simulators. Coursework follows a regular weekly schedule, island style, starting on Monday morning, and concluding on Friday with the exam during the final hour of instruction. Basic Keelboat certification, in Bitter End terms, is a combination of our current 101, 102A & B, with a lot more time spent on really honing the 102A & B skills. All course materials are approved by the US Sailing Association.
Of course, if this is too much structure for a vacation, 
Bitter End offers other courses that you can take if the mood strikes you — there is always the resort’s very popular Introduction to Sailing Course (101), offered free to anyone on the Admiral’s Package. It makes for a great primer, and sets you on your way to higher learning.
- Course 101- Introduction to Sailing: A three-hour class with classroom and dockside demonstration. For everyone, no prerequisites. You will learn nautical terminology and gain an understanding of the forces at work and how to control them. Course 101 is included in most vacation packages.
- Courses 102
A & B – Learn to Sail a Rhodes 19 and a Hunter 216: A hands-on two day learn to sail program for beginners. Three hours on the water each day. You will learn to solo sail. Part A teaches the mechanical aspects of getting under way, executing maneuvers and getting back to the mooring. Part B concentrates on solidifying your knowledge of sail trim. Everything you have learned is brought together. Upon completion of Part B you are ready to solo in a Rhodes 19. - Courses 201 A & B Sailing and Racing IC-24s: For those having completed Course 102 or the equivalent, our Performance Sailing Course 201 is taught on IC-24s, in two on-board sessions. Part A teaches the fine point of sail trim, sail shape manipulation, and steering. Part B teaches spinnaker handling and upwind performance.
- Course 202 Cruising Prep, Preparation for Bareboating: A full day on-board session, designed to prepare experienced sailors for chartering. You will plan a bluewater cruise to an outlying bay, sail there and back on a 30 foot sailboat. Learn reefing, working with winches, how to read the waters, line of site navigation, and how to anchor.
Other Courses Offered:
- Course 150 Boardsailing: Basic Boardsailing Course 150 will teach a beginner to boardsail in one intensive half-day session. Most of the course is on the water with an instructor alongside.
- Learn to Windsurf Package: You can also learn to windsurf at the Sailing School, through a series of 7 sessions over the course of four days. On the Learn to Windsurf Adventure package, you will achieve the basics of this exciting sport while on the protected waters of the North Sound.
- Junior Summer Sailing (For youngsters 7 and up):
Prerequisite: swim test. Three hours of on-the-water training. A fun way to learn basic boat handling, terminology, rigging, sail trim, and make new friends. Instruction on Optimist sailing dinghies, Vanguards, Lasers, and Hobies. - Private lessons are also available to gain specialized skills.
