Among this year's many innovations, there is one that we have not yet told you about but which we think will be one of the highlights of this season. It is the fortnightly D3/C3 course. The idea of a "mixed" improvement course stems from the desire to bridge the gap between dinghies and cabin cruisers, which is more perceived than real.
“dinghy , and cabin cruiser are not separate, disconnected worlds: they share common aspects and, above all, build on one another,” explains Paolo Bordogna, President of the CVC. “To put it simply, we are convinced that this course perfectly embodies what has always been the CVC’s mission: to train sailors.” The feel for the helm and the sails that “ dinghy ” can give you is difficult to develop on a “ cabin cruiser ,” but it certainly comes in handy there as well; on the other hand, if you limit yourself to “ dinghy ” for sports, you’ll never discover all the thrills of being on the open sea and all the knowledge that a “ cabin cruiser ” course imparts—from chartwork to everything involved in actual sailing. And it’s no coincidence that, in launching a mixed-level course, we focused specifically on the third step of our curriculum—when dinghy sailors begin using the gennaker and, in the cabin cruiser , lay the groundwork for cruising.”
The new course kicks off with two “pilot” sessions: one in June, where a younger audience is more likely to attend, and one in September, where the average age is expected to be higher and students are more likely to consider courses such as cabin cruiser. And while it’s true that younger students usually seek the thrill of planing… “A boat like the First Beneteau—which will be used for the cabin cruiser portion of the course—won’t leave even the most thrill-seeking participants longing for dinghies; that’s a promise,” Bordogna continues. “We’ve seen this many times before with those who, coming from dinghy, try the High Performance course: they arrive on the island worried they won’t have enough fun, and once they experience planing on a J80—a boat with a 60-square-meter gennaker—they don’t want to sail anything else.”
Another thing to know is that apart from the economic aspect (the fortnightly courses are cheaper than the weeks booked individually) there is another big advantage. We have designed these courses in such a way as to ensure that the same team of instructors and sailing assistants will be present for both weeks," concludes Bordogna, "a team of people who are motivated and specialised in the boats in use (Argo for the D3 and First 27 Beneteau for the C3, ed.). The students will also be the same for both weeks to ensure the highest level of homogeneity and create the conditions for great continuity and educational progression.
In short, if your goal is to really learn how to stay at sea, here we are at our most effective. For all the details and bookings you can click HERE or search our Courses page, Happy Windsailing to all!
