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Largs Course Joining Instructions

Welcome to Sunsail
Thank you for choosing to sail with us. To help you prepare for your course we have put together some useful information and recommend you read it through a couple of weeks before your course commences. Please do not hesitate to call our office if you have any further queries.

Sunsail sales office opening hours:
The Sunsail office is open from 0900 to 1900 Monday to Friday and 1000 to 1600 Saturday and Sunday all year round.

Sunsail base opening hours:
The Sunsail base is open from 0900 to 2000 Monday to Thursday, 0900 to 2100 Fridays and 0800 to 1000 Saturdays when there are course bookings. Applies to operating season only.

Contact numbers:

Reservations     023 9222 2224
Aftersales     023 9222 2894
Emergency for delayed arrival     07976 646588

Base Address
Sunsail Scotland
Irvine Road
Largs
Ayrshire
KA30 8EZ
01475 689300

Yacht Course Start Times
Practical courses

7 days     Sunday start 1900     Sunday finish 1700
5 days     Friday start 1900     Wednesday finish 1700
or             Sunday start 1900     Friday finish 1700
2+3         Friday start 1900     Sunday finish 1700 days (1st weekend)
or             Friday start 1900         Monday finish 1700 (2nd weekend)
2 days     Sunday start 1900     Tuesday finish 1700
2 days     Friday start 1900     Sunday finish 1700
1 day     Saturday start 0900     Saturday finish 1700
1 day     Sunday start 0900     Sunday finish 1700

Yacht Course Information

What to bring?
We suggest you pack the following:

For practical courses
• Fleece top, gloves, hat, scarf, thick socks, comfortable trousers / tracksuit, deck shoes / sailing boots or white-soled trainers, neck towel or small towel to stop drips. We do not recommend jeans as they take a long time to dry.
• It is much warmer to wear multiple thin layers than one thick layer. Hopefully you will have good weather and if you do get sunshine we advise you have a hat, sun cream, shorts and T-shirts.
• Please note that all personal items are brought at your own risk. You may also what to bring your own waterproofs or hire some from us at £6 per day. For hygiene reasons, we do not hire out sailing footwear.
• For people on Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster Practical courses, you will need two passport sized photographs for your examination. Please ensure you bring the correct exam fees for each course. These are payable direct to the RYA examiner, not Sunsail.

Accommodation

For practical courses
• You will be sleeping on board in shared cabins.
PLEASE NOTE - We do not provide bedding so please bring your own sleeping bags, pillows and towels.
• Please bring your things in a soft holdall as there is no storage on board the yacht.

Catering Arrangements
• On your first night you will have the opportunity to join the rest of your crew for an evening meal at your own expense.
• Breakfast, lunch and non-alcoholic beverages are provided on board. For courses of 5 days and more one evening meal is also included. You are welcome to bring any extra nibbles you may require!
• We do not specifically cater for vegetarians or other dietary needs and we therefore suggest you bring alternative provisions as required.
• Evening meals are at your own expense. Your skipper can recommend good restaurants at each overnight stop.
• Please note that you will be expected to help with the cooking, washing up and general housekeeping of the yacht.

Log book
• You will require RYA logbook G15 for your course. If you have not already ordered a log book you can purchase one from our office. If you ordered one when you made your booking it will be sent out to you.

Recommended Reading
RYA Practical and/or Theory Course books. These can be purchased in advance direct from the sales team at the Sunsail Port Solent office or the RYA.

Marina Fees
• Mooring/marina fees are NOT included in the course fees. Any costs incurred for berthing will be spilt between the crew.

Children on courses
• Children aged 13+ - Sunsail welcome your older
children on any of our courses at any time of year as long as they are accompanied by at least one adult. Under 16s can get qualified as Comp Crew, over 16s can become Day Skipper.
• Shorebased – over 16s are welcome on our courses, but need to be accompanied by an adult if they are under 18 yrs.


Photography
• An essential part of the success of our brochures is using photography that gives clients a true idea of the product, rather than using models. During the course of the season, we have photographers on site at our bases. If a photographer is on site at any time during your course we will advise you on your arrival at the base. If you have strong objections to close up photography of yourself and party, please indicate your feelings to the photographer at the time.

How to find Sunsail Scotland at Largs Yacht Haven

By Car
From Glasgow Airport on the M8 follow the signs for Greenock. Continue until you come to Port Glasgow which continues into Greenock and then follow the signs for Largs on the A78. You will go through Inverkip, Wemyss Bay and Skelmorlie and then into Largs.

Continue straight through Largs passing through the Safeways roundabout until you come to the traffic lights at the top of the hill (Haylie Brae). Continue through - marina is on the right at the bottom of the hill. Follow the signs for the visitor car park and you will see the Sunsail flag. The office is round the corner from the flag.

By Train
From Glasgow Central or Paisley Gilmour take the Largs train. This runs hourly. Largs is at the end of the track (turnaround back to Glasgow). Taxis are located at the front of the station and are approx £3 per trip to the marina. It is possible to walk to the marina from the town
centre but with a large heavy pack this can seem some distance - approximately 20 minutes walk along the seafront..

On arrival at Largs Yacht Haven
On arrival you should report to the Sunsail office which is situated just around the corner from the Regattas Bar/Restaurant. Parking is free.

Sunsail – Respecting Destinations
Sunsail remains committed to looking after the environment and supporting the cultures where we operate. Over many years our clients have helped us to ensure that our presence does not negatively impact these areas. Please continue to assist us to leave these areas
‘As good or better than we found them’ i.e.
• Sewerage management. Always use pump out facilities
in marinas where available. Otherwise, please avoid discharge in busy anchorages and marinas and prevent contamination to humans and bottom sediments/coral reef inhabitants by pumping out as far as possible offshore.
• Avoid pumping oily bilge water or other hazardous
substances into the sea.
• Be litter conscious - never throw rubbish overboard and
minimize the use of plastics and non biodegradable products.
• Observe the laws that govern fish catch sizes, and the
touching or handling of marine wildlife.
• Keep a safe distance when viewing marine life, approach
side on and stopping with propellers in neutral.
• Identify dark water areas as possible important shallow
ecosystems.
• Use mooring buoys where available over coral reefs. If
anchoring, drop anchors in sand, away from living reefs.
• Take care not to crush and break corals and reef
dwellings with body parts, fins and equipment when snorkelling or swimming.
• Avoid purchase of marine ornamental souvenirs and the
harvest of endangered fish.

We hope that these notes will help you make the most of your course and your time spent in Largs. Please read through carefully and contact the Aftersales Team on 023 9222 2894 if you have any queries.

We hope that you have a great time and thank you for booking with Sunsail.

Joining instructions are correct at the time of publication, but are subject to change without prior notice. Last updated 20.07.07