Soon after I fell in love with sailing, I also discovered that I like to share this passion of mine with others. At my yacht club, the YC Čupa, I had the chance to help with the summer courses, and a few years later I enrolled in a course for instructors run by the Italian sailing association FIV.
In 2003 I passed the exam for sailing instructors and since then I have taught the basics of sailing to countless people of all ages.
Every summer for ten years I led the sailing school for kids in Sistiana bay and in fact, even my bachelor’s thesis at the Faculty of Education in Ljubljana was actually born on the sea – in it I develop a different way of teaching sailing – throug playing and fun games. I loved working with children but now I prefer to run courses for adults.
I really want every student to learn in a pleasant and entertaining way but I also want everyone to learn enough to feel at home while on a boat. That’s why I only teach very small groups.
Course Content:
- Med-mooring (how to enter and leave the marina berth in different wind conditions)
- Basic knots
- Sail trim for all points of sail
- Tacking and gybing in a safe way
- Communication between crew members
- Safe anchoring
- Reefing both sails
- Heaving to
- Man overboard scenarios
- Basics navigational skills (reading and understanding a chart)
- Rights of way at sea
- Use of different navigational instruments
Every participant is always active and has the opportunity to try many different roles. Everyone learns how to steer for all point of sail, how to use a winch, trim the sails, work with the mooring lines, how to raise and drop the mainsail and how to give proper instructions to the other crew members while at the helm.
Some feedback
Marjanka, who has never sailed before:
I signed up for the course because I wanted to treat myself to something special. Although I was born by the sea, I never sailed on a yacht, maybe due to fear of the open sea, sudden strong winds or high waves. But Jasna is a person you can rely on, so I haven’t even thought about these fears when I signed up.
What I liked most was that Jasna gave us a very clear and thorough explanation and then began to calmly give us instructions as if she had the best team on board. She is very positively oriented and patient, exactly the kind of instructor a person wants, she takes her job seriously without being harsh. Our very diverse group was merged into a fine crew that would have gladly kept sailing after the course was over.
Vasja, who has been sailing many times around the Adriatic with his friends:
I had some questions about raising/lowering/reefing the mainsail with the lazy jacks before embarking on my first sail with my family. I also wanted to try to heave-to. We’ve covered all of this, so I filled the holes in my knowledge (which I am aware I have). Much more of it will come with experience, I know.
What did I like most? Exactly what you’re famous for: you offer a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere and plenty of knowledge. It is obvious that you have a pedagogical background when you explain things – there is no cramming, you give clear answers while at the same time never turn your eyes while asked very basic questions :).
Keep the good work going!
Erika, who sails often with her family boat
I want to take this opportunity to sing Jasna’s praises. I really enjoyed my sailing training with her and more importantly benefited from it. She was amazing. She is friendly, cheerful, calm, supportive and really knows her stuff! Every time I encountered a problem she quickly found effective solutions and eventually I became more confident with my sailing skills.
The courses usually take place on weekends in the Bay of Sistiana from May to September. There are plenty of options for accommodation and I will gladly help you choose the right one for your needs.
By agreement, I can organize a private course on any dates, if there are at least 3 students. I also run individual courses on request. For more information, feel free to drop me a line using the contact form below.
FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS!