Continue your sailing – Levels 2 & 3 | Sailstar
After your basic course, the next step begins: becoming more confident, safer and more independent as a skipper. Here you’ll find our progression courses on dinghies, dayboats, the NF and the large yacht Operah – structured towards Sailing Certificate 2 and 3, but also with stand-alone courses if you want to deepen your skills in a specific area.
Overview – the path after your basic course
Our progression courses are built as a clear staircase towards Sailing Certificates 2 and 3. At the same time you can choose individual courses if you simply want to deepen your skills in, for example, safety, manoeuvring or spinnaker sailing.
Two-day course on NF where you train trim, safety, manoeuvring and berthing on a typical family cruising yacht. Builds on Sailing Certificate 1 and the theory course Förarintyg.
Safety & planning and Manoeuvring & berthing – both on NF. Perfect if you want to deepen your skills without taking the entire Level 2 course, or as a complement towards Sailing Certificate 2.
Spinnaker & gennaker sailing 1 day (NF + Aira) and Level 3 on Operah 2 days with night sailing, safety, weather and planning. Together they form the practical basis for Sailing Certificate 3.
Our boats and levels
We use different boats for different goals – from dinghies and dayboats to our large offshore yacht Operah.
For Level 1 (Sailing Certificate 1) and racing courses. Here you get precision, timing and sailing feel in smaller boats that respond instantly to trim and steering.
Our main boat for Level 2 / Sailing Certificate 2 and for the stand-alone courses Safety 1 day and Manoeuvring & berthing 1 day. Perfect size for learning to handle a “typical” family cruising yacht.
A large and safe 50-footer used both for basic courses on a big boat and for Level 3 with night sailing, advanced berthing and planning for longer passages.
Level 2 – Sailing Certificate 2 on NF
The Level 2 course on NF is a two-day progression where you build on Sailing Certificate 1. Here we work with a larger boat, more engine use and more responsibility.
- sail and boat trim for speed and balance on a sailing yacht
- manoeuvring and berthing in different harbour situations
- man-overboard with both sail and engine
- reefing, sail changes and handling in increasing wind
- basic safety and practical navigation in the archipelago
Stand-alone 1-day courses on NF
Perfect if you want to focus on a single area, or take Level 2 in several steps.
A full day that makes you feel safer on board: man-overboard under engine and sail, planning your sailing, weather and what is good to have on board.
- man-overboard training (MOB) with engine and sail
- planning a trip – route, alternative harbours, communication
- weather assessment – interpreting forecasts and making decisions
Systematic training in berthing in marinas and natural harbours. We go through the whole chain: preparation, communication and execution.
- berthing at Y-booms and alongside a jetty
- alongside with spring lines and controlled departure
- natural harbour with anchor and shore lines – how to approach safely
Level 3 – the path towards Sailing Certificate 3
For Sailing Certificate 3 you need spinnaker/gennaker sailing, night sailing and more weather, safety and planning. At Sailstar, the practical path consists of two courses that complement each other.
A full day where you train downwind sailing on both NF (spinnaker with pole) and Aira 22 (gennaker). Focus on rigging, hoisting, gybing, dropping and trim.
See dates and book here!Two-day advanced course on the large yacht Operah with night sailing, safety, weather and planning. You learn to handle a 50-footer in the archipelago, by day and by night.
See dates and book here!To have the practical foundation for Sailing Certificate 3 with Sailstar we recommend both the Spinnaker & gennaker course (1 day) and the Level 3 course on Operah (2 days).
Spinnaker & gennaker sailing – 1 day
The course starts with a short theory session where we go through the difference between spinnaker and gennaker, rigging and safety. The rest of the day is spent on the water, rotating roles so that everyone gets to try helming, trimming, guy work and foredeck.
- rig, hoist and drop spinnaker on NF
- sail with gennaker on Aira 22
- controlled gybes and speed/trim downwind
- safety when sailing downwind (broach, control, reefing)
Operah – Level 3 on a large sailing yacht (2 days)
Over two days we sail Operah, our 50-foot Beneteau, and train everything that belongs to Level 3: night sailing, advanced manoeuvring, safety, weather and planning.
- berthing and departure with a large yacht in guest harbours
- preparation for night sailing – routines and equipment
- navigation lights, lighthouses and night navigation in practice
- safer sailing in more wind – reefing, speed control and seamanship
- weather briefing and route planning with alternative harbours
Racing courses and training
Do you want to become faster, improve your timing and gain more control? Then the racing courses on Aira 22 are the perfect complement.
We offer both more structured racing courses and recurring training evenings. You get to practise starts, mark roundings, speed, tactics and basic racing rules – all in a safe training environment.
- racing course with Aira 22 – theory + practice
- training evenings focusing on different themes (gennaker, starts, manoeuvring)
- suitable both if you want to start racing and if you “just” want to sail better
Which course should I choose?
- Level 2 on NF (2 days) if you want to move towards Sailing Certificate 2.
- Safety 1 day or Manoeuvring & berthing 1 day if you want to deepen your skills in a specific area.
- Level 2 on NF (2 days) + Sailing Certificate 1 and Förarintyg.
- Stand-alone day courses can complement or build up your level before taking Level 2.
- Spinnaker & gennaker sailing 1 day.
- Level 3 on Operah 2 days with night sailing.
- Prerequisites: Sailing Certificate 2 and Coastal Skipper Certificate.
- Choose individual courses: Safety, Manoeuvring & berthing, Spinnaker/gennaker.
- Combine with racing courses for even more time on the water.
Who teaches on the courses?
All courses are led by experienced instructors with long experience from both sailing and teaching. Our instructors include holders of the commercial skipper qualification (Fartygsbefäl klass VIII) and have many years of experience from both Swedish and international waters.
Level 2 – NF
Focus on sail trim, safety, manoeuvring and berthing on a typical family cruising yacht.
Safety & planning
Instructors with experience from both archipelago sailing and longer offshore passages – with focus on routines and creating a calm, safe atmosphere on board.
Spinnaker & gennaker
Instructors with racing backgrounds who help you master practical downwind sailing.
Operah – Level 3
Experienced skippers on Operah responsible for safety, planning and night sailing in the archipelago.
Do you have questions about which course or level is right for you? Feel free to email us at info@sailstar.se.