Prosailing Malta

Prosailing Malta is a Maltese owned, family run sailing school on Triq Sir William Reid in Gżira, a short way from the waterfronts of Sliema and Valletta. It is an RYA Training Centre, so its courses follow the standards of the Royal Yachting Association and lead to certificates that are recognised internationally. The programme runs from a two day taster to the exam preparation for Yachtmaster, with powerboat, radio and nautical licence courses alongside.

For a UK visitor the school offers something more useful than a boat trip: a structured way to learn to sail, or to gain the qualification needed before chartering a yacht abroad, in a single week in the sun. It appears in our directory of boat charter in Malta, and the sections below explain each course, what the printed prices cover and how private bookings work.

A family school built around hands-on sailing

Prosailing was founded by a husband and wife team, Robert and Marie Claire, whose own love of the sea grew into a professional training centre built on trust and experience. They run it as a family business with two children, two dogs and a cat at home, and meeting students from many countries is one of the best parts of the job for the founders.

The teaching philosophy is simple: sailing is learned by doing. Every course is built so that students make real decisions and take real control of the boat, with theory kept in its place as support. The aim is to produce confident, independent sailors through structured training, and the mission is to combine international standards with a supportive, practical learning environment. Progress is steady and skill based, whether you start from scratch or work towards advanced certificates.

Groups are deliberately small. Scheduled group courses take a maximum of five students per instructor, so you spend real time at the helm instead of waiting your turn, and the instructor knows where you are struggling. Whichever way you book, the boats, the instructors and the syllabus are the same.

Courses for beginners and new crew

If you have never sailed, the school's beginner routes are the place to start. RYA Start Yachting is a two day course in which you steer, trim the sails and get a first taste of life aboard, which makes it a good fit for a short break. No previous experience is needed on any beginner course.

RYA Competent Crew is the practical course for people who want to become useful crew on a cruising yacht, and it starts at €1,045. Competent Crew or Day Skipper is the natural starting point for newcomers, and the team will advise on the right choice if you describe your goals. Most courses last from a few days to a week and are heavily practical.

On a course that runs for several days, students share the boat, the meals and the cabins, and many students remember their fellow trainees as vividly as the sailing itself. Bring comfortable clothing, non-slip shoes and sun protection, and the team will explain anything else before you arrive.

Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster

The Day Skipper path is the school's core progression for anyone who wants to take charge of a yacht. RYA Day Skipper Practical Sailing teaches navigation and yacht handling on the water and starts at €1,045. RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory covers navigation, seamanship and sailing theory ashore and starts at €600, so students can split the learning between classroom and boat.

Motor cruiser skippers have their own route. RYA Day Skipper Practical Motor Cruising teaches navigation and boat handling on a motor boat and starts at €1,200.

For more experienced sailors there are three advanced courses. RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Sailing is aimed at skippering a yacht confidently along the coast and offshore, and RYA Coastal and Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory covers the navigation and seamanship needed at Yachtmaster level. At the top of the ladder, the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore preparation and exam, for sail or motor, starts at €2,900. Prices for the Coastal Skipper and Coastal theory courses are shown on the school's own booking pages.

Radio, powerboat and nautical licence courses

Three shorter courses suit people who want a specific skill rather than a full week afloat. The RYA Marine Radio SRC VHF course teaches marine VHF radio communication and awards the internationally recognised short range certificate, and it starts at €160. RYA Level 2 Powerboat Handling covers essential powerboat handling and navigation through practical time on the water, and it starts at €450.

The Transport Malta Nautical Licence is offered online and starts at €300. It teaches safe boat handling and leads to the official Malta licence.

Course fees normally include instruction, training materials and the use of the boat. Accommodation and meals vary from course to course, so check this when you enquire.

Private courses and group bookings

If your dates do not match the published schedule, or you would rather learn with people you know, the school offers private RYA courses and tailored group bookings that start from €3,500. The final price depends on the course type and level, the length of the programme, the number of participants, the season and any specific training needs, and the school gives a quotation on request.

A private package can include a dedicated RYA qualified instructor, exclusive use of the training yacht, practical instruction, course materials where relevant, certification on qualifying courses and a programme designed around your goals. Private options cover Competent Crew, Day Skipper (sail), Coastal Skipper, refresher courses, skills sessions and confidence building and boat handling training.

Scheduled group courses run on fixed, published dates, so they suit a flexible schedule and are the most cost effective route to a certificate, while a private booking costs more because the boat and instructor are yours alone. Neither changes the qualification: a Day Skipper certificate earned in a group is the same certificate as one earned privately.

A private booking works well for couples, families with children, experienced sailors upgrading a qualification and charter skippers preparing for a sailing holiday. Groups can also take the yacht exclusively for corporate team building, celebrations, school and university trips or sailing clubs, with optional certification. A private group of four or five friends or relatives often brings the cost per person close to a place on a scheduled group course.

Why learn to sail in Malta

More than 300 days of sunshine, varied coastal routes, winds that range from light breezes to stronger blows and sheltered bays are the reasons Malta works so well for training, for beginners and experienced sailors alike. The islands also offer centuries of maritime history to sail past. Our Malta weather guide shows what to expect month by month, and flights to Malta from the UK are short, which makes a week's course realistic.

Training takes place in Maltese waters, and the school's blog describes sailing around Malta, Gozo and Comino. Between lessons you may pass the clear water that makes the Blue Lagoon on Comino famous, and the historic harbours covered in our Valletta guide give the coastline a nautical heritage that suits a sailing week. On days off, our list of things to do in Malta has plenty to fill the time, and visitors who want a change of pace can look at the Gozo guide.

Planning your stay and getting in touch

The school is on Triq Sir William Reid in Gżira, close to the waterfront. Nearby berthing and boat services are covered in our entry for Creek Developments marina services, and you can compare places to sleep in our guide to hotels in Sliema and Gżira, which are a short way from the school.

The school's blog is worth reading before you book. Recent posts cover learning to sail with no experience, group booking versus private courses, how Competent Crew compares with Day Skipper, the best sailing spots around Malta, Gozo and Comino for training, and the sailing qualifications needed to charter a yacht in Europe.

Tell the team how many people are travelling, how flexible your dates are and what you hope to achieve, and they can say whether a scheduled group course, a private booking or a private group suits you best. To do that, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Prosailing Malta, who will reply to you directly.