SailCoach
Sailing Coaching and Training Camps · Royal Malta Yacht Club, Ta' Xbiex XBX 1028, Malta
Enquire through VisitMalta.co.ukServices, hours and details last checked against SailCoach's own published information.
SailCoach is a sailing coaching organisation based at the Royal Malta Yacht Club on the Ta' Xbiex waterfront, with a second SailBase in Valencia, Spain. It runs a school and sailing academy, winter BaseCamp training for ILCA sailors, coaching tours to regattas and the Malta Europa Cup and Euromed events each December. Enquiries go to the team through the VisitMalta.co.uk form on this page.
SailCoach is a specialist coaching organisation for dinghy sailors, and Malta is one of its two homes. From a base at the Royal Malta Yacht Club on the Ta' Xbiex waterfront it trains young racers and ambitious adults in the ILCA and Optimist classes, brings international squads to the island for winter camps, and takes sailors to the big European regattas. It is not a leisure boat charter in the usual holiday sense, so it suits families with a keen young sailor, clubs planning a warm weather camp, and anyone serious about racing.
The organisation began in 1995 and has been running for more than three decades. Over that time it has helped more than 60 sailors qualify for the Olympic Games, including four Olympic medals. On VisitMalta.co.uk it appears in our directory of boat charter and sailing services in Malta, alongside businesses that put you on the water in different ways.
Who SailCoach is and how it began
The idea came from Trevor Millar in 1995. He developed it with a former athlete, James O'Callaghan, through Trinity Business School in Dublin, and the company was incorporated in 1996. The aim was to create a coaching organisation that could help sailors from any country pursue their goals, and today most of its sailors come from emerging sailing nations, from places as far apart as the Seychelles, Uruguay, Iceland and the Cook Islands.
SailCoach describes itself as the world's first and leading coaching and support organisation for dinghy sailors, and it is a World Sailing Approved Training Centre, one of only two worldwide to reach that standard. Its philosophy is sailor centred: coaching that looks beyond the next result to confidence, independence and life skills such as discipline, teamwork and perseverance.
The two SailBases bring the whole offer together. Beyond coaching, the team arranges charter boats, accommodation, campaign support and mentoring, so a visiting sailor or team can arrive with a bag and start training.
The team behind the coaching
Trevor Millar is Founder and Executive Director. Alexandr Denisiuc is Senior High Performance Coach and a SailCoach Director, and Rüya Çakmakli Denisiuc is a High Performance Coach and Chief Instructor at the Royal Malta Yacht Club sailing school. The coaching group also includes Karlis Junkers, Victor Arce, Tomek Vaccaro, Antonio Cavalcanti Rosa and Pavlo Dontsov, who leads Optimist coaching, while Miłosz Wojewski is a senior performance coach.
Several coaches are Olympic sailors themselves, and many have academic qualifications at degree or postgraduate level. Luiza Passow handles media and photography, and Aneesh Ravi is the operations contact for the Academy and for enquiries about programmes.
The Royal Malta Yacht Club is also the home of a busy learn-to-sail programme, and Academy pupils sometimes help with it at weekends, which gives young sailors early experience of teaching and responsibility. The waterfront setting, with dinghy park, slipway and harbour access in one place, means a coaching day can start and finish within a few minutes' walk of the boats. Parents visiting for the first time will find that everything a sailor needs, from classroom to boat park, is close together
SailCoach Academy: school and sailing in Malta
The Academy is aimed at young Optimist and ILCA sailors who want to treat their sport seriously without giving up their education. Training takes place four times a week at the Malta SailBase, with academic study built around it, and the programme is delivered with local education partners including the Mediterranean College of Sport and St Edward's College, as well as online learning options.
A typical weekday starts with school from 8.00 am to 2.30 pm, including strength and conditioning, followed by a minibus transfer to the SailBase for on water sessions and classroom work on tactics, theory and performance analysis. Weekend mornings are kept free for homework or helping with the club's learn-to-sail programme, with afternoon training and a regatta about one weekend a month through the Maltese winter.
Three kinds of accommodation are available: a traditional boarding set up integrated with school, supervised shared self-catering apartments close to the training venue for older and more independent sailors, or a family stay if parents prefer to rent locally. Enrolment in the school itself is handled separately through the Mediterranean College of Sport, while fees and entry requirements are arranged through SailCoach's operations manager. Families weighing up a longer stay can read our guide to relocating to Malta from the UK.
BaseCamp, SailCoach Lite and TY programmes
BaseCamp is the intensive option for ambitious ILCA sailors. Groups train and live together for anything from a week to two months, with a month giving the full experience. It runs mainly from Malta in winter, when stronger winds and bigger waves test technique and boat handling, and from Valencia in summer, where a reliable sea breeze gives long, consistent days. A typical day combines physical preparation, a briefing, an on water session, recovery and a video led debrief. The package covers ILCA coaching, training partners, strength and conditioning, a charter dinghy, airport transfers and athlete accommodation, and English is the working language.
SailCoach Lite suits clubs, class associations and squads that want to bring their own coach. SailCoach supplies the Optimist and ILCA charter boats, coach RIBs, hostel style accommodation, airport transfers from Malta and Valencia, classrooms, secure boat storage and a gym, with extra coaching or maintenance support available if wanted. It is based mainly in Valencia, with some availability in Malta, and packages are tailored from a handful of sailors for a few days to a larger group for a fortnight.
The TY programmes were designed for Irish Transition Year students and welcome sailors aged 15 to 17 from other countries. For 2026 and 2027 the dates include 1 to 12 December 2026 in Malta, with other blocks in Valencia. A December TY Performance BaseCamp in Malta, based at a hotel on Mellieħa Bay, builds towards the Malta Europa Cup. Visitors staying in that area can find places in our guide to hotels in Mellieħa.
Regatta coaching tours and the Malta Europa Cup
Bringing a personal coach to an international regatta is expensive, so SailCoach shares the cost across a group. Its Regatta Coaching Tours have run for over three decades. Packages typically include airport transfers, accommodation and an optional ILCA charter, leaving you to book flights and enter the regatta. Groups are kept small, with a target of six sailors per coach, and early arrival for pre-regatta training is recommended.
Every December Malta hosts the Euromed Optimist Regatta and the Malta Europa Cup for ILCA, and SailCoach supports both. The 2026 Malta EurILCA Europa Cup runs from 12 December, the arrival day, to 21 December, the departure day, at Mellieħa Bay. A Lead Coach plans the daily programme and runs briefings, supported by one or two other coaches. The package includes four days of pre-regatta training, video analysis, half board at a four-star regatta hotel near the dinghy park, airport transfers and charter boats supplied by experienced local providers.
Parents travelling to watch can combine the week with sightseeing. Our guide to Mellieħa and the north and our list of things to do in Malta are a good place to start, and our Malta weather guide explains what winter conditions feel like.
Getting there and how to get in touch
The Malta SailBase is at the Royal Malta Yacht Club on Ta' Xbiex Seafront, a short distance from Gżira and Sliema. Marina services close by, including the Msida and Ta' Xbiex marina, make the waterfront easy to find. UK sailors can read our guide to flights to Malta and our overview of where to stay in Malta when planning a trip.
SailCoach has not printed prices on its website, because each programme is tailored to the sailor or team. A short message explaining the sailor's age, class, level and the dates you have in mind is the best start. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to SailCoach, who will reply to you directly.
Questions about SailCoach
Where is SailCoach based in Malta?
SailCoach's Malta SailBase is at the Royal Malta Yacht Club on the seafront at Ta' Xbiex, on Marsamxett Harbour. The organisation also has a second SailBase in Valencia, Spain, beside the Real Club Nautico Valencia.
What does SailCoach offer?
It offers the SailCoach Academy in Malta, BaseCamp training for ILCA sailors, SailCoach Lite camps, regatta coaching tours, Malta Europa Cup and Euromed support, Transition Year programmes and Optimist coaching, with charter boats and accommodation arranged as part of the package.
Who is SailCoach for?
It serves young Optimist and ILCA sailors, ambitious club racers, class associations, clubs and national federations. Sailors join from many countries, and the TY programmes are aimed at motivated sailors aged 15 to 17, including those from outside Ireland.
How long has SailCoach been running?
The organisation began in 1995 and was incorporated in 1996. In that time it has helped more than 60 sailors qualify for the Olympic Games, including four Olympic medals, and it is a World Sailing Approved Training Centre.
Can I train with SailCoach in Malta over winter?
Yes. BaseCamp runs mainly from the Malta SailBase in winter, when stronger winds and bigger waves suit technical training. You can join for one week or for up to two months, and the package includes coaching, a charter dinghy, accommodation and airport transfers.
What is the Malta Europa Cup and does SailCoach support it?
The Malta Europa Cup is a December ILCA regatta, held alongside the Euromed Optimist Regatta. SailCoach runs coaching tours for both, with pre-regatta training, video analysis, half board hotel accommodation, transfers and charter boats. The 2026 Europa Cup runs from 12 to 21 December.
Does SailCoach publish its prices?
No. Programmes are tailored to each sailor, club or squad, so fees are not printed on the website. Tell the team your age, class, dates and group size, and they will prepare a package that matches your goals and budget.
How do I contact SailCoach?
Use the enquiry form on this VisitMalta.co.uk page to describe the sailor, the class and the dates you have in mind. We will pass your message to SailCoach, whose office usually replies within a day or two, and longer at busy times.
Practical information
SailCoach is based at the Royal Malta Yacht Club, Ta' Xbiex XBX 1028, on Malta's Marsamxett Harbour, and has a second SailBase beside the Real Club Nautico Valencia in Spain. The office takes on average one or two days to answer messages in busy periods. Winter BaseCamp is run from the Malta base, and the December events are based at a hotel on Mellieħa Bay. Prices are tailored to each programme and are not printed on the website. To ask about coaching, a camp or a regatta tour, send your details through the enquiry form on this page and VisitMalta.co.uk will pass your message to SailCoach.
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The details on this page were correct on 25 October 2026, as published on the SailCoach website. Services, prices and hours can change, so please confirm when you enquire.