Loch Moidart

Affordable UK Sailing Club

Sail more

Pay less

JOIN GSA

NEW MEMBER OFFER: Get your membership fee discounted off your first Club Cruise | All experience levels welcome

Gold badge with the text '200+ Friendly Members' in the center
Gold seal badge with the text 'All Skippers Approved by GSA' in the center.

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Who are we?

Go Sailing Association is a friendly, member-run club with 200+ sailors and three boats across the UK. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced sailor, we offer affordable access to the best UK sailing locations. As a GSA member, you can book a berth on a Standard, Premium (smaller crew, so more space) or Skills Club Cruise, or you can book a Bareboat Cruise.

All crew must be GSA members, and the skipper GSA-approved

Why join GSA?

  • Sail 3 club-owned yachts in the best UK Locations

  • Easy online booking & low prices

  • Learn from experienced members

  • All skippers are experienced and GSA-approved

  • Enjoy seafood dining, wildlife spotting, hiking, and even swimming

  • Become part of the GSA family

Where would you like to sail?

A GO SAILING ASSOCIATION sailboat named Ocean Flame IV docked at a marina, with other boats visible in the background.
A GO SAILING ASSOCIATION sailboat docked at a marina with other boats in the background, some with blue covers and sails, along with colourful buildings and a cloudy sky.
A white sailboat named 'Sun Odyssey 37' with two people on board, docked near the coast with houses and trees in the background. The boat has a black flag with white text that reads 'HEBRIDEAN FLAME II.' The scene is labeled 'West Coast of Scotland.'
Comparison chart of yacht maximum capacities for different cruise types, including Celtic Flame II, Hebridean Flame II, and Ocean Flame IV, across non-club and club cruise categories.

Yacht capacities by cruise type

  • Our pricing is pitched approximately £500 less for a main season, full week, bareboat cruise than you’d pay for a commercial UK charter

  • UK commercial charter prices are up to 25% more expensive than those of Go Sailing Association

Pay less - Sail more

2026 cruise prices

Go Sailing Association cruising options

GSA has three yachts, between 34 and 37 feet long, ideal for cruising UK waters and based in Plymouth, Southampton and Scotland. You can either book a whole boat, which we call a GSA bareboat cruise, or you can book a berth on a GSA club cruise; in either case, the cruise will have a GSA-approved skipper, and all crew will be GSA members. Please see below to learn more about what we offer:

  • Our cruising season is from April 1st to October 30th.

    Cruises start on Thursdays or Sundays from 4pm on the cruise start date. Boats returned, cleared, cleaned and vacated by 3pm on the cruise end date.

    We have three yachts in four possible locations:

    • Hebridean Flame II based in Scotland. Dunstaffnage (near Oban) or at Largs on the Firth of Clyde.

    • Celtic Flame II based in Plymouth

    • Ocean Flame IV based in Southampton

  • You may book a whole boat for you and your friends (GSA bareboat cruise). This is the most cost effective option affording you the most freedom with regards itinerary. As the booker you will be responsible for ensuring all your crew are GSA members and that you have a GSA-approved skipper.

  • Book a berth on a GSA standard club cruise. These often are themed cruises (e.g. Whisky tour, Isles of Scilly, Channel Islands). No prior sailing experience is required, we cater for beginners all the way up to yacht masters. If you’d like to discuss the cruise before you book, the skipper’s phone number is on the booking calendar.

  • Book a berth on a GSA premium club cruise and enjoy more space, with one less crew member onboard. This is the only difference between a standard and a premium club cruise. If you’d like to discuss the cruise before you book, the skipper’s phone number is on the booking calendar.

  • Book a berth on a GSA skills club cruise if you’d like to develop your sailing skills or become a GSA-approved skipper. No prior sailing experience required - we cater for beginners all the way up to yacht masters. Skills practised will be determined by the requirements of the crew. Please note that the GSA-approved skipper is not an RYA Instructor. If you’d like to discuss the cruise before you book, the skipper’s phone number is on the booking calendar.

  • You must accept the GSA Terms and Conditions before booking. Please be sure to familiarise yourself with them; they are on the footer of each page.

Become a GSA approved skipper

We are currently looking to approve more GSA skippers. Interested?

If you have RYA Certificate of Competence (Yachtmaster), we can fast-track you; if not, you can join our skipper approval scheme

Simple as 1,2,3…

  1. Join the Go Sailing Association

  2. Complete this application form (do this first if you wish)

  3. Get approved

For more detailed information on the skipper approval scheme, click here. To see the GSA cruising limits for both coastal skipper and offshore skipper, click here.

Requirements

    • You must have a VHF Radio Licence or Short Range Certificate

    • You must have suitable tidal experience in your Logbook or resumé

    • It is recommended, but not essential, that you hold a current RYA First Aid Certificate

    GSA Qualification

    • If you have appropriate RYA sailing certifications, you can be fast-tracked

    • If not, you need to demonstrate equivalent skills via our skipper approval scheme

  • Fast Track:

    • If you have an RYA Certificate of Competence (Yachtmaster Coastal), you can be awarded GSA Coastal Skipper following boat familiarisation

    For other levels of experience, we have a skipper approval scheme:

    • You can have sailed with two separate GSA Offshore Skippers of more than three years standing on two separate cruises who are willing to recommend you for Coastal Skipper status.

    • You can join a GSA skipper approval cruise and seek the recommendation of a member of the Approval Panel

  • Fast track:

    • If you are a RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Skipper (by examination), you can be awarded GSA Offshore Skipper following boat familiarisation

    For other levels of experience, we have a skipper approval scheme:

    • You can also join a GSA skipper approval cruise and seek the recommendation of a member of the Approval Panel

We look forward to you skippering with GSA in the near future.

Ready to join?

Two men on a sailboat, one steering and the other sitting, sailing in a cove with rocky cliffs and grassy hills in the background, overcast sky.
Join GSA

Got questions?

Man on a boat holding a blue mug, with a plate of bread and a drink in front of him, outdoors with hills in the background.

Talk to Steve Cade our Commodore to see if GSA is a good fit for you. We’d love to hear from you…

Book a call