Horizons has a versatile fleet of sailing boats which means that we can give complete beginners a great experience, as well as challenge the more experienced sailor who wants to develop their skills further.
Hawk 20
This is the largest boat in our fleet and children will normally first go sailing in a Hawk 20 as part of a group with experienced Horizons staff onboard. These boats can sail quite fast in the right conditions, but are also very safe.
They have a mainsail and jib as well as a spinnaker – so there’s lots of ropes to pull! Because they are such well-behaved boats, even complete beginners can ‘take the helm’ on their first trip.
Horizons has a fleet of 3 Hawks: ‘Miss Muffet’, ‘Papagena’ and ‘Fluency’. We can sail these boats with 6 children on board, accompanied by a Horizons Skipper and Mate.
Laser Pico
The Laser Pico dinghy is a small sailboat designed by Olympic medallist Jo Richards and is widely used for training and day sailing. It has a very sporty performance and can be be crewed by one or two children, or an adult.
It has a simple rig and goes well with just one sail – so it’s perfect for a youngster sailing solo for the first time. It is possible to capsize a Pico, but we teach the children how to get the boat upright again – and there’s always a safety boat on hand.
We have 12 of these brightly-coloured boats, so you can always tell Horizons is out on the water when you see a row of yellow boats bobbing around in Plymouth Sound!
RS Feva
The RS Feva dinghy is an RYA Supported Junior class and is widely used for training and club racing. It is the class leader for teaching advanced sailing in the youth scheme. The boat is fitted with and asymmetric spinnaker and can be crewed by two children which makes it the ideal stepping stone between the Laser Picos and the Laser Vagos.
With a huge international race circuit, the RS Feva is the perfect small boat for developing sailing and racing skills as well as providing family fun. It is possible to capsize a Feva, but we teach the children how to get the boat upright again – and there’s always a safety boat on hand. We have 2 Fevas in our fleet.
Laser Bahia
This boat caters for all. It can be crewed by one of our volunteers and up to three beginners or by some of our more experienced sailors who want to develop more skills.
The Bahia carries a full set of sails, including a spinnaker and it even has a trapeze – which is very exciting in the right conditions!
We have 2 Bahias and they are very popular at club sessions.
Laser Vago
The Vago is designed for both leisure and performance sailing and is fully-rigged with mainsail, jib, spinnaker and trapeze.
We have 3 Vagos in our fleet and they are perfect for the improving sailor wishing to learn more advanced sailing techniques in a controlled manner.
RS Cat 16
The RS Cat 16 is a modern beach and training catamaran which has the feel of a higher performance boat, yet it could hardly be easier to handle.
The Cat has proved a popular addition to our fleet and is regularly used at our club session and for training. It is often the most requested boat for beginners to hitch a ride or for some of more experienced cadets to take out.
RS Aero Foiling!
The RS Aero is the most exciting and best-selling modern single-hander which is easily handled. Astonishingly, the RS Aero weighs about the same as an Optimist. The RS Aero ignites the pure excitement of sailing in its least complicated form.
We also have a Glide Free Foiling kit for our RS Aero!
The RS Aero is is ideal for foiling. Because it is light and easy to handle, the Aero takes off in just 7-8 kts of wind and can be sailed in both displacement and foiling modes. This makes it Ideal for beginners and foil training as it is easy to balance, rig and launch