For most of our sails, you don’t need any experience of sailing. The only exceptions are the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Round the Island Race, which do benefit from a small level of experience- and it helps to know what you’re getting into!

On each of our sails there are 5 or 6 members of crew who are there to guide you. This is includes either a Skipper and a First Mate, or two Co-Skippers, who are very knowledgeable about sailing and about how to get the best out of the whole team. The rest are then volunteers who often have a wide base of experience themselves.

Many different people sail with us, ranging from people who are looking to get into sailing to veteran sailors. For some, it’s an opportunity to learn a completely new skill, but even for the experienced sailors it can be a chance to sail on a larger vessel and pick up new skills.

If you are worried about what experience is required, please enquire about our taster and day sails, which can give you a feel for the longer voyages.

All food and drink while you are on board is provided, as well as CatZero sailing kit. The kit consists of a life jacket, and then depending on the weather and voyage destination and length can include sailing boots, a warm inner layer (blacks), and a rain-proof outer layer (reds).

For day or taster sails, make sure that you wear warm and comfortable clothing. It can be especially cold out on the water, and in summer the suns rays are reflected back at you by the water so it is beneficial to wear long sleeves etc to protect yourself from sunburn.

For longer sails, we recommend that most of your clothing is warm and comfortable and that you bring plenty of layers. You then might want to pack some different clothes for when you go ashore.

We do our best to cater to all dietary requirements, but can’t promise that food will be free of allergens as it is all cooked in a relatively small environment. That being said, we will always strive to prepare accordingly when provided with enough notice. For example, if someone is coming on board who has a severe nut allergy, we will ensure that there are no nuts on board, and that there is a deep clean of the galley before the sail.

On a mixed voyage we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to supply any halal food, but we will always be able to ensure that vegetarian food is available.

Sailing on board CatZero is an interactive and rewarding experience. Anticipate getting involved with all aspects of sailing- even cleaning! On the longer voyages we distribute roles according to a rota so that everyone gets a chance to perform different tasks, but even on the shortest voyages we try to encourage everyone to have a go on the helm.