Elmár SailingReviews of elmarsailing.com

Response from Elmár SailingAug 6, 2026

Thanks, Frank! Will be happy to sail with you again!

Response from Elmár SailingAug 6, 2026

Thank you, Kate! We were happy to share fun and laughs with you and the other 10 (already not) strangers! :)

Response from Elmár SailingAug 6, 2026

Thank you for this, and for being fair about the parts that worked for you personally— the Aeolians, the clean catamaran, the paddleboards, the volcano climbs. That's the week we aim for, and we're glad most of it reached you. Let us take the honest points in turn. The irrational guest. You're right about this one, and for this part we focused on resolving it. Any guest breaking the rule about alcohol or doing any other disruptive behavior is taken seriously. Luckily, it is almost never the case on our trips thanks to our personal interviews before the trip. The captain spoke with him directly, one-to-one, and more than once. This way we resolved the issue of the tea kettle, and the issue of overdrinking. As you remember, they didn´t happen again. Clearly, it wasn't fast or firm enough from where you were sitting, and we're sorry for the part that affected you. What we can tell you plainly is that guest is no longer welcome on our trips. If any guest buys anything personally without asking the team, or gifts you any wine and wants something back, of course it is not your responsibility; it can only be an invitation, and it is up to you to decide. On our trips, no one is pushed to buy anything extra on top of what is agreed. Food. We've taken this one. We didn't run a proper meal plan back in 2025, and after this trip and a couple of similar notes we've built one into how we provision and cook for the week — so thank you, that change is partly down to you. One gentle correction, only because it's on a public page: we never reach thousands of euros for food shopping. On your trip, provisioning worked out to roughly €180–250 per person for the week — within the estimated range. On breakfast — we had breakfast every morning, and within a couple of days the group had synchronised into an easy rhythm. Some are up at dawn, some are on holiday and sleep in, and that's fine, but no one went without. Tuition. A group trip isn't a course, and we're careful never to sell it as one. On this trip, every time we set sail, the captain or co-skipper Marco offered everyone the chance to take the helm, raise sails, learn and practice — the invitation was open all week. All who showed up for that were fully satisfied. But structured one-to-one teaching is our separate sailing course, not during the adventure week. If that line wasn't clear enough before you booked, that's ours to state better. Being "in charge." We have to be straight here, because it touches safety. Command of the yacht was never handed to a guest. It is not possible. On this trip we had two licensed skippers, and while the captain held ultimate responsibility, a competent co-skipper was in charge of many hands-on operations. The captain carries responsibility for the safety and well-being of everyone onboard and the yacht itself; it is not a subject for delegation. Our licensed co-skipper was acting under his supervision, which from the outside can look like shared control, but the responsibility never moved off the captain. As a result, this trip was safe as usual. We have had eight years without safety incidents, and it is exactly because that line doesn't blur. And the tea. A skipper doesn't serve the drinks or food to the group — his duties are for the yacht, keeping everyone safe, weather and navigation planning, port reservations, and logistics. That said, the captain still voluntarily offers tea or coffee to others whenever he's making it for himself. "Hands-off" still isn't a word we'd want a guest leaving with, so we've taken it seriously rather than shrugged it off. The hardest thing about reading this is that most of it reaches us for the first time here — not during the week, and not in the year since. We wish it had come sooner, straight away, because nearly everything in it is something we'd have wanted to put right on the spot, make clear and transparent.

Response from Elmár SailingAug 4, 2026

Thanks, Maria! We are happy to create unexpected happiness for you :)

Response from Elmár SailingAug 4, 2026

Thanks, Ovidiu! We were happy to have warm days on the sea during winter:)

Response from Elmár SailingAug 4, 2026

Thanks for your review! Never heard anything from you about the paddle board or the food during the trip. Please let us know the details so we can improve!

Response from Elmár SailingAug 4, 2026

Thanks, Nata! It was an amazing experience with you:)