Sergy is a great teacher, yacht master and just an awesome guy. Very knowledgeable and humble. We've interacted with Sergy multiple times over multiple yacht trips and he was always willing offer advice and help out with anything sailing related. We've also chartered yachts with his help and the price was always right. Can't sing enough praise for Elmar sailing and its boss, the one and only Sergy Almer
Response from Elmár SailingAug 4, 2026
Wow, such words! We are pleased to read it:)
JR
Jonathan R.
CAT sailing relaxed around Sicily
I really enjoyed the freestyle nature of my sailing trip with Elmár. We explored Sicily in a relaxed, chilled way. The sailing was handled professionally, allowing the small group on board to do as they please. It's a memory I'm pleased to have stored and loved the experience.
Response from Elmár SailingAug 4, 2026
Thanks! Happy to create memories for you:) Let us know what we can do to get 5 stars after your next trip:)
BO
Bonnie
Rekindled my relationship with sailing
Rekindled my relationship with sailing.
Met knew poeple, made new friends.
Enjoyed exploring new places I would have never seen without elmar sailing.
Such a unique way to explore a new country even if I was not already a sailor.
Felt safe at all times.
Response from Elmár SailingAug 4, 2026
Thanks for your review! Happy to create a safe and discovery experience for you:)
JW
Joanne W.
Location Perfect! Avoid the Captain
The sailing location was absolutely breathtaking, featuring stunning stops and beautiful scenery.
Unfortunately, the promise of a luxury sailing trip was completely ruined by Captain Sergey. What should have been a dream vacation was overtaken by his unprofessional, rude, and unsafe leadership. From the start, he failed to conduct a proper safety briefing before departure. He possessed terrible communication skills, literally telling me I "should suffer" at one point, and spent most of the trip glued to his phone or laptop, never engaging in casual conversation with me despite hypocritically trying to promote a "family atmosphere."
When I asked about the itinerary early on, he dismissively snapped, "Didn’t you read the website?" In reality, my question was entirely valid because our boat and departure port had been changed at the last minute without compensation, forcing me to scramble to a new city in a matter of hours. Ultimately, we didn't even follow the online itinerary and missed one of the islands entirely.
He treated the second skipper on board incredibly poorly, which was uncomfortable to witness. His hygiene was unacceptable; he frequently ate off guests' plates, double-dipped his used fork into communal serving dishes, and even suggested we all drink from the same bottle until the guests stood our ground and insisted on using cups on day one. (In times post covid this was extremely sad to witness)
To make matters worse, he lied about his expertise, hyping up destinations only to later admit it was his first time visiting them ( this is ok but be truthful!) . The administration was equally sketchy, as I never received proper receipts for my bookings or payments. While the location itself was paradise, I strongly advise future guests to avoid booking with this captain. Don’t be fooled by the social media presence of Elmar Sailing and captain Sergey (Sea4happy); the only time he acted appropriately was when the camera was out and filming.
Response from Elmár SailingJul 14, 2026
Thank you for writing this in full. We'll answer all of it.
"Luxury." We have never sold these trips as luxury — not on the website, not in the ads, not on the captain's call. We deliberately avoid the word. What we offer is a simple, active week on a yacht with a small group of people, and that's exactly what we describe before anyone books.
The yacht and the departure port. The charter company changed both shortly before departure. That wasn't our decision, and we couldn't overturn it. It was in line with the trip Rules and Principles document that you have accepted. The scramble it caused you was real, and we're sorry for it.
The route. Our trips have never had a fixed itinerary, and we say so on the website and again on the call with the captain before anyone pays. Weather, safety, and logistics decide, and so does what the group actually wants once we're out there. Missing one island, while we managed to include two other new islands, isn't plan-breaking — it usually is the plan.
The safety briefing. Usually we do it at a marina before departure, but sometimes we do it immediately upon departure when the weather is perfect and before opening the sails. Or give it in parts to save time and keep the group´s focus on safety. In your case, the time saved avoided sailing at night or skipping one of the islands. That was an exception.
"You should suffer." What would be the point of saying that? It is simply not in our language. Written down like that, it sounds awful. A week at sea is not always 100% comfortable — like a hike in the mountains or a night in a tent — and pushing past that a little is one of the reasons people come and part of what they take home in an adventurous way. That's how it was meant.
The phone. A captain on his phone or laptop at sea is usually a captain running navigation apps, checking weather updates, and communicating with the next port. Modern apps do this better than the yacht's instruments alone, and using them is now part of skippering.
The table. A yacht has one galley, one table and one shared food budget, and we say before anyone boards that life on board is communal. But sharing has to be something everyone actually wants, not something a guest puts up with. When the group said they'd prefer cups, cups is what we used from day one — no argument, no debate. That's how we handle any preference at that table, and if it didn't feel that way to you, we're sorry. All guests who expressed their preferences verbally were always satisfied.
The destinations. This is the part we'll push back on properly. Sergy had sailed those waters several times before your trip, and our social media from previous years shows those voyages. Calling that a lie is a serious thing to put in writing, and it isn't true.
Receipts. We were updating our system, and we clearly communicated to you via WhatsApp that the detailed invoice (including the status of the prepayments) was available upon request. We didn't hear back on it, so we assumed you were fine with it as is. We still have the message history saved. It's yours whenever you want it, and it always was.
IL
Isabelle L.
Beautiful islands, unprofessional skipper
On the positive side, the trip did happen, and the islands were beautiful. This isn't the type of scam where you pay and nothing happens. However, there was no contract, no paperwork, and no emergency or medical information collected. You simply transfer the money and trust what you've seen online. In reality, this felt more like joining someone's private boat charter than booking with a professional sailing company.
I booked because of the excellent social media marketing and the promise that participants were carefully vetted. Looking back, the lack of independent reviews should have been a warning sign. There are no Google reviews, social media comments seems disabled, and many of the testimonials felt overly polished (and AI generated).
The first disappointment was the boat. We were promised a brand-new 2026 catamaran, but shortly before departure this was changed to a basic 10+ year-old boat that suffered engine problems during the trip (after looking into it, it was the cheapest option of the charter company)
The biggest issue, though, was the skipper Sergey Communication was minimal, we rarely knew the plan unless we asked, and questions were often met with dismissive responses. Despite being marketed as a sailing holiday, we spent much of the week motoring with the autopilot on while an inexperienced crew member kept watch, leaving the skipper free to spend much of his time on his phone recruiting people for future trips.
By the end, I didn't feel like a valued customer. I felt like I had paid to help fund Sergey's informal business while receiving far less than promised. The destination was fantastic, but I wouldn't book with Elmar Sailing again and would encourage anyone considering it to do plenty of independent research before transferring any money.
Response from Elmár SailingJul 14, 2026
Thank you for writing this. We'd rather answer properly than leave it unanswered.
The yacht. In rare cases, when the original yacht has a technical or logistical issue, it is replaced with the same or a better yacht. The swap came from the charter company shortly before departure — not our decision, and not one we could overturn. It is in line with the trip Rules and Principles document that you have accepted. We pushed for the best replacement available and ended up on an upgraded catamaran considerably larger than the one originally booked (model 42 instead of original model 38). The year of build was 2020, which is within our standard for the latest model fresh yachts. One of the engines had a problem in the middle of the week, but luckily it didn´t delay us at all, and it was fixed in a very timely manner by the engineer that was sent to us. It is unfortunate, but it can happen with any yacht of any age; we know how to manage it without compromising safety.
Paperwork. We were updating our system and clearly communicated to you via WhatsApp that the detailed invoice was available upon request. You decided not to request it. Also, we didn't receive your emergency contact details; that was optional. But the details of guests who provide them are always registered in our system.
The reviews. Every one of them is from a real person who actually sailed with us; they are traceable. None are AI-written. Point at any single review and we'll tell you the guest, the trip, and the week it happened. Elmár Sailing is a registered company, six years on the market, with more than 700 guests behind it.
The crew. We don't invite inexperienced skippers. Every co-skipper on our trips is licensed and has sailed enough before, with us or with other agencies. And yes — a captain is on his phone very often as he is running a navigation app, a yacht instruments remote monitoring app, and weather apps. He is also communicating with the next ports via email and other means using the laptop and/or the phone.
The week. We sail under wind whenever conditions allow and motor when they don't. We have chosen not to stay in one spot for days just to wait for the next suitable wind. And the plan is always flexible, as mentioned on the website. We discuss it with the group every day. It was the same on your trip.
D
Ольга Г.
The Best Way to Learn Sailing
I would like to thank Sergey for an incredible week of sailing training. I honestly didn’t expect it to be so interesting, intensive, and hands-on.
All the theory I had studied before suddenly became clear once I started practicing under Sergey’s guidance. He explains everything in a way that just makes sense.
Sergey is an extremely reliable captain who inspires complete confidence. Yes, he is strict, and yes, be prepared—he is a demanding instructor. But that’s exactly why you leave the course truly understanding sailing instead of just memorizing theory.
I learned far more than I expected and now feel much more confident on the water. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn sailing the right way. Five stars!
Response from Elmár SailingJul 13, 2026
Thanks for your presence and also for the amazing pictures you took during the trip!
LU
Luca
I've joined Elmar Sailing for an awesome week in Croatia
I've joined Elmar Sailing for an awesome cruise in Croatia this year. We sailed around the Kornati national park and had an amazing week. In just one week, we experienced flat days perfect for swimming, discovering islands as well as Bora with some rough seas and winds. What a week!
Response from Elmár SailingJul 13, 2026
Thanks, Luca! It was a pleasure that you join our community!
CC
Carmen C.
More than a trip
Every trip I join Elmar Sailing is way more than just a trip, It changes my life, I do gain sailing experience, I do make real connections and now I do have a community and also I do find time for reflexion and self grow. I do have really good memories from my last Sicily trip and all the new adventures I lived.
