PRIVATE YACHT OWNER COACHING
You bought the yacht together.
Now become confident sailing her together.
7 days · €6,500 · Only four coaching weeks available each year
YOUR BOAT. YOUR PARTNERSHIP. YOUR WAY OF CRUISING.
Buying a cruising yacht is a big investment. Learning to sail her confidently together is another journey. You may already be comfortable sailing, yet still have questions about handling your yacht, manoeuvring in a marina, understanding her systems, dealing with failures, or preparing for longer passages. This week is designed to help you move beyond those questions — and enjoy the freedom of cruising your own yacht with confidence.
A WEEK DESIGNED AROUND YOU
This is not a standard sailing course. There is no fixed syllabus and no group to keep up with. I come aboard your yacht and work with both of you, focusing on your experience, your boat, your cruising plans and the areas where you want more confidence. The objective is simple: that when the week is over, you feel ready to cruise your own yacht — independently, confidently and together.
SAILING & MANOEUVRING
Build confidence handling your yacht under sail and power, including sail trim, tacking and gybing, reefing, anchoring and marina manoeuvres.
YACHT SYSTEMS & SEAMANSHIP
Understand the systems that keep your yacht running and learn to use, maintain and troubleshoot them with confidence.
NAVIGATION, WEATHER & PASSAGE PLANNING
Develop practical skills for planning and executing passages, reading weather, using your navigation equipment and making sound decisions along the way.
YOUR PRIORITIES
We focus on whatever matters most to you — from a particular manoeuvre or system to preparing for a specific cruising area, passage or challenge.
MORE THAN SAILING
Your yacht is more than a boat. It is a complex environment where two people need to communicate, make decisions and work together. The aim of this week is not simply to improve your sailing skills, but to make sure that both of you feel involved, capable and confident aboard your own yacht.WHY ME
I have spent decades sailing, owning and maintaining cruising yachts — and learning what it really takes to manage them safely and confidently.
I am the founder of Sail & Discover and a professional skipper, but I am also a yacht owner myself. I live aboard and sail my 50-foot Bavaria, Chronos, and have experienced the reality of cruising yachts from every side: sailing, manoeuvring, maintenance, systems, weather, unexpected failures and the decisions that have to be made when things don't go according to plan.
I also hold a Degree in Yacht & Boat Design from Southampton University. Although I have not worked as a yacht designer, this education gave me a deeper understanding of how yachts are designed, built and how their different systems work together — knowledge that I find extremely valuable when helping owners understand their own boat.
My approach is practical and hands-on. I won't simply show you how I do things. I will help you understand why things work, practise them together and develop the judgement and confidence to make your own decisions.
“Good coaching is not about showing someone how much you know. It is about giving them the knowledge, judgement and confidence to make their own decisions.”
CLIENT EXPERIENCES
BEFORE YOU BOOK
This is a very personal experience, and I want to make sure it is right for you — and that we are the right fit to spend a week together aboard your yacht. Before booking, we will have a private conversation about your yacht, your experience, your cruising plans and what you would like to achieve during the week. There is no commitment. It is simply an opportunity for us to get to know each other, discuss your expectations and decide together whether this coaching week makes sense for you.
PRIVATE YACHT OWNER COACHING
7 days · €6,500
The coaching fee includes:
• A private consultation before the coaching week
• Preparation tailored to you, your yacht and your cruising plans
• Seven days of personal coaching aboard your yacht
• Sailing, manoeuvring and anchoring
• Yacht systems and practical seamanship
• Navigation, weather and passage planning
• Safety and emergency procedures
• Your individual priorities and questions
The €6,500 coaching fee covers the complete seven-day coaching programme and preparation. Travel and related expenses are additional and will be agreed with you in advance.
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR YACHT
Book a private 30-minute conversation with Stephan. There is no commitment. It is simply an opportunity to talk about your yacht, your experience and what you would like to achieve.
WHERE I COACH:
I coach in the Mediterranean from April to October, and in the Caribbean from November to March. The exact location is agreed with you based on your yacht, cruising plans and my availability.
ONLY FOUR COACHING WEEKS EACH YEAR
I deliberately keep this service limited to just four coaching weeks each year. This allows me to give each client my full attention and maintain the same personal, hands-on approach that I believe makes this coaching valuable.