Bridge Sailing Reviews 

My friends and I have just completed the night sail trip to Cherbourg and back. We are quite experienced sailors but you never get to sail at night that often and it is an entirely different perspective. Afanasy is a very calm experienced sailor who has the ability to explain things concisely in a clear and understandable way which gives you great confidence. He gets involved only when really needed and lets you get on and handle things yourselves which in turn gives you a great experience . But when and if needed he is straight there to give you the help and confidence you need to continue . He has a wealth of wisdom to pass on and his calm and easy manner at explaining things enables even less experience sailors to do quite remarkable new skills easily and with confidence. I am a sailing instructor myself and watching how Afanasy operates has taught and inspired me to do better going forward he really is an inspiration and safe pair of hands to go sailing with. Maria too was so good at communication and organising the trip that all eight of us that did this trip came back so happy and with a great experience behind us .( it’s not everyday you come across a tug towing an oil rig through the channel at night in pitch darkness ) Absolutely amazing experience which I will never forget. Thank you all at bridge sailing

I've sailed twice with Bridge Sailing. Once round Isle of Wight and once on the overnight cross channel trip to Cherbourg.
Both trips were brilliant. Treated like part of the crew with lots of sailing, and calm helpful instruction when needed.
"Tango" is great to sail...and you know you are going to sea with people who really love sailing and sharing their knowledge with others.
Definitely recommend!

Good communication before departure, very professional leadership, a very smooth couple of days, lots of hands on experience and all questions answered.

Bridge are amazing and we love chartering from Maria and Afanasy. We've been booking boats for 4 years now and they are brilliant to work with, communication is brilliant, boats are always ready and in great shape.
Thoroughly recommend (but please not the dates we want the boats!!!)

I have sailed with Bridge sailing three times and have two upcoming trips. What is unique about them, is that they are a small company that delivers a big experience. For a new or novice sailer they allow you to participate as much as you want too and give you new opportunities to improve your skills. Qe have enjoyed every experience with them and that is why we come back for more. They are also very competitively priced for everyone. Thoroughly recommended!

My interaction with the staff in the office, I found out that they treat their clients with utmost respect and professionalism. I will not hesitate to recommend anybody who require the types of services they provide.

Booked a sailing boat for my birthday day out with the girls and it was an absolutely amazing experience! None of us had sailed before, but everyone got the chance to drive the boat, help with the sails, and even get the spinnaker up.

We made so many unforgettable memories and had so much fun learning something completely new. Our skipper, Afanasy, was incredibly patient and understanding with our newbie group and explained everything clearly, which made us all feel relaxed and confident.

Couldn’t have asked for a better birthday experience – highly recommend!

If you are looking for a great race and/or passage experience, Bridge Sailing delivers! Afanasy has a wealth of experience sailing and racing around the world. RockNRoll is a fast boat!! We all learned so much and had a great time! Meanwhile, Maria was 100% focused on client service, ordering food for the crew every day, sharing photos and videos of their beautiful Class 40 and crew in action!!

We had a great day sailing around the Isle of Wight with Afanasy and Bridge Sailing. It was a real pleasure to sail under the watchful eye of such an experienced Skipper who was always so patient and full of good advice. My teenage daughter and I learnt a lot from him. She really loved it. We felt safe and well looked after throughout the trip. It was a fantastic adventure and a great sailing experience. Maria was also very helpful, managing everything from shore and having some good ideas in case of bad weather. We highly recommend Bridge Sailing 😀

Great days sailing from Gosport to Cowes and back. Unexpectedly very sunny warm day albeit Jazz and her expert skipper handled the light winds easily. As a relatively new day skipper this was a great experience to build understanding and skills. Fully recommend.

We were a group of 40 people and Maria was very accommodating from the beginning. The team was professional and helpful and they made our experience very special.

Sailed with Bridge Sailing twice now and they are great. Everything from the admin through to the yacht are second to none. Arfanasy is a superb sailor and skipper and I am looking forward to sailing with him again.

I had a thoroughly exhilarating experience with Bridge Sailing on a day sail around the Isle of Wight. It was a completely hands on day which, as a novice sailor with a chronic pain disability, provided a phenomenal learning opportunity.

I was very happy that I was accommodated despite my disability.

Afanasy is an exceptionally skilled skipper, patient, cool headed regardless of the situation and seemingly fearlessly prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure an invigorating, exciting and memorable sailing experience for his clients.

For example, when a sail baton popped out of the main sail during a tack, due to the lack of experience and strength of myself and a couple other crew, thereby preventing the boat from being able to manoeuvre, Afanasy didn’t waiver when he instructed me to hoist him up the mast so he could remove the baton so that the boat could manoeuvre again without hindrance from the sail baton clashing against the mast. Utterly impressive!

I was relieved when he patted my back and thanked me for not dropping him.

Proving we never know what may occur at sea and must always be prepared for anything that happens.

Despite the hair raising experience, I didn’t once feel fearful for my safety and felt I was in the hands of a truly capable skipper.

So much so that I look forward to being able to afford to sail with Afanasy and Bridge Sailing again soon.

My reason for 4* instead of 5* is that my only suggestion for improvement would be for the skipper to enquire into the previous sailing experience of the people taken on board before departure, so that he is aware of their capacity and capabilities, which could prevent events like the sail baton popping out mid tack from reoccurring.

Fair winds and full sails to Afanasy and his crew
Phil Monk

A weekend of high-end offshore racing in the Myth of Malham RORC race on a Class 40 racing yacht. With an impressive wardrobe of racing sails (including a Code!), this was an experience I can’t wait to repeat.

I sailed with Bridge sailing to Cherbourg from portsmouth. Afanasy and Maria were brilliant, I learnt alot from Afanasy during the overnight passage which has given me a really good level of confidence in my sailing ability. Maria bought loads of food for the trip which was all included in the price and the day in Cherbourg was really good. Lovely people providing exciting weekend adventures. I would definitely recommend.

I have had the pleasure of sailing with bridge charter twice now and I’m sure I will again. The company is really well run, Maria was extremely helpful with all my questions & the skipper is excellent. Id thoroughly recommend them

I recently had an amazing experience sailing on a boat for my friend's birthday. The day was perfect, with clear skies and calm waters. The boat was luxurious and well-maintained, providing us with comfort and style. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery, delicious food, and great company. The crew was professional and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed. It was a memorable and delightful celebration, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to celebrate a special occasion in a unique and unforgettable way.

Recently enjoyed a day’s sailing with Bridge Sailing. Never been sailing before but can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life, so far. Sitting in the sunshine with the wind in my face, fantastic views, so so enjoyable. We stopped in Cowes for lunch and then back to Portsmouth. If you are looking to do something out of the ordinary, or should I say extraordinary, then book a day’s sailing in the summer. We had an amazing time. Thank you very much for such a wonderful day.

Maria.. hosted the team into Cherbourg with a smile.. even though the wind was topside gusty and we all were a bit sea sick.

The sun was shining on the IOW chalk cliffs coming back to Gosport.

All over both "night" sailings was a good experience.

I’ve sailed with Bridgesailing twice now, night time channel crossing and round the island. Both trips were very well organised with Afanasy being a highly experienced skipper and a top guy! Thank you, looking forward to my next trip.