Our students feedbacks and reviews of the training
in GoSailing School

Konstantin, I wanted to post a review about your school but could not find how to do it on the website, so I am writing here.
We trained as crew members with instructor Alexey Skokov. The organization of the training was excellent, everything was transparent — there was clear information about what to bring, what things cost, where the yacht was moored, and what it was called. We enjoyed everything very much. Alexey provided a great amount of material and genuinely tried to teach us everything he knew. At first it was difficult, but then we got into the rhythm.
Describing the whole week would take too long, so here are a few highlights. On the first day, after inspecting the boat and safety briefing, we went to sea under engine, as there was no wind. On the second day we sailed under sail, endlessly practicing tacks and gybes until it became automatic. On the third day we set off on a sailing passage. We practiced moorings repeatedly on an empty pier and later in marinas and anchorages. Alexey entrusted us with this, correcting us only politely if we erred. The result was that we did not damage our yacht or anyone else’s.
During the visit to the Blue Lagoon, despite rough seas, Alexey launched the dinghy, fitted the outboard motor, and sent us alone into the underwater cave. We had never had such an experience before, and now we know how to do it ourselves. Whenever there was wind, Alexey immediately suggested setting sail. At times the wind reached 35 knots, leaving no chance to photograph as the whole crew was working the winches, trimming the mainsail and jib. He also drove us by car to excellent little restaurants where the food was delicious and inexpensive. Overall, we liked him very much as a person.
Alexey, if you are reading this, greetings to you — we will miss you! And a few suggestions to improve training in this school: 1. Install video recorders on the stern looking forward and backward, and on the bow looking forward, to review moorings afterwards and to capture exciting video in strong winds when no one has time to take pictures. I may need to come again with my own recorder. 2. Repair yacht ANOUK — the mainsail car and the jib furler sometimes jam. We adapted, of course. Replace the worn ropes. Repair the latch on the port aft cabin door as it bangs during rolling — protect your fingers. Other flaws of the yacht were minor and did not interfere with the training.
Aleksandr.

I found no shortcomings. All the training was conducted professionally. Thank you for supporting me in my first steps in this new element. The course was very intensive and at the same time easy to absorb. Thank you again. Viktor Viktorovich Pakhomov

About the review… Konstantin, the main thing here is the result. I gained truly unique skills in handling a yacht single-handed, something I had never even dared to imagine before and thought was reserved for others. Before training I thought that perhaps after studying for five years I might risk chartering a yacht with a crew. After the course, I feel morally ready to take a yacht on my own somewhere in a yacht-friendly country such as Turkey. Of course, I will not do that immediately as I lack experience, but the fact that sailing no longer seems terrifying or unattainable is an excellent sign of the training. At first I looked at Anouk and wondered how we would ever manage her without a crew and even moor. By the last days that question disappeared on its own. And Anouk deserves special mention. I fell in love with this yacht completely and irrevocably — she is wonderful, soulful, and genuinely right. On the last day I felt very sad, and one of the main reasons for this mood was parting with Anouk.
Anna

Thanks to Konstantin Zhukov for constant communication during the trip arrangements and timely answers to all questions. Communication and payment were convenient, and overall the organization pleased me. And of course, special thanks to the instructor. Yuri brought me into the work within an hour, and I still feel engaged to this day. I never thought that starting from zero I could absorb so much theory and master so many practical skills in just two weeks. Yuri is a knowledgeable and dedicated instructor, very demanding yet tactful. I consider myself fortunate to have had him as my instructor. ANOUK is in good technical condition, everything that should work does work, and the interior is well maintained. I wish the school fair winds and success in its work.
Roman Aleksandrovich Ovchinnikov

Good morning, Konstantin.
First of all, I want to thank you for the excellent and well-organized course aboard the yacht Anouk in Bar.
Instructor Vyacheslav deserves the highest praise — a patient, kind, and professional teacher.
Please let me know when I can collect my plastic license card for sailing and radio.
The training ended on December 9, and the documents should in theory already be on their way.
Sincerely, Yuri Doronin
Yuri Doronin (Moscow, Russia, graduation: December 10, 2016)

Good afternoon, Konstantin!
I completed the training and passed the exam with Vyacheslav Tokarev.
Could you please let me know how I can pay for the certificate and receive it?
Many thanks to you and your company for the wonderful experience and new knowledge.
Wishing you all the very best,
Tatyana Petukhova
...
I paid for the skipper and VHF operator certificates and have attached the receipts.
I will await further information from you.
Thank you for the wonderful sailing experience and training I received.
...
P.S. Anouk is truly a reliable and battle-tested yacht, it never once let us down.
Thank you very much for the photos.
In return I will also send you video clips about Anouk, the most unforgettable being the mooring in Santorini during a small storm on a buoy.
Apologies for the quality — dust and sand were flying from the mountains while sea spray blew straight into the lens, and I had to hold tightly onto Anouk not to be blown off the deck.
I will also send more files (in a second letter) simply showing the sea, the wind, the sun, and Anouk! Pure delight.
(This postscript refers to a passage across the Aegean Sea in spring 2016 — the training was split into two stages — School’s note)
Tatyana Petukhova
(Mytishchi, Moscow Region, Russia, graduation: November 26, 2016)

--- Good evening, Konstantin.
Everything worked out wonderfully — a fine ship and an excellent crew.
It is a pity that all good things end quickly, and so did this page.
The exams are done, and now only summer plans remain.
Many thanks, everything was excellent.
Sincerely, Alexander Romanov
>>
Greetings, Alexander. I am glad to hear from you and delighted that the miles sailed along the Adriatic have enriched your knowledge, lifted your spirits, and given you confidence. For us, this is an additional confirmation of the correctness of our chosen path and a stimulus to keep working and developing. Yes, time has turned that page, but its notes remain in your skills, abilities, and reflexes. Now it is your turn to write the book of your own voyages.
Sincerely yours, Konstantin Zhukov

Good afternoon, Konstantin!
My impressions of the training are very positive.
Instructor Yuri is a born teacher and a strong professional. I believe the knowledge and experience he shared will be useful to me and fully appreciated in my own sailing practice.
Sent from iPhone
Valeriy Kalistratov
(Yekaterinburg, Russia, graduation: November 5, 2016)

video from training
photos from training

Hello, Konstantin!
Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to once again undergo training at your school.
(This was the so-called “the second (free) attempt” offered to those who did not manage to pass the exam during their first trip — School’s note)
Vyacheslav is an excellent instructor, competent, calm, and kind-hearted.
A wonderful international crew came together.
I hope for further cooperation.
...
I wish you and your loved ones strong health and prosperity in the New Year.
With gratitude I remember the instructors of your school.
I am glad to see your school developing and expanding.
Sincerely, Rustam.

Good afternoon, Konstantin, how are you?
Once again, many thanks for the magical experience and immersion into a wonderful new world.
I would like to clarify what is required for the certificates: additional information, photos, payment method and amount, and other details.
Tatyana
...>>
Greetings, Tatyana. I am glad that you joined our sailing community so joyfully and successfully. Thank you for your kind feedback.
The formal questions are explained here: http://gosailing.ru/issa-certs-procedure.html
I already have your application details, I just need your photos.
Konstantin Zhukov
...
Good afternoon, Konstantin,
The certificates have just arrived! Everything is fine. You listed our Captain as the instructor… thank you! We are deeply touched and very happy.
Have a wonderful day! Ours is already wonderful.
Tatyana
...>>
Of course, Tatyana. In ISSA, unlike other systems, there is a fine tradition of personal responsibility by the instructor for the graduate.
Wherever you may be in the world, people and harbor masters will know not only where you studied, but also with whom.
Konstantin Zhukov

Hello.
Unfortunately my time with the sea has come to an end.
I want to thank you for opening a new path in my life through your school.
Now to the point — I would like to ask how I can receive the documents confirming my training, how much it costs, and where I should send the payment.
Sincerely, Mikhail Arzhakov
(Moscow, Russia, graduation: September 3, 2016)

As I now understand, my acquaintance with yachting began with good fortune, and after that there was only more and more of it. My first stroke of luck was that Vyacheslav became my instructor.
Vyacheslav has nerves of steel and great self-control. By his very presence he inspires confidence in the most confusing situations, which helped me to overcome nervousness and insecurity and to absorb practical skills more effectively.
In training, Vyacheslav uses various teaching aids that truly help to perceive the material. For example, the small “boat with strings” — I even think of making one for myself, to use when explaining docking plans to my future crew.
Another stroke of luck is that I do not get seasick. I worried about this a lot (searched online, bought special medicine), but everything turned out wonderfully — I simply do not get seasick (at most, a bit of yawning). So try it — you may be lucky too.
When you are a beginner overwhelmed by the flow of information, unable to distinguish the essential from the secondary, here the role of the instructor is crucial.
Vyacheslav always has a plan for the lessons. All explanations, both theoretical and practical, are concise and to the point — no unnecessary words. And if something is unclear, he will always explain again in other words.
Outside of the lessons, if there are any questions about the sea or yachting, Vyacheslav gladly shares his experience and knowledge. It is easy and pleasant to talk with him.
Now I have a strong desire to continue my acquaintance with the sea and sails, perhaps in some international regatta.
Reading my review again, it seems very positive and full of praise. Yes, it is so. But firstly, it truly is a positive review. Secondly, I rarely write reviews, and if the training with Vyacheslav had not impressed me, I would not have written one. Thirdly, a month ago I was looking for a school and an instructor, and such a review would have helped me. Therefore I decided to write this review and to recommend Vyacheslav.
You will see for yourself that everything I wrote here, and the points I emphasized, will also be present in your training. And you too will be able to begin your acquaintance with yachting with good fortune.

Once again, I thank your company for giving me the opportunity to complete the training for such a modest cost.
You dispelled the myth among my friends that yachting is only for oligarchs.
I hope to send them to you for training.
Nurlan Kassymov (Kazakhstan, graduation: October 3, 2015)

Good afternoon, Konstantin!
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to you and to our captain Viktor for these wonderful two weeks we spent at the school.
The course of study and the way the captain presented the material were incredibly effective, and even in such a short time this course allowed us to feel confident at the helm.
Thank you and your professional team!
Keep up the excellent work!
P.S. We will send new photos for the license on Monday.
Urshulia and Thomas Rothe (Germany, graduation: September 19, 2015)

Erfahrungsbericht über die Segelausbildung von Urshulia und Thomas Rothe
(Deutschland, Abschluss: 19. September 2015)
Sehr geehrter Konstantin, guten Tag!
Wir möchten Ihnen und unserem Kapitän Viktor unseren aufrichtigen Dank aussprechen für diese wunderbaren zwei Wochen, die wir an der Schule verbringen durften.
Der Lehrgang und die Art und Weise, wie der Kapitän den Stoff vermittelte, waren von außergewöhnlicher Effizienz, und selbst in dieser kurzen Zeitspanne hat uns der Kurs bereits ermöglicht, uns am Ruder sicher zu fühlen.
Wir danken Ihnen und Ihrem professionellen Team.
Bitte setzen Sie Ihre hervorragende Arbeit in diesem Geiste fort.
P. S.: Wir werden am Montag neue Passfotos für die Ausstellung der Lizenzen zusenden.
Mit verbindlichen Grüßen
Urshulia & Thomas Rothe
(Deutschland, Abschluss: 19. September 2015)