Elmár Sailing Avis 

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

Such a wonderful sailing experience. The captain is the most knowledgeable person about the boat life, boat safety and amazing places to see.

I highly recommend Elmarsailing! I had a wonderful experience in British Virgin Islands and I cannot wait for the next adventure!
We explored so many beautiful islands, we saw sharks, turtles, stingrays, fishes of all colors and types. We cooked together and had an amazing time learning from each other. I personally learned a lot about sailing and now I’m planning to continue studying and getting my certification.

Awesome captain dedicated to providing the most pleasant and comfortable experience

I sailed with Elmársailing in the BVI, and it was a very positive experience. This was not my first sailing trip, so I have something to compare it with, and I really liked the way Elmar organizes everything.
What stood out to me was the group dynamic. Some people came with friends, some came alone, and some already knew each other from previous trips. I really liked this model. It never felt like a “taxi” style sailing trip where people just show up and get transported around. It felt much more like a community.
Elmar chose a very good route and was also open to questions, wishes, and suggestions from the group. He tried to accommodate people whenever possible, which made the trip feel flexible and personal.
His communication was professional, and at the same time the atmosphere on board was relaxed. Everyone felt comfortable. No sailing experience is needed, but if you want to learn, there is also space for that, which I appreciated.
Overall, a very positive experience all around, and I would definitely recommend it.

That is my go-to sailing company. I've stopped counting times I've sailed with them. Multiple times in Mediterranean Sea, on Caribbean islands, in Brazil... I've tried both yacht and catamaran. I personally prefer catamaran experience as it has more space.
Sometimes there was an option to get a cook onboard and it was great!
Sergii, the owner of the company, knows how to organise unforgettable vacations. It's a combination of active and tranquil experience on the same trip. Climbing vulcanos, sliding down the waterfall, freediving - that stays in your memory forever. And this is something I was not expecting initially as I assumed sailing was only about the sea. In reality it's 70% water and 30% land activities. I always come back from the vacation with Elmersailing feeling rested, energised, recharged and inspired.

Oh, and one more thing. I love that there are two options. You can book a whole boat for you and your friends to enjoy incredible experience together. Or you can travel solo and join other solo travellers or couples on the same boat. This way you get to meet incredible people from all around the world. Many times we were later spending time together, by exploring together the country where we end the trip.