A dinghy is a light boat for one or two people and is generally between two and four metres long. These are used for day sails and are taken out of the water at night. As they are much smaller rigs, you'll really be engaged in their handling and you can risk a dunking in the water - but they are great fun and will bring on your seamanship skills by leaps and bounds.

In comparison, a yacht is much larger and heavier. They can be more like keelboats that are used mainly for racing, or proper ocean-going yachts that have accommodation onboard, so you could set your course for a sail around the world if you wanted to. These vessels often sail with a crew made up of several people, each of whom has their own role to play. The boat leans, but you're less likely to get a dipping and the movements are a lot slower than on a buzzy little dinghy.

Obviously you need water to sail, but even if you're in a land-locked part of the country, we may have sailing experiences on reservoirs or freshwater lakes near you. We also have vouchers for sailing courses on the coast at some of the largest water sports centres in the country. Our current collection of sailing and yachting experiences includes courses at:

• Poole
• Brighton
• Milton Keynes
• Lake Windermere
• Weymouth

Yes. The Royal Yachting Association is the national governing body for water sports such as dinghy sailing and yachting. If you're looking to book a sailing course, always make sure the centre is RYA accredited as an indication of quality. That way you know the teaching follows a curriculum that's laid out for them by the RYA and a certain quality of tuition has been attained.

Contrary to what you might think, there is no legal obligation to have a licence or any qualification to sail in the UK, be it on the sea or on lakes. However, if you want to hire or charter a boat, in British waters or abroad, you will need to prove your competence with an RYA certificate, such as the RYA Day Skipper qualification.

There's no law that says you need a qualification to be part of a yacht crew in the UK. However, if you are part of a group hiring and sailing a yacht, you will need to have at least some of the crew (along with the skipper) who have a qualification. In most cases, sailors go for the RYA Competent Crew course.

You can certainly get a good grounding in the basics of sailing in a day, or even a half-day course. By the very nature of the dinghies being small, group sizes are kept small (usually two or three students), so you get loads of hands-on time learning to sail.

Sailing centres around the UK offer RYA Competent Crew courses. They usually last two consecutive days and they cover everything you need to know both about crewing a boat. Training takes place both on and off the water, with both theory and practical sessions. By the end of it you should have learnt enough to be awarded your RYA Competent Crew certificate so you can go sailing with confidence.

Absolutely! Most of our courses are aimed at those who have always 'fancied having a go' at sailing. A lot of clients sign up for RYA courses because they want to join friends and family who already sail, but we also have two hour and one-day taster sessions that give you a great value insight into sailing.

There are lots of different dinghies out there, but the most popular small training dinghies for training in are Pico, Wayfarer and Hartley boats. They're easy to handle, agile and responsive. Larger vessels used for training include Laser dinghies, again a very popular make of boat for beginners to learn how to sail.

Yes you can! There's something quite magical about setting sail on a tall ship. It evokes the bygone days of pioneering voyages across the high seas to discover new lands. Now you can join the deck of a fully restored tall ship and enjoy a short sail. You can be as hands-on as you like, or just kick back and relax. No qualifications are needed and all experiences are suitable for beginners, as there's always an experienced crew on board.

You can indeed charter your own private yacht for a little sailing expedition for you and you and your group. They make for a fabulous day out for families, groups of friends or even as a work outing with colleagues. For more info get in touch with us by 'phone, email or using the on-line chat window that appears when you're looking at any experience page.

Yes. We have specific learn to sail courses that are suitable for teenagers and younger kids. Children can also ride on some of the yacht charters as long as they are accompanied. Make sure you read the full details on each product to find all the age limits and requirements, as they do vary from location to location.

Sunset sails are a lovely way to sail. You set off after most of the daytime water users have left, meaning you get calmer conditions and, of course, the extra entertainment of watching the sun go down. Sheer bliss in anyone's book (and quite romantic too!).

On the dinghies it's usually one, two or three people per boat, with total group sizes varying, according to the number of instructors with you. Once you get going, the instructors might be out on a RIB in the water keeping an eye on you whilst you sail around.

Whilst it's not actually a legal requirement, the RYA recommends wearing a life jacket or buoyancy aid when on the water. In our experience, all water sports centres require you to wear safety gear that is provided for you. Any refusal to do so may result in you not being able to participate in the course.

That all depends on the size of the boat! Vintage barges can comfortably accommodate up to 50 passengers, whilst capacity on tall ships can typically be around 12 passengers plus crew. A 36ft ocean-going modern yacht will easily carry seven to 10 onboard, whilst a Pico dinghy could be just for two. Group sizes are all specified in the full details of each experience.