The Red Sea Atlas · Sailing
Sailing the Red Sea
One of the world’s great year-round sailing grounds: steady trade winds, warm clear water, and a coastline of anchorages that most sailors will never reach. Egypt’s sailing community is centred in El Gouna, where organised sailing training first took root.
The Red Sea corridor runs from the Suez Canal to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, over 1,900 kilometres of coastline with consistent northerly winds through most of the year, protected anchorages in the Sinai, reef-fringed bays in the deep south, and the kind of sailing weather that the Mediterranean charges extra for. Organised sailing training is still young here. Red Sea Sails is where it started.
Featured Club
The club that started it all
El Gouna
Red Sea Sails
IYT Accredited · Official Hanse Yachts Representative · Abydos Marina, El Gouna
Red Sea Sails is the first IYT-accredited sailing school on the Egyptian Red Sea. Based at Abydos Marina in El Gouna, the fleet of three offshore-capable yachts runs IYT-certified courses from entry level through flotilla skipper. Private charter runs alongside, from an afternoon out to week-long passages south.
Beyond training and charter, Red Sea Sails brings the fleet together through regattas and events along the coast, from El Gouna down to Soma Bay, the connective tissue of a growing sailing community on the Egyptian Red Sea.
Red Sea Sails is also the official Hanse Yachts representative in Egypt. The same boats you charter or train on are available to buy, and IYT certificates earned here are valid in 25 countries and recognised by maritime authorities, charter companies, and insurance providers worldwide.
Atlas Note
Sailing on the Egyptian Red Sea existed long before Red Sea Sails. What they add is a way in: IYT-certified training that gets new sailors on the water with a recognised qualification, and events that bring the fleet together. If you want to learn to sail here, or spend time on the water without running it yourself, this is where to start.
The Fleet
Three yachts, one coastline
Hanse 385
Sernaka
Length
15m
Cabins
3
Guests
6–8
Built
2013
Available for charter · El Gouna
Varianta 44
Tawila
Length
13.3m
Cabins
4
Guests
8–10
Built
2013
Available for charter · El Gouna
Varianta 37
Malahi
Length
11.27m
Cabins
3
Guests
6–8
Built
2015
Available for charter · El Gouna
IYT Sailing School
Learning to sail properly
IYT is the world’s largest provider of recreational yachting certificates. Qualifications earned at Red Sea Sails are valid in 25 countries and accepted by charter companies and maritime authorities internationally.
International Crew Course
Entry LevelThe starting point. Covers fundamental sailing skills, boat handling, safety at sea, and crew responsibilities. No prior experience required.
International Bareboat Skipper
AdvancedTake command and navigate independently. Completion automatically qualifies you for the International Certificate of Competence (ICC), recognised in 25 countries.
International Flotilla Skipper
AdvancedLead a group of yachts across an extended passage. The qualification for sailors who want to organise and skipper multi-boat expeditions.
VHF / SRC Marine Communication
CertificationShort Range Certificate for VHF marine radio. Required for anyone sailing offshore or skippering a charter vessel in international waters.
Yacht Charter
On the water, your way
Private crewed charters on three offshore-capable yachts. The skipper handles the boat. You handle the itinerary. Day trips to the reef, overnight passages south, or a week on the water with stops nobody else reaches.
Day Sailing
Half or full day on the water out of El Gouna. Reef snorkeling, visits to Sha'ab El Erg (Dolphin House), open-water sailing and swimming stops. Everything included.
Overnight & Multi-Day
Extended itineraries along the Egyptian coast: island camping under open sky, anchoring in protected lagoons and passage sailing between El Gouna, Marsa Alam and Sharm.
Specialty Experiences
Unusual combinations that only work on the Red Sea, like sailing days paired with kitesurfing sessions or yoga on deck at anchor. Flexible itineraries built around what you want.
Every charter includes
Plan Your Voyage
Get in touch with Red Sea Sails
Abydos Marina, El Gouna. Enquire directly about course dates, charter availability, and yacht sales.
+20 122 035 5550 · WhatsApp available
Cruising Guide · The Log
Cruising the Egyptian Red Sea: A Practical Guide
When to go, where to base, how clearing in actually works, the cruising grounds north to south, and the reef navigation discipline this coast demands. The groundwork before you charter or sail your own keel.
Wind Guide · The Log
The Red Sea Wind: Why It Blows, Where It Blows
The meteorology behind the northerly gradient, the Gulf of Aqaba funnel, seasonal shifts, and what the Khamsin means for passage planning. Essential reading before a Red Sea passage.
Keep reading, and open the whole Atlas.
A free account opens the full Atlas: sailing schools and charter operators, the marine life library, the incident log, and member reports. Free to join, always.
Join free to keep reading