Lake Balaton Sailing School, Hungary

Post: Rákóczi street 16. IX/59., 8000 Székesfehérvár

Kovács Péter +36 20 436-9645

Internet: www.vitorlasiskola.hu

E-mail: vitorlasiskola@axelero.hu


"Lake Balaton Sailing School" offers sailing courses and special sailing cruises. Our school is based on Lake Balaton, in town of Balatonalmádi, only 120 minutes from Budapest.


Our offer:

Our Sailing School meets the standards set by the Hungarian Yacht Racing Union.

We can teach you sailing -speaking English, German and Italian- on Lake Balaton (basic and advanced sailing course) and the Adriatic Sea (special sea-sailing courses with Croatian Sailing Licence). We can take you, your friends and your family around the lake Balaton on our 1, 2, and 5 days cruises or 6 days Adriatic cruises meanwhile you have the possibility to learn sailing skills.

Lake Balaton is the biggest lake of Central Europe with a surface of 600 km2. A wonderful shallow lake, (3-4m), hilly on the northern side, nearly plain on the southern shore. The western part of the northern side is a National Park with small old villages, basalt hills of dead volcanoes giving habitat for many rare and protected species. The volcanic soil, the special climate of summer heat and long, sunny autumn has created a world-famous vine area around the lake. The moderate wind conditions, the shallow and warm water of the lake make Balaton an ideal place for sailing courses.

Motorboats are prohibited on the lake since the seventies, holidaymakers and hobby sailors enjoy their time in peace. Sailing has traditions, the first Yacht Club was founded nearly 150 years ago. Sailing around the lake you will find familiar marinas at nearly every village.

Our staff:

Kovács Péter (1975)

Sailing coach and instructor, speaks in English and Italian


Õsz Adrienn (1974)

Dealing with organisation, guide on board (native Balatonian) speaks in German and Italian. Our partner on the Adriatic Sea:


Gál József

Made two circumnavigations around the World, leader of Equator Charter


Our boats:

Cruising sloops (on Lake Balaton):

"Dolphin 26" (Dutch type) 26 feet, 2000 kgs, 6 persons 5 beds

Dinghies

"Pirate"-yolles (2-3 persons)

And our partner Equator Charter on Adriatic Sea

"Equator 44" type sailing boat

Why with us?

Our instructors are experienced, friendly and lively, speaking together 4 different languages. We have many experiences to teach sailing for beginners, holidaymakers, advanced sailors and children. Our boats are well equipped, clean, safe for any weather conditions. Our fees are modest and containing everything (accommodation, harbour and skipper fees, cleaning, meals of our children camp, etc. No hidden extra fees!)

Place of embarkment:

For tourists we recommend our 1, 2, and 5 days Balaton-cruises. Depending on your time they are perfectly suitable for getting know the beautiful lake and its romantic surrounding. You can also learn sailing or make better your existing knowledge.

Offers for 2005

Our Sailing Courses -basic and advanced levels:

We developed a 2-grade instruction system, the first grade for beginners and a second grade for those who feel confident in normal wind conditions .

About the Sailing Licences:

Considering the Sailing Certificate for Lakes:

If your purpose is having the sailing licence for lakes and rivers we suggest you to get it in your home country. The exam system has changed completely in Hungary last year (new laws, a number of new questions, etc.) and the official new foreign language course-books are not ready yet. You can take our courses, we teach you sailing but till the new books are not issued, we do not organize exams for foreign students.

Considering the Sailing Certificate for Sea

We organize 6 days sailing courses for those who have the basic sailing knowledge. If You do not have the skill from your home country we teach you at our sailing courses on Lake Balaton. On the Adriatic we learn you practical knowledge: the skill of sea-sailing, harbour and anchor maneovres, navigation, GPS and VHF-handling, Rules of the Road, Meteorology, etc. We sail about 250 seamiles in 6 days and we prepare you for the Croatian Sailing Exam, and on the 5th days of the sailing course you have the possibility to take the exam.

Our Cruises

“Around The Lake”

5 days


1st day:

Meeting at 10:00 at Balatonalmádi. After the welcome drink we take up our quarters in our cabins, geting know each other and the boat. We start sailing at 13:00 into the direction of Tihany-peninsula. We try manoeuvres, swim and have the lunch on anchor. About 18:00 we reach the little harbour of Tihany. We climb up to the 950 years old Abbey of Tihany for sightseeing.


2nd day

We set sails early in the morning and pass in the Straight of Tihany. This is an interesting nautical manoever because the straight is narrow, shallow and 3 ferry travelling between the peninsula and the "mainland". After this adventure we catch sight the volcanic hills of the northern side. Our destination today is Badacsony, famous of its white wines (the sweet "Wine of Ladies" and the dry Wine of Grey Monk) we climb up to the hill an old "vinoteka" to try them. The basalt hill has an unforgettable geological form with vineyards and green vegetation.


3rd day

This day gives us a lot of sailing and swimming possibility; we will cover a long distance. In the morning we sail near to the nice northern hills, we will see the romantic castle of Szigliget on a lonely hilltop - an important fortress with navy harbour during the medieval fights against Turks. After the Bay of Keszthely we turn to the southern side of the Lake and before nightfall we reach Balatonlelle.


4th day

After the good work of yesterday we have to take a shorter etap today. Our destination is Balatonföldvár, the bigest marina of Balaton. In the middle of the harbour there is a small island, the places for guest boats are here. We take a walk in the beautiful small city. Tonight the captain invite you for a dinner, he cooks a stew and offers local wines and his own apple-brandy.


5th day

The participants can manage the boat by their own across the famous Straight. We cross the lake to the northern side. By this time everyone is familiar with the steering and basic manoeuvres, we take a "final exam" and swim, then reach Balatonalmádi at about 17-18:00.

Prices: adult HUF 85 000; children (till age 16) HUF 60 000


Shorter cruises:


How do I book?

Bookings should be made in writing on our booking form (we send you by fax or mail) and accompanied by a deposit -via bank transfer- of HUF 30 000 per person. We will accept provisional bookings by telephone and will normally hold them for 7 days. The signed booking form must then be returned to our office.

Payment

Within 3 days of receipt of your booking you will be sent confirmation of your course. The final balance is due at arrival.

Cancellation

If the student wishes to cancel the course, it must be done in writing and will be effective from the date it is received by us. If they cancel 21 days before, the total sum (with deposit) will be refund. The guest will be liable for the full fee unless cancelled more than 7 days before the course whereby only the deposit will be forfeited.


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