How NED can teach you to sail - at home

8:31 PM Tue 11 Aug 2009 GMT

'NED graphic example - the right-of-way rules' .

Want to brush up on your sailing skills without the possibility of getting wet? Or maybe you have a friend who would like to start from scratch? NauticEd (or NED for short) might be the answer to your dreams.

The online company has many classes teaching basic to advanced sailing techniques.

For novices, NauticEd has developed a fun interactive sailing instruction game that teaches the relationship between wind angle and the set of the sails. The student must quickly adjust the set of the sails to maximize the speed of the boat around a racecourse.

For advanced sailors, NauticEd has courses such as Manoeuvring Under Power, Sail Trim, Weather, Celestial Navigation, Coastal Navigation, and Bareboat Chartering. At the conclusion of each course, the student takes a real-time test and is awarded a certificate.

NED graphic example - .. .

Founder Grant Headifen says he developed NauticEd for today's generation of sailors; those who want the education delivered to them in a convenient and multimedia format, who are used to online learning and for those whose recreational time is at a premium.

There's a basic 'Right-of-way' class that is absolutely free, and will allow you to brush up on those important right-of-way rules. The normal cost of a course is around US$40, except for the skipper course, which is a little dearer.

NED is also ideal for those long winter days when sailing simply isn't an option. For more information, visit www.NauticEd.org

by Adam Loory, UK-Halsey Sailmakers