Sailing Travel Insurance
Specialist cover for sailing activities inland and out to sea
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Cover for sailing limits beyond 12 miles
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Search and rescue for sailing
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Sailing regattas and flotilla trip cover
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What does sailing insurance cover?
Sailing travel insurance is designed for travellers heading abroad for a flotilla holiday, sailing course, regatta, yacht charter or offshore adventure.
Our full travel policy combines specialist sailing cover built-in with essential travel protection. Cover is available for inland and coastal sailing within 12 miles of the shore, with an offshore sailing option for trips further out to sea.
It can also cover amateur participation in regattas and flotilla events, subject to the policy terms.
Specialist sailing benefits can include sailing equipment cover and protection in the event of search and rescue. You will also find important travel protection, including emergency medical treatment and repatriation, trip cancellation and curtailment, baggage, personal accident, personal liability and more.
If sailing is exlcuded from your current travel policy, our sailing bolt-on can add activity cover for yacht charters, regattas, sailing holidays or a few days on the water during a wider trip.
Our policies provide three different types of cover: Sports travel insurance, Sports accident, and Activity Top-Up. Please ensure you select the most suitable cover for your activity, when you get a quote and always review your policy documents.
Sports equipment is excluded under our bolt‑on cover.
Only a summary of the policy’s coverage is presented on this page. Please refer to policy documents for full details of what is and what is not covered, when you get a quote.
How much does sailing insurance cost?
Your sailing travel insurance premium depends on factors such as your age, destination, trip length and the type of sailing you’re planning, from coastal cruising and flotilla holidays to offshore sailing or regatta participation.
The level of cover you choose, including higher equipment protection or increased cancellation limits, will also affect the price.
Medical treatment overseas or emergency evacuation from coastal or offshore locations can be extremely expensive without the right cover in place.
Review our example pricing and get a quote tailored to your sailing trip.
Quote example
£16.84**
Example quote is based on:
- Sport Selected Sailing (offshore)
- Sports Group Group 2
- Package Bronze
- Policy Single Trip Travel Policy
- Duration 2 days
- Destination Europe
- Emergency Medical Treatment £10,000,000
- Trip Cancellation £1,000
- Sports Equipment Cover £200
- See more benefits when you get a quote
**This example is based on a real quote from our website on 26/08/2026 for a 2-day, single trip, adult policy. It is shown for illustrative purposes only. If your circumstances or requirements differ, your quote may be higher or lower. The quote you receive will be based on the information you provide about your activities. Get a quote for pricing tailored to your requirements.
Why do you need sailing travel insurance?
Injuries abroad from accidents can be costly
Accidents on board and out to sea may require expensive overseas medical treatment.
Offshore emergencies need specialist support
Changing conditions when sailing, can lead to rescue or emergency assistance costs.
Disruption can impact the whole trip
Cancellation or curtailment can disrupt your sailing trip and may leave you out of pocket for pre-paid plans.
Our experts explain why…
“Sailing trips can involve changing weather, unfamiliar waters and time spent away from immediate help, so good preparation is essential.
Checking the forecast, using the right safety equipment and following local guidance can all help reduce the risks. Even so, accidents, travel disruption and offshore emergencies can still happen.
Our sailing travel insurance is designed for the realities of sailing abroad, with cover for emergency medical treatment, cancellation, delays, sailing equipment, search and rescue and other unexpected costs.
We’ve supported sailors across different disciplines for more than 30 years, so you can enjoy your time on the water knowing experienced help is there when you need it.”
Chris Trotman – Head of Sales & Underwriting at SportsCover Direct
Thousands rate how easy it is
We’ve refined our process to make buying sports insurance abroad simple but thorough, with cover designed around the activities you take part in, from training trips and competitions to active holidays overseas.
Our Claims Record
Average pay out for each insurance claim
£1,599.09*
How to make a claim
Choose your policy, find the forms you need
Download and complete forms
Submit your claims for review
A Recent Claim Example
“One of our policyholders required search and rescue while sailing in Greece. As they had taken out a Sailing policy, their claim was paid out to cover the search and rescue fees incurred.”
Total Paid Out
£1,924.72
Claim Type
Search and Rescue
Policy Type
Sailing Insurance
Incident
Search and Rescue
Policy Excess Applied
£90.00
Location
Greece
Disclaimer
*Data relates to all SportsCover Direct Insurance claims from Jan to Dec 2025 inclusive. Claim example from 2025.
Medical cover explained
We provide cover that considers your medical circumstances. Complete a medical declaration to ensure you’re properly protected, as part of the quotation process.*
*Please note, just because you’ve declared a medical condition or injury doesn’t mean it is automatically covered. The insurer needs to assess it first and will inform you by email if any terms apply.
Medical conditions must be declared
All pre-existing conditions considered
Cover available up to age 74
We'll review your details
Most declarations don't mean exclusion
Any terms will be confirmed by email
Browse covered sports and activities
You’ll find a wide range of water sports activities covered, you can add multiple activities to your policy, we cover over 500. Browse our extensive list.
- Aquathlon Insurance
- Canoeing Insurance
- Coasteering Insurance
- Cross Channel Swimming Insurance
- Free Diving Insurance
- Jet Skiing Insurance
- Kayaking Insurance
- Kitesurfing Insurance
- Open Water Swimming Insurance
- Rafting Insurance
- Rowing Insurance
- Sailing Travel Insurance
- Scuba Diving Travel Insurance
- Sea Kayaking Insurance
- Shark Cage Diving Insurance
- Snorkeling Insurance
- Stand Up Paddleboarding Insurance
- Sub Aqua Insurance
- Surfing Insurance
- Swimming Insurance
- Wakeboarding Insurance
- Water Polo Insurance
- Water Skiing Insurance
- Water Sports Travel Insurance
Why choose us
SportsCover Direct is a specialist insurance provider focused entirely on sport. For over 30 years, we’ve helped athletes, teams and organisations get the protection they need, whether they’re travelling, competing, or training abroad or in the UK.
Covering 500+ sports
Fast online quotes
Established over 30 years
UK-based support team
FAQs
Yes, we can cover offshore sailing but the underwriters have limited it to the North Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, English Channel, Bay of Biscay, Straits of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean Sea, between the Caribbean Islands (except in hurricane season), from the west coast of Morocco or south coast of Portugal to the Canary Isles, the Baltic Sea and between the islands off the coast of Norway(excluding the Svalbard Islands).
Yes, it’s possible to get sailing insurance with a pre-existing medical condition, however you must declare any pre-existing medical conditions to us at the time of purchasing the insurance or at the time of booking your trip, whichever is later.
Our policy may contain restrictions related to certain medical conditions. It’s crucial that you review the full policy wording for details on which conditions you need to declare.
Our standard insurance does not cover damage to chartered yachts. This is outlined in the personal liability section (Section 4) of our policy document, which specifically excludes liability for loss or damage to property belonging to or in your care, custody, or control.
Yes, we can cover participation in organised sailing events and races, provided you’ve selected the appropriate level of coverage and sport group. However, professional sports or activities are excluded from coverage.
While our sailing insurance doesn’t typically cover trip cancellation due to unfavourable weather, due to natural disaster or Government directive.
Our policy provides comprehensive coverage for injuries sustained while sailing. This includes:
- Emergency medical and hospital fees
- Repatriation costs if necessary
- Additional travel and accommodation expenses for a friend or relative to stay with you if required on medical advice.
For Sports Travel policy holders, there’s also a Personal Accident benefit which provides compensation for death or disablement resulting from an injury during the trip.
If you become severely ill due to seasickness and require medical treatment, our policy covers emergency medical expenses and repatriation costs. However, for trip curtailment, you would need to refer to Section 7a (for Sports Travel policy) or 7b (for Activity TopUp policy). These sections cover irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation expenses if you need to cut your trip short due to illness, subject to policy terms and limits.
Our sailing holiday insurance covers loss of or damage to your property up to the limit shown in the Policy Benefits section. To ensure coverage:
- Keep your belongings secure when possible.
- Report the theft to local authorities as soon as possible.
- Obtain a written police report.
- Contact our claims department to initiate the claims process.
Note that there are exclusions for valuables left unattended and for certain types of property. There is also a single item limit and a total limit for valuables.
In case of an emergency while at sea:
- Ensure immediate safety of all on board.
- Contact local coast guard or maritime rescue services if necessary.
- As soon as possible, call our 24/7 emergency assistance line (provided by International Medical Group – IMG)
- Follow the instructions provided by our emergency team.
Remember, for medical emergencies, you must contact the Assistance Provider as soon as possible. They must authorise any in-patient treatment, repatriation, or curtailment.
For any other questions about your sailing insurance coverage, please don’t hesitate to contact our customer service team.
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