SAIL Magazine’s seminar on sailing south for the winter is packed with essential tips from expert cruisers. Whether you’re looking at cruising down the ICW or sailing offshore, you’ll learn how to get to Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba and the Caribbean safely and enjoyably. Come join SAIL’s editors and experts like Nigel Calder, Paul and Sheryl Shard, Tom Hale, Peter Swanson and Andy Schell and Mia Karlsson on Sunday, October 9 at the Historic Inns of Annapolis.

Andy and Mia have sailed the length and breadth of the Caribbean and have a firm grasp of the region’s diverse cultures and the sailing conditions in the Windwards and Leewards. They also run the annual Caribbean 1500 rally from Virginia to Tortola, so there are none more qualified to answer questions about the run down to the Caribbean from the East Coast.

Tom Hale was co-leader of SAIL’s Snowbird Rally down the ICW in 2014 and 2015 and knows and loves the “Ditch” and all its charms and peculiarities. As former technical VP of the American Yacht and Boat Council (ABYC), he’s an expert on boat preparation and systems and will tell you exactly what you need to know for a successful cruise down this iconic waterway.

Paul and Sheryl Shard have sailed tens of thousands of miles filming their Distant Shores TV series and have spent months in the Bahamas getting to know every corner of these wonderful cruising grounds. Abacos or Exumas? Just ask them.

Peter Swanson and Nigel Calder will share their knowledge of the hottest new sailing destination, Cuba. Nigel wrote the definitive cruising guide to Cuban waters in the 1990s and has an abiding affection for the island and its people. Peter, former editor of Passagemaker magazine and a highly experienced cruising sailor, has run several rallies to Cuba this year and is totally up to date with the latest regulations and news.

Finally, don’t miss Nigel’s amusing and informative talk on how to set your boat’s energy systems up for extended cruising.

Sign up now for this info-packed seminar. We’ll throw in lunch, and there’ll be a Q&A session at the end.

To sign up, go to sailmagazine.com/sailingsouth