Client Experiences

I passed my coastal license in November 2018, coupled with a sea safety course. Then, in December, I took a heavy weather training course. Finally, in May 2019, I completed a 3-day private training session with Marc and 2 days alone as skipper.

Marc is an excellent instructor and very pedagogical. He strengthened my desire to become the master of my own boat.

The various scenarios during the different courses helped me a lot and taught me how to progress. The private training gave me what I wanted: autonomy.

Thank you, Marc, for all the teaching that brought me so much happiness and pleasure.

François-Xavier

With a friend from Paris, we spent a long weekend in La Rochelle where Marc offered a combined coastal boat license and safety training. This formula is simply ideal. It allows you to truly experience situations that often remain theoretical during standard training, such as distress flares and man-overboard recovery — with the added challenge of rough weather conditions. A special mention for the liferaft training: having the opportunity to deploy and use it during a course is incredibly instructive. I also learned a great deal about safety techniques, sailing handling and harbor maneuvers. Beyond Marc’s professionalism, rigor and kindness, what stood out most was his calmness and mastery — invaluable qualities aboard any boat. At the end of this great weekend, we passed the theoretical exam effortlessly — zero mistakes, we’re sure! And thus helped maintain Marc’s 100% student success rate. Thank you for everything, Marc! Gaétan

Hello Marc, this is Gilles NERAULT. I arrived safely in southern Corsica, in Porto Vecchio. After some unstable weather, the sun returned without the storm. I wanted to thank you for these great moments during the boat license training. Your kindness helped me relax, and I am very satisfied with the outcome. I wish you all the best, and if the winds ever bring you to southern Corsica, don’t hesitate to say hello. Fair winds. Best regards, Gilles

Thank you, Marc, for this unforgettable training! We particularly appreciated the privatization of our experience with personalized learning! This was incredibly important for us in the learning process. Your patience and calmness made us feel safe throughout this experience. The safety training in the middle of our session brought potential stresses to life, helping us understand how to concretely react to these situations. Thanks to you, we now feel confident! Thank you for everything! We look forward to seeing you again in the Caribbean!!! Sophie and Michaël

We had the opportunity to participate in a weekend safety session with Marc and 5 other trainees. An experience we will always remember. Marc is a very dedicated and skilled teacher, deeply involved in his work. He does not hesitate to put us in various situations. We highly recommend him for anyone wishing to sail on a sailboat. We covered safety topics that will make us feel more confident at sea. Thank you so much. Laura and Thomas

I just completed the offshore safety training with Marc.
I am going to be a crew member for a round-the-world race, the Ocean Globe Sailing.
I was looking for a course with an instructor who #1 has solid experience in the field of safety, #2 understands the challenges of safety at sea, and #3 is more focused on providing a rich experience to his students than on maximizing his profit.

In these three areas, Marc has been an exceptional instructor for me. If you want to better understand safety at sea, look no further.

Stephane

A big thank you, Marc, for your guidance during this week's Safety and Survival at Sea Training.
The proposed program perfectly met our expectations.
You put us in survival situations, confronted us with fire outbreaks or water ingress requiring evacuation of the vessel, etc.
These are scenarios we would never have the chance to practice without your expertise.

Additionally, these two days were an opportunity to benefit from your experience as a sailor.
You shared many tips and ideas with us that will help us optimize safety on our boat.

A training course truly focused on practice and a great atmosphere.

Amazing experience!
Highly recommended!

Two days of madness, happiness, and unforgettable memories made possible thanks to the great professionalism of Marc and Cyril, their kindness, and their availability.
If we had to do it again, we’d choose the same team and start all over.

Sidonie

I discovered offshore sailing later in life, and for the past five years, I’ve been making up for lost time by traveling long-term with my wife for more than five months a year.
With experience, I’ve learned a lot and improved my mastery of navigation. For me, the key word for sailing with peace of mind is anticipation.

Last summer, in southern Sardinia, I met a couple of sailors I had encountered two years earlier in Portugal, who had just narrowly escaped a shipwreck after a collision with a UFO (Unidentified Floating Object).
Their story chilled me, and I realized that in the event of abandoning the boat, anticipation alone is no longer enough.
But how can one remain effective in "reaction mode," knowing that under intense stress, you lose 50% of your judgment capacity?

Marc’s safety coaching, with real-life scenarios and repeated exercises, provided me with the information I was missing.
Marc’s professionalism met my expectations, and his good humor was a bonus.

In my opinion, an essential and ultimately reassuring training.

Jacques and Sabine

We have been sailing for several years on friends' boats and have gained experience and good skills—or so I liked to believe.
We decided to buy a boat but wanted to enhance our knowledge first with a sea safety course.
The one provided by a pro like Marc allowed us to go beyond our expectations. Learning and practicing life-saving actions are absolutely essential for any responsible sailor.

Over three days, we faced the most stressful situations on a boat, and the professional advice, the patience of the instructor, and the seriousness of the coaching allowed us to be effective while remaining calm—an achievement for us.
All of this happened in good spirits, despite rough seas with winds between 20 and 35 knots.

In short, this course should be reimbursed by health insurance because it’s that indispensable.
Thank you to Marc and Antoine, his assistant, for their hospitality, teachings, and kindness.

Sincerely,
Max and Dany

A huge thank you to Marc for this high-quality course. A course that should be mandatory for every skipper or any attentive and curious crew member who cares about the safety of their boat and the people on board.
Never forget that the sea and the ocean are not easy environments, where dangers are numerous.
One solution to face them: learn to understand them, learn to experience them calmly—this is what Marc offers.
That’s why I recommend this course to all my sailor friends.

In a safe environment where everyone shares their experience and goals, without judgment, just for the joy of sailing, while staying humble and aware of potential dangers.
Moreover, Marc reignited my dreams of distant voyages. Now all that’s left is... to set sail.

Christine

A very enriching training experience just weeks before our big departure!
Marc is an extremely well-trained individual who gave us invaluable advice to approach our year-long navigation safely.
It was exactly what we were looking for, as we wanted very hands-on training (survival suit, fire-starting, man-overboard maneuvers, liferaft, etc.).
We even regret not doing it earlier because every sailor should take this training — and not just once!
We will definitely come back to refresh the techniques we learned!
We recommend it 200%! Fair winds...

Pauline and Julien

Infornav is not a traditional sailing club or nautical center. It is primarily focused on safety. I took part in a full man-overboard training day with Marc, working on approach techniques and recovery methods. As I was nearing the end of my sailing instructor training with the French Sailing Federation, I felt it was essential to work on this topic, which requires preparation and rapid decision-making. We practiced man-overboard scenarios on a beautiful RM sailboat, including: - Recovery under engine - Recovery under sail - Use of safety equipment: horseshoe buoy, survival suit, rescue sling, self-inflating buoy, VHF, and more. This training gave me confidence for my first instructional assignments and allowed me to approach this risk with much greater assurance. Marc is a true professional, and his feedback and advice are extremely relevant.

A training and advanced sailing course that should be mandatory for anyone wishing to practice cruising. To learn how not to burn yourself with a distress flare. To experience the overwhelming solitude of a person overboard waiting for rescue. To understand the panic of launching a liferaft you forgot to secure. But above all, to benefit from the advice of an outstanding skipper. Thank you, Marc.

A complete beginner in cruising sailboats — apart from past experience in dinghy sailing, sea kayaking and windsurfing — I decided to accelerate and structure my learning process. Marc offered us an extremely intense two-day safety course, during which I learned more than I would have in an entire week. It was physically demanding, but above all mentally challenging. After demanding man-overboard exercises (including women overboard!), liferaft procedures and capsized raft recovery, I will never again prepare a long voyage — or even a simple weekend trip — in the same way. Coming from a mountain background, I believed the sea was more forgiving. I was mistaken, and those two days near the coast made it very clear, even in relatively manageable conditions. The sea is like the mountains: a hostile environment where survival is never guaranteed. The survival suit exercise, during which I voluntarily entered the water and waited for rescue, was particularly revealing — showing how stressful and physically draining such situations are, even when you know help is coming. Marc is both active and calm, friendly yet rigorous. He trusts people and inspires confidence. He embodies both knowledge and know-how with great elegance. We never wasted a second, while never feeling rushed. The presence of a nautical consultant added invaluable insight. This is a course everyone should take before heading out on any boat. Thank you so much, Marc, for your kindness and intelligence. My sincere congratulations.

Marc taught me to love the sea, to appreciate it and, above all, never to underestimate it. The sea can offer wonderful and unforgettable experiences, but it requires responsibility — towards our crew, our boat and ourselves. He is one of the best instructors I have ever met. His technical skills, professionalism, natural teaching ability and interpersonal skills are outstanding. I strongly encourage everyone to take part in one of his excellent courses. Very few survival and safety trainings offer such realistic, hands-on situations. You are simply top-class — and that comes from a newly certified Yachtmaster Offshore after many weeks of training. A huge thank you, because thanks to you, I truly started my sailing journey. Kind regards.

Thank you Marc for this sailing course which fully met our expectations. We are leaving with a strong set of practical skills that allow us to approach our project with much greater confidence. Thank you for helping us understand the importance of safety at sea and for sharing all the practical tips drawn from your professional experience. We spent two intense but extremely rewarding days and came out stronger from it. Man overboard procedures, heaving-to, life raft, safety equipment, heavy-weather sailing techniques… outstanding professionalism. See you again very soon.

Before deciding to charter a sailboat to share cruising experiences with family and friends, I wanted to strengthen my knowledge of maritime safety. I therefore contacted Marc to attend a weekend training course organized by Infornav. The comprehensive program covered harbor maneuvers, reefing, heaving-to, deployment of a sea anchor and trailing devices. The weekend focused heavily on man-overboard recovery techniques. Thanks to Marc’s strong background as a rescue professional, we addressed rarely taught topics such as immediate medical care after recovery and hypothermia management. I also appreciated the personalized written feedback sent by email the very next day, allowing me to clearly identify strengths and areas for improvement. Marc’s good humor, shared experiences and sea stories made this weekend both enriching and highly convivial.

If you want to become a responsible sailor INFORNAV is where you want to go. Marc is an incredible expert who will teach you everything from undocking and docking an heavy boat even in windy conditions. Not only you will learn how to manoeuvre safely but also everything from basic stuff up to sailing like an expert. This includes sails fine tuning whatever the wind conditions will be as well as mooring techniques even in not so easy situations. Marc is also a very calm and cool person who will never yell at you whatever mistake you make. Except when it could have bad consequences he will let you make a mistake, then explain you the consequences and show you with great details what the right thing to do was. INFORNAV offers different training formulas but IMO it definitively worths going for the personalised solo “Sailing Autonomy Training” which will give you real confidence in your ability to sail safely even short-handed. Compare to classical sailing schools it is for sure a bit more expansive but it’s definitively best value for money. Last but not least Marc is also an incredible host who will everlastingly taking care of your comfort at sea. To make a long story short it was from far the best training I ever had.

Autonomy training + safety course An excellent week-long training during which, thanks to Marc's great professionalism, experience, and tailored teaching approach, we were able to refine our skills and discover many new techniques. The boat, very well-equipped and designed to offer comfort and maximum safety onboard, handles the sea well and is a real pleasure to maneuver. Marc is an outstanding instructor who expertly guides us throughout the training. This allowed us to achieve and even exceed our goals. We highly recommend this course to anyone looking to deepen their knowledge and become autonomous on a sailboat.

Individual "Sailing License" training completed in May 2023. Not exactly a beginner in sailing but primarily navigating a small sailboat on inland waters and some sea outings (rentals), I really wanted to build confidence and improve my skills, both in practicing sea sailing and understanding the marine environment and all it entails (winds, tides, navigation and boat preparation, waves, swells, joys, and dangers... (the safety course being a real bonus for this.) Marc is truly a very friendly person, attentive, always smiling, and with the right words to help you progress toward your goal. He is a passionate and highly skilled instructor with multiple talents who knows how to teach without pushing but with conviction, highlighting areas for improvement while also discussing positive points... (He notices everything!) It was a real pleasure, paired with evident progress. As for me, my objective was achieved! I will not hesitate to call on his services again for offshore navigation, as well as for his advice and expertise when purchasing my next sailboat. Once again, a big thank you for everything!

With my partner, we discovered Infornav and Marc through the internet and previous reviews, so now it's our turn to share.
In 2021, we started considering the somewhat crazy project of embarking on a "maybe around-the-world" sailing adventure in 2023.
With some scattered experiences, we wanted a more specific and personalized support that matched our level and project.
Marc met all our needs perfectly.
We opted for the "sailing license" package, which allowed us to spend 5 consecutive days sailing, gaining confidence, and then trying out our first navigation in total autonomy.

Unlike other sailing courses, it was just the two of us.
We also took the safety and port maneuvering courses, which seemed essential for such a project.

Today, we are more than happy owners of a Dufour 42, which we have recently started sailing on independently.
We could talk for hours about our experience with Marc and Infornav, but here's one piece of advice: really don't hesitate to trust him and trust yourself.

To you, Marc, an enormous thank you for your teaching, calmness, professionalism, invaluable advice, and kindness.
We sincerely hope to cross paths with you again, here or elsewhere, under different winds.

All the best to you and Infornav, and thank you once again.
Achraf, Lorene on Taiyou.

Thank you, Marc, for your teaching and expertise.
Experiencing real conditions is the best way to learn.
Highly recommended++

We had a wonderful time with Marc during a sunset cruise.
The boat is very comfortable.
It was a fantastic experience to celebrate my birthday.
The sunset was magical!

Thank you again, Marc, for this outing.
I highly recommend it for a cruise, a day trip, or, like us, a sunset outing for an unforgettable aperitif!

We completed the "Port Maneuvers" course with my wife on June 14, and applied it by the end of June during a week-long cruise in Corsica.
The value of the course is undeniable: it gave us a method, knowledge about the boat's behavior (including propeller walk), and practice.
Since then, we approach motorized maneuvers with confidence, and all maneuvers have become seamless (entering and securing the mooring line in Calvi port with 25 knots of wind after a challenging navigation, which went perfectly).
Regarding the course itself: it’s a fantastic day (great to do as a couple, it’s really enjoyable).
Marc is rigorous and a great teacher.
He adapts well to each trainee's needs, and everything happens in a good atmosphere.
The day is entirely dedicated to maneuvering in different conditions; it’s truly instructive.
Thank you very much. Highly recommended, either to take yourself or as a gift.
Christel & Vincent

My Dehler 42c, Baccara, is my sixth sailboat, and for 44 years, I had never entrusted my boat to anyone. That says a lot about the apprehension I felt when handing it over to you, someone I didn’t know.
It is with great pleasure that I thank you for bringing it back from Lisbon to La Turballe as if you were moving it from one pontoon to another, simply preserving the equipment.
Thank you also for the regular updates, which quickly reassured me about your skills and those of your crew.
I found my boat just as I entrusted it to you, and I’m setting off on a cruise tomorrow.
Thank you again, and see you soon.
Carlos

An excellent day of theory and practical port maneuvers. Marc is very pedagogical, sharing his knowledge and experiences while adapting to all levels and addressing each person's challenges.
A course to take whether you're a novice or a regular sailor with some deeply rooted bad habits.
Nick

These few days have been very educational for us; we greatly appreciated your patient teaching style and learned a lot as a result.

The choice we made a few months ago to do this on our own boat was very relevant, and we don’t regret it, especially since the weather was perfect... For our needs!

We will strongly recommend your expertise to those around us when the opportunity arises.

Hugs
Nadine and Rodolphe

I had always dreamed of sailing the seas. I imagined myself cutting through the waves like a young sailor, spinnaker filled, aboard a catamaran or trimaran. Coming from a windsurfing background, sailing had remained a distant dream for many years. With Marc, my son and I experienced something very different from the comfort of a nautical base or yacht club. It was demanding, intense and truly a school of sport. We were not sailing in sheltered waters. We departed from Kourou in French Guiana towards Martinique — the beginning of Marc’s great voyage to New Caledonia. I quickly realized that pleasure sailing is not always welcoming. For four days and nights, I was severely seasick, barely eating or drinking and unable to contribute. Yet during those moments, I fully grasped Marc’s capabilities and strong sense of responsibility. What followed was an extraordinary journey. I discovered a skipper of rare professionalism, always focused on safety — undoubtedly shaped by his 15 years as a Paris firefighter. I will never thank you enough, Marc, for this unforgettable month-and-a-half sailing adventure. François

My family and I, freshwater sailors from Switzerland and complete beginners, arrived without any real understanding of offshore sailing or life on board with a skipper. This was our very first sailing and rigging course. Monohulls, multihulls, trade winds — we only knew these concepts from magazines and adventure stories. Then we embarked with Marc for a few days in the Canary Islands aboard an Oceanis 393 for a discovery cruise. And that is when everything changed. It was a revelation. We caught a strange and lasting virus: the irresistible desire to start again, to continue exploring, and to learn even more. Thanks to Marc — his kindness, humor and mastery of navigation — we experienced something truly exceptional. We learned a tremendous amount, laughed a lot and met an extraordinary person. Am I exaggerating? If you knew Marc, you would say exactly the same. Simply put: thank you, Marc, and we hope our paths cross again soon. The Swiss crew.

We spent an excellent week in a cruising school with Marc aboard our own boat, enjoying beautiful sailing in the Pertuis area. Highly professional and technically skilled, Marc guided us perfectly and designed an itinerary tailored to our preferences — especially taking into account our three children aged 9, 7 and 5. The children loved it and felt completely safe. As parents, we left the week with countless tips, a strong sense of confidence and the skills needed to start skippering our boat independently with our children. Thank you, Marc, and see you very soon for new adventures.

We were hoping for a real return to sailing after many years without practice. Thanks to Marc’s guidance, that goal was fully achieved. A weekend to breathe, focus on the sea, the wind and Marc’s advice. Even if the weather was cool, everything else was perfect, including a glimpse of Fort Boyard. Highly recommended for anyone who truly wants to sail and improve.

Marc accompanied us on our sailboat for our first offshore passage, from Malaga to Brest. Safety first: thorough inspection and final preparations before departure. During the first two days, Marc observed the boat’s behavior and then suggested adjustments we would never have considered. Suddenly, we gained two knots of speed. Day after day, without ever imposing himself, he taught us how to truly understand and operate our boat. Upon arrival in Brest, we were fully prepared to plan our future sailing in the English Channel, including tides and currents we had never encountered before. On top of that, Marc is a pleasant companion, making these nine days an unforgettable experience filled with good humor. Many thanks again.

To conclude this eventful year of 2015, I would like to pay tribute to Marc Hélary. I speak here as a former student, colleague and friend. I became a professional skipper two years ago and have trained with many instructors. On November 1st, I set off on an Atlantic crossing itinerary totaling 10,000 nautical miles over eight months. During boat preparation, night watches, reefing in heavy weather and countless challenges, I often thought of Marc: What would he have done? What advice would he have given? When you truly trust someone, their voice guides you even when they are not physically present. Marc also provided shore-based routing during the most delicate passages. His judgment is sound and his advice always accurate. For me, Marc embodies integrity and reliability, combined with a distinctive style of seamanship and unwavering rigor. These qualities, undoubtedly reinforced by his background as a Paris firefighter and his overseas experience, make him a reference in both teaching and professional sailing. He is someone you can trust completely.

Marc accompanied me for an entire day on my sailboat to help me improve my departures and arrivals in harbor, as well as the management of a typical coastal navigation day. Thanks to his practical approach and common sense, he enabled me to become autonomous very quickly by focusing on what truly matters when sailing. His experience and teaching skills make him a reliable professional in all circumstances. Highly recommended.

I am writing to thank you and to acknowledge your contribution during the delivery of my Amel 55 sailboat from the Canary Islands to France at the end of 2015. Weather conditions were challenging, with winds reaching 40 knots and very rough seas. I particularly appreciated: Your organizational skills in preparing the voyage: provisioning, watch planning, and boat preparation and improvements. Your technical knowledge and mastery of sail trimming, weather files analysis and routing to find the optimal course. Your strong focus on safety and its effective application. And of course, your good mood and your constant concern for maintaining harmony on board, without ever compromising the rigor that defines you. I hope your experience will benefit many others through your professional activity. You have my full gratitude. With friendship.

The project was ambitious: taking our entire family aboard a cruising sailboat, including our two young daughters aged 7 and 9, for a 12-day catamaran cruise off New Caledonia. For us, it was a magnificent yacht adventure, not a race but an extraordinary human and maritime experience. My husband and I already knew Marc well. His rigor, precision and professionalism allowed us to trust him completely. Sea conditions were not always easy, yet at no time did we doubt our safety on board. Instructions were clear and reassuring, and the boat was mastered at every moment. Marc guided each of us with kindness, patience and strong teaching skills, turning every crew member into a confident, efficient and serene sailor. The adventure proved to be fabulous, both technically and humanly. I warmly recommend Infornav.

I was coached by Marc during the handover of several boats. He is a true professional: patient, knowledgeable and fully in control of his subjects. His extensive experience as a sailor, combined with his expertise in maritime safety as a former Paris firefighter, gave me complete confidence. It is always a pleasure to benefit from and share his experience.

I had the chance to meet Marc three years ago, just after purchasing my new boat and moving up from 30 to 42 feet. I was not very confident at the time and needed support to properly take control of this new acquisition alongside a professional skipper. Marc and I sailed together for an entire week. Marc is not only an excellent sailor, passionate about seamanship and highly experienced, he is also a remarkable instructor. I learned a great deal from him and, above all, he helped me overcome the psychological barrier of helming and maneuvering a 42-foot boat on my own, including in harbors. Beyond that, I would like to say that while every sailor knows life on board is not always easy, sailing with Marc was an absolute pleasure. I can only strongly recommend him to anyone, whatever their level, who wishes to progress in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.