Some people get yacht­ing all wrong. They think of it as the domain of a recession-proof, bonus-gobbling minority: Fred Good­win types or friends of George Osborne. In reality, sailing is now one of the most affordable ways to holiday in the Med.

With the cost of a boat spread between friends or family, the capacity to self-cater and no car rental to pay, your trip can work out much cheaper than staying at a hotel — and you’ll always have a room with a sea view.

Here is a second surprise for those tempted to give sailing a whirl: the Med is not just for peg-legged old salts. Many of those who will skipper their own yacht this summer have yet to lay hand on rudder in anger. They still think that sheets belong on beds, heads are the flip side of tails, and a painter is the bloke they’ve paid to top-coat the kitchen.

There is plenty of time to make 2009 the year you become a sailor. Here is our complete guide to choosing the right trip this summer, whether you’re wet behind the ears or soaked with high-seas experience.

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Unless stated, package flights are from Gatwick.

Where can I learn the ropes?

Learning to sail is much more enjoyable where the seas are calm and the weather is jolly. Think of the Med as one big, glorious classroom. The most popular entry point is a “stay and sail” holiday, on which you spend the first week on shore, being taught the basics, and the second at sea, skippering your own yacht as part of a flotilla.

It’s an ideal approach for a family, especially if the shore base has a children’s club where the little ’uns can enjoy week one in a frenzy of organised fun while the grown-ups go to school and do their lessons. Then everyone casts off together in week two.

Neilson takes 3,000 people a year on “stay and sail” fortnights at its four Greek beach clubs. A family of up to five spending a week at Sivota (with most meals and a full range of boaty and other activities), followed by a week on a 31ft yacht (meals extra), will pay £1,535 per adult in peak season, or 20% less for children aged 2-14. The price includes flights, but not the four-day sailing course, which costs between £180 and £220 per person.

Sunsail has a similar programme for learners at its beach club in Greece, although it condenses the teaching into three intensive days in week one, with the rest of the time free for loafing or other activities at your ­resort. A week in June starts at £849pp, half-board, including flights from Gatwick or Manchester. The sailing course costs £150 extra.

Sunvil offers learn-to-sail weeks in the Greek resort of Nidri, with a choice of “live-aboard” packages or accommodation on shore. A live-aboard week in June starts at £726pp, based on two people sharing a cabin and including flights and transfers, but not meals.

What if I’ve learnt the basics, but still feel a bit green?

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