SAIL CRUISING

COURSES
Start your training with a course appropriate to your experience - you don’t have to start at the beginning.
Our recommended path through the courses is shown below.

Practical Skills Certificates of

Courses Level 1 Level 2 Competence
Afloat Start Sailing Basic Skills
RYA

Coastal
Cruising Start Competent Day Coastal
Courses
Afloat
Yachting Crew Skipper Skipper
RYA
Offshore

Navigation
Courses Essential Coastal Skipper/ RYA
Day Yachtmaster
Ashore Navigation Yachtmaster
Skipper Ocean Ocean
& Seamanship Offshore

Refer to the Certificates of

Competence leaflet
for details

Necessary completion of preceding course. Practical exam afloat.

Recommended progression. Oral exam ashore.
 SAIL CRUISING
COURSES
RYA sail cruising courses prepare you for anything from taking your first trip out of the marina to living on
board, cruising along the coast or venturing further offshore. They also equip professional skippers for the
exams needed to gain an RYA/MCA Certificate of Competence.

Course Assumed knowledge Course content Ability after the course Min Min
duration age
Sailing skills and Basic understanding of yacht
Level 1

Recommended
None manoeuvres handling under sail and relevant 16 hours 12
Start Sailing
background knowledge
SKILLS

Sailing skills to Start Sailing Sailing techniques and Able to sail a yacht as crew
Level 2 standard manoeuvres as crew and helm, and helm with a skipper on
Basic Skills slipping and coming alongside board in light winds 16 hours 12
under sail, sailing theory,
safety, sailing in tide or current

Start Introduction to sailing and Basic knowledge of yachting

Recommended
Yachting None 2 days 8
seamanship
Basic seamanship and Able to steer, handle sails, keep a
Competent helmsmanship, navigation lookout, row a dinghy and assist in
None 5 days 12
Crew and meteorology all the day to day routines
CRUISING

5 days,100 miles,4 night hours. Basic pilotage, boat Able to skipper a small yacht in
Day Navigation to Day Skipper handling, watch familiar waters by day Recommended
Skipper 5 days 16 books
Shorebased standard and basic organisation
sailing ability Yachtmaster ® Day Skipper
Scheme Practical
Syllabus and Course
15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 Skippering techniques for Able to skipper a yacht Logbook Notes
Coastal miles, 8 night hours. Navigation to coastal and offshore on coastal passages by
Skipper Coastal Skipper shorebased passages day and night 5 days 17
standard. Sailing to Day Skipper
standard
Day Skipper
Handbook
Sail

RYA training is
also available for: