Sailing Courses

You will need to start a sailing course appropriate to your current level of experience, you do not have to start at the beginning.

Start Yachting

Pre-course experience: None
Assumed knowledge: None

Course content: The yacht, ropework, underway, rules of the road, man overboard recovery, clothing and equipment, emergency equipment and precaution, meteorology
Ability after the course: Basic knowledge of yachting
Min duration: 2 Days
Minimum age: None

The RYA Start Yachting course is a two-day fun introductory course to sailing for complete beginners.

Start Yachting Course

From 399 €

Course dates and booking

Competent Crew

Pre-course experience: None
Assumed knowledge: None

Course content: Knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails, sail handling, ropework, fire precautions and fighting, personal safety equipment, man overboard, emergency equipment, meteorology, seasickness, helmsmanship, general duties, manners and customs, rules of the road, dinghies
Ability after the course: Able to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy, and assist in all the day to day routines.
Min duration: 5 Days
Minimum age: None

The RYA Competent Crew is a fun course for beginners and those who would like to become active crew members rather than just passengers. Virtually all the course is hands on. You are the crew – without you the sails won’t go up and the boat won’t be steered!

Competent Crew

From 995 €

Course dates and booking

Day Skipper

Pre-course experience: 5 days,100 miles,4 night hours onboard a sailing yacht.

Assumed knowledge: Theory to the level of Day Skipper. It is highly recommended that you attend a Day Skipper Theory course.
Course content: Preparation for sea, deck work, navigation, pilotage, meteorology, rules of the road, maintenance and repair work, engines, victualling, emergency situations, yacht handling under power, yacht handling under sail, passage making, night cruising.
Ability after the course: Able to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day
Min duration: 5 Days
Minimum age: 16

The RYA Day Skipper Sail training course teaches pilotage, navigation, seamanship and boat handling to the standard required to skipper a small sailing yacht up to 24 meters safely by day in (non tidal) waters with which the student is familiar.

Day Skipper Course

From 995€

Course dates and booking

Coastal Skipper Sail

Pre-course experience: a minimum of 15 days seatime, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours
Assumed knowledge: Boat handling to the standard of Day Skipper and navigation shorebased Coastal Skipper
Course content: Passage planning, preparation for sea, pilotage, passage making and ability as skipper, yacht handling under power and sail, adverse weather conditions, emergency situations
Ability after the course: Able to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night
Min duration: 5 Days
Minimum age: 17

The RYA Coastal Skipper practical course is the steppingstone between Day Skipper and the full RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence.

Students should have theory knowledge to the level of RYA Coastal Yachtmaster and preferably hold a RYA Day Skipper Practical Course completion certificate. The course is aimed at enhancing existing skippering skills so it is important you are a competent sailor.

Coastal Skipper

1395 €

Course dates and booking

Yachtmaster Conversion

Holders of the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence in a particular discipline (sail or power) are eligible for a “discount” in terms of the mileage and sea time that is required for the exam in the other discipline.

The exam that will be undertaken by the candidate is a full exam, however the fact that the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence in one discipline, means that we can accept a reduced amount of mileage and sea time in the discipline for which they will now be examined.

The sea time shown below must be in the discipline in which you are to be examined (sail or power). All qualifying sea time must be within 10 years prior to the exam.

Yachtmaster Coastal

12 days at sea
Minimum of 400 miles
2 days as skipper
12 night hours

Yachtmaster Offshore

25 days at sea
Minimum of 1250 miles
3 days as skipper
3 passages over 60 miles including 1 overnight and 1 as skipper

It is essential that candidates for any exam be fully conversant with the entire syllabus relating to the relevant type of vessel (sail or motor) and that they have adequate experience to be confident in the capacity of skipper of that type of craft.

Note: As of 1st July 2021 shortened conversion exams from sail to power and power to sail are no longer available.

Yachtmaster Conversion

Course dates and booking

Sailing Courses

Start Yachting

Start Yachting Course

Yachtmaster Coastal

Yachtmaster Offshore

Yachtmaster Ocean