RYA practical courses

It is the sovereign right of every country to decide which certificates qualify you to sail in its waters. RYA, however, is universally recognised as the best certification for recreational sailors — not only for its famously uncompromising standard of training, but for the authority of a certificate issued by a British maritime power with a long history of yachting success and a teaching method honed into its most effective form over more than 150 years.

The RYA training scheme assumes you want to learn, so it has little need to restrict you. No limits on distance from shore — an RYA certificate records what you can do, not what you may not do. It does of course appeal to common sense: that you are aware of your limits and want to keep improving.

RYA instructors go through genuinely extensive training. Reaching that qualification is proof not only of a high standard of seamanship, but of a personality able and willing to pass on knowledge in a genuinely human, effective way. They also have to revalidate every 5 years, so what they teach is guaranteed to be current and technically correct.

RYA is also known for its emphasis on the quality of its training, and as the certification of a British maritime power it is accepted and recognised worldwide.

1. Genuinely individual attention – never more than 5 students on our practical courses
2. A strong emphasis on practice – every manoeuvre is fully in the students' hands; the instructor takes the helm only when it is unavoidable or to demonstrate
3. An emphasis on safety – your own and the whole crew's
4. Thorough drilling of not just the basic manoeuvres, but the emergency ones too
5. Logical procedures for each task, easy to master and easy to remember
6. Every activity and procedure in line with best sea practice

Rather like studying medicine — you become a “captain” after years of study and board certification, and a “skipper” after successfully completing a first-aid course. Out of respect for the education and knowledge of captains, we refer to the individual licences on this site as “skipper” qualifications — not least because our language has no other, more precise word for them. But what we are talking about here are the qualifications that entitle you to charter a recreational sailing yacht, much like the ones you know as “captain's” licences.

Every course description also lists the previous experience we recommend for it. If yours is enough for the level you have picked, you are welcome to sign up for it directly.

There is no formal exam on the RYA Day Skipper and RYA Coastal Skipper courses — it is what is known as an assessment. The instructor works through everything you need step by step, you evaluate and discuss your skills together, and on the basis of your progress and of reaching the required standard they decide at the end of the week whether to award the certificate. Because our instructors really are at the top of their field, the number of unsuccessful candidates is minimal.

For the RYA Yachtmaster certificate an external examiner joins the boat for the final 2 days of the course and sets complex tasks across every area a candidate has to master, awarding the certificate on the basis of how you complete them. All of that knowledge and skill is something you can acquire on our courses, both shorebased and practical.

To be awarded a practical certificate you need theory to the required level. Whether you already have it from previous experience or take a shorebased course with us is your decision. The advantage of studying the theory with us is that it can be done online from the comfort of home, and we recommend it above all for how clearly and efficiently it is put together — it includes illustrative animations, simulations and recordings, which works far better than studying from books on your own.

What we really do urge is that you arrive on the course already holding the theory you need, however you acquire it. Once you have a yacht at your disposal for practical training, it is a real shame to spend the time below decks over the theory.

The route you take is entirely up to you. But if you decide on RYA, you have a guarantee from the very start of quality, logical training built on acquiring practical skills. It also saves you from having to unlearn bad habits later in your sailing career. Why gamble when you can go with a sure thing?

Our school is not limited to skipper courses — we provide genuinely comprehensive training. Alongside RYA certified courses, our portfolio includes:

• Mile-building cruises in less-travelled parts of the world and in demanding conditions
• Specialist courses for emergencies – sea survival and first aid in remote areas
• Sail trim and sport sailing courses
• The chance to sail regularly, either on courses or on your own trips aboard the training yacht
• Corporate regattas, team-building days and recreational stays at the easily reachable Marina Liptov resort

Tell us what you would like and we will make it happen.