RYA Sailing School

Sail Training at Hamble Point Yacht Charters

We offer RYA practical sailing courses, theory courses, and other tuition, sailing on one of the comfortable boats from our fleet.

See our current scheduled courses.

We specialise in crafting our training to your needs and offer two distinctly different routes:

Tailor-Made Tuition:

• Let us tailor-make your tuition for you. We will discuss your objectives with you to ensure that the content and timing of the course fit your requirements. You will book the yacht of your choice from our fleet at the time that you desire and our instructor will join you on board with any other persons with whom you have chosen to sail. The tuition will typically be run for small groups of friends or family who wish to learn together – own boat tuition without the need to own a boat!

Scheduled Courses:

• Join one of our scheduled courses with a maximum of four participants. Our courses run over six days or over two 3-day weekends, instead of the usual five days, ensuring space, comfort, time to practice and full attention from the instructor.

Our superb instructors can provide instruction for different RYA qualifications within the same group:

• Maximum of four participants
• Larger groups possible on request of whole group
• Courses run over six days or 2x3 days, ensuring space, comfort, time to practice and full attention from the instructor
• Instruction for different RYA qualifications possible within the same group.

Which courses or what type of tuition can we provide?

The following courses can be provided either as Tailor-Made Tuition or as a Scheduled Course:

Private Tuition

2012 Pricing

All-inclusive 6-day Scheduled Courses, maximum 4 students:

• £695.00 per person (April to October)
• £525.00 per person (November to March)

All-inclusive 2x3-day weekend Scheduled Courses, maximum 4 students:

• £295x2 per person (total £590, November to March)

Tailor-Made Tuition:

Priced according to length of course, number of people and yacht selected.  Please contact us for further details.

Overview of RYA Sailing Courses and Examinations

RYA qualifications are known and respected the world over. The RYA works constantly to ensure that the highest standards are maintained. We are a fully recognised RYA training centre offering the full range of RYA sail cruising courses.

International Certificate of Competence (ICC)

A legal requirement in most European countries other than the UK providing evidence of your ability to skipper a yacht.  Your competence can be tested over a couple of days.  Holders of the Day Skipper Practical (tidal) certificate are automatically entitled to apply for an ICC without further assessment.

Start Yachting

A short introduction to sailing for complete beginners.

By the end of the course you will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board. Holders of the Start Yachting certificate can go on to complete the Competent Crew course in a reduced time of three days or two weekends.

Minimum course duration: 2 days

Competent Crew

A course for beginners and those who would like to become active crew members rather than just passengers. You are the crew – without you the sails won’t go up and the boat won’t be steered.

By the end of the course you should be a useful crew member, able to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy and assist in all the day to day duties on board.

Minimum course duration: 5 days. Often run over 3 weekends or 3 days plus a weekend. If you have done the Start Yachting course, this course can be completed in 3 or 4 days.

Day Skipper

A course for aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills.

Learn to skipper a short passage with the instructor on hand to give advice and encouragement and ensure your safety. Your certificate will be endorsed as having been taken in tidal waters. By the end of the course you should be able to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day.

• Pre-course experience: 5 days, 100 miles, 4 night hours on board a sailing yacht
• Minimum course duration: 5 days, 3 weekends or 3 days plus 2 days
• Minimum age: 16

Coastal Skipper

Advanced skippering techniques for yachtsmen and women with considerable knowledge of sailing and navigation, wanting to undertake coastal passages by day and night.

This course consists of skippered passages in a variety of situations. Each trainee will skipper more challenging passages and learn more about passage planning, pilotage by day and night, boat handling, safety and emergency situations. Your certificate will be endorsed as having been taken in tidal waters. By the end of the course you should be able to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night and have the knowledge, if not the experience, to become a Yachtmaster

• Pre-course experience: 15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours
• Minimum course duration: 5 days
• Minimum age: 17

Yachtmaster Coastal – External Practical Examination

The Yachtmaster Coastal has the knowledge needed to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises by day and night but does not necessarily have the experience needed to undertake longer passages.

• Pre-course experience: 30 days, 2 as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours (reduced to 20 days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles, 12 night hours if you hold the Coastal Skipper practical course completion certificate).
• Minimum age: 17

Yachtmaster Offshore – External Practical Examination

The Yachtmaster Offshore is competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during which the yacht is no more than 150 miles from harbour.

Pre-course experience: 50 days, 2,500 miles including at least 5 passages over 60 miles, 2 overnight and 2 as skipper. Minimum age: 18 years

Yachtmaster Ocean – External Oral Examination

A person holding a Yachtmaster Ocean qualification is experienced and competent to skipper a yacht on passages of any length in all parts of the world.

Pre-course experience: Ocean passage as skipper or mate of watch, with minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles, at sea continuously for at least 96 hours, more than 50 miles from land for 200 miles. Must hold a DoT Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate issued prior to 1973 or a RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.