Sailing is a very popular sport, especially in Countries with great coastlines like the UK. Sailing continues to increase in popularity with interest being maintained by the Olympic Games coming to our Shores in 2012.
If you are just thinking of starting and are looking to discover how to go about learning to sail, how do you get the training you need and what courses do you take? There are a huge number of Sailing Schools around the Country and they vary in the type of Sailing Courses they offer.
RYA Schools are the ones to look out for as this is the recognised standard for qualified sailors. When you are choosing a sailing school, you should look for those that offer the full range of RYA courses. There are five levels currently available for practical courses, which are:
RYA Start Yachting
This is the introductory course new Sailors. It takes students through the basics of sailing and sea skills and then the boat itself. This will involve a look into the yacht parts and how to steer. This often takes two days and will enable you to progress to the next level.
RYA Competent Crew Course
This is a five day course and is a more comprehensive curriculum. Novices can start with this course especially if you have a limited experience or want to learn quickly. There are a great deal more aspects involved in this practical course. You'll learn the basics of sailing, including rope work, sail usage and mooring skills. You will also learn everything you need to know crew a yacht.
RYA Day Skipper Course
The next level up from Competent Crew which needs to be completed before this one and theory tests that need to be passed before being allowed to progress to the Day Skipper course. It's a five day process where you will get hands on experience of driving a yacht and understanding the maintenance and safety of the boat at sea.
RYA Coastal Skipper Course
The course listed above can be taken over two weekends but the RYA Coastal Skipper course has to be done on five consecutive days. It includes more intensive training and the first introduction to overnight sailing. It improves on the skills developed in the previous courses for use in the more confined coastal areas.
You can then take the RYA/MCA exam once the Coastal Skipper course is completed, which will result in a Certificate of Competence from the RYA and MCA.
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
Finally the MCA/RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam is the ultimate in seamanship and is only available to those with plenty of experience. This includes 50 days sea time, five of which are spent as a skipper, five 60 nautical mile journeys including 2 over night, two of which as skipper.
When you're deciding which course you need to take in order to learn to Sail a Yacht, make certain you choose one that matches your current level of expertise. RYA is the gold standard and provides guidelines for competence on the water.
Make sure you choose the best location where you will fully enjoy the course and the one that you feel offers the most fun and engaging training available.
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Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For the very best in RYA Sailing Courses he recommends Southampton and London based Sailing School First Class Sailing.
