Practical Yacht Sailing Skill Development
We recognise that everyone learns in their particular individual manner. We offer a full range of bespoke learning and course development processes for your sailing progression so please speak with us to discuss your particular needs and best learning style. Yachtforce can offer 1:1 learning, small group private skippered charter and this can be done either day by day, weekend or on a weekly basis to achieve the particular skills that you are after or possibly your International Certificate of Competence (ICC) if you wish to charter abroad.
We also offer RYA practical yacht sailing courses from our partners whom we work extremely closely with. These are all delivered by highly qualified and patient instructors, who will ensure that you have a truly memorable and fun experience whether it is your first time to yacht sailing and you are looking to learn to sail – or you are an ‘old salt’ wanting to achieve your Yachtmaster.
Learning and Development
For those preferring to learn specific skills in a more relaxed environment, advance beyond Day Skipper to practice certain elements, or just experience life afloat as a beginner with excellent fresh cuisine, good drinkable wine and the occasional cheeky ‘G&T’ plus a social element – look at our variety of ‘non RYA course’ format sailing tuition weekends. Excellent for bringing the other half on, to get them involved with sailing with fantastic instruction ratios of up to 3:1! Loads of learning but without the pressure of a course.
Those requiring that all important mile-building for the log book or wish to travel out of the Solent check out our ‘Go West Jurassic Coast’, France , Channel Islands, cross channel, Scotland sailing cruises and sailing holidays abroad.
RYA Courses and Prices
The table below gives an overview of the RYA practical courses that we offer from some of our RYA training school partners that we have extremely close ties with (along with the prices for each and the price for reduced 3:1 ratio courses). Courses are run throughout the year including winter, with peak season being between April and September. Hamble School of Yachting not only look after the bulk of the maintenance of our yachts they also deliver our Solent based RYA courses from Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble which is the home base for Yachtforce’s yachts. Lagoon Watersports deliver the Brighton Marina based RYA courses. We often use a combination of non course format development for individuals mentoring people towards their chosen goal and if that includes RYA certification we guide them towards the appropriate course and provider. Often we then continue development towards in the progression phase.
If you know that a particular RYA course is what you need and you are ready to book then you can click the link for the on line booking within the tab. The on line booking is only available for RYA courses on this page and those delivered from Hamble.
For more information on each course including upcoming dates and prerequisites, simply click the tabs below and more information will be displayed below.
Learn to sail a yacht! – get on board here as a sailing beginner and come off a well-accomplished member of the crew. You can complete the first weekend as a yacht sailing taster and purchase your second weekend later to complete the course or buy the 5 day course up front.
Assumed Experience: None, but a bit of dinghy sailing helps.
You will learn all the basic skills of crewing on your sailing yacht as well as living aboard, visiting the beautiful anchorages and historic ports of the Solent and depending upon the weather, some longer passages. Your RYA sailing instructor will teach you, at your pace, all the basic nautical skills that you require to become a useful member of the yachts crew.You will learn to sail, all aspects of safety, knots, terms, rope handling skills, be taught how to react to a ‘man overboard’ situation and obtain at least 4 hours of night sailing experience. At the end of the course you will be awarded the RYA Competent Crew Certificate. Normal course ratio 4:1
Cost:
5 Days £675 – £725.
5 Days £899 3:1 Ratio.
3 Weekends £770 – £880.
3 Day weekend plus 2 day weekend £760 – £805.
| Course Format | October – March | April – September |
| 5 Days Monday – Friday Tuesday – Sunday |
£675 | £725 |
| 3 Weekends | £770 | £880 |
| 3 Day + 2 Day Weekend | £760 | £805 |
| 5 Days 3:1 Ratio Monday – Friday Tuesday – Sunday |
£TBC | £899 |
When:
Sunday evening– Friday (Courses start on a Sunday evening 6.30pm)
Tuesday evening – Sunday (Courses start on a Tuesday evening 6.30pm)
Weekend Courses – These run every weekend, please phone for exact dates. It will be run over 3 weekends or a bank holiday plus a weekend.
From: Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble, Southampton or Brighton Marina. This course is run every week and weekend. Please call us for the latest availability.
What’s Included: All food except the evening of joining, wet weather gear and accommodation on board. Mooring fees are an extra and we suggest that you budget approximately £15 per weekend or £20 for the 3 or 5 day course.
Book Your RYA Competent Crew Course Now: Click Here To be transferred to our on site partners at Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble (Hamble School of Yachting) and their on line booking system. Go to the right hand side of the page for the up/down arrows which will then display available dates and days of the week. You can see real time availability and pay directly through this link. You pay exactly what you would if speaking to their guys in the office. If you are not being taught on one of the Yachtforce yachts you will be taught on one of similar size. They are all about 37 feet, 3 cabin plus saloon style, slab reefed, roller genoa, modern yachts. If you’d rather discuss it call us on 02380 016450 and we’ll help you decide if the course is right for you.
Lots of close quarter handling, mooring in a range of marinas and smaller picturesque ports offering more interesting ways to tie up for the night. With all these places to visit on your course, you get plenty of experience planning and completing passages, with one being a night sail, often a favourite, and enjoy your visits ashore to the local attractions. You will sail off to other ports overnight on the weekend or for the whole 5 days on weekday courses. Once you have achieved you Day Skipper practical you are able to obtain your ICC (International Certificate of Competence) – allowing you to charter in the Med. Normal course ratio 4:1
Assumed Experience: Day Skipper Theory & previous sailing experience – ask for details
Cost:
5 Days £675 – £725.
5 Days £899 3:1 Ratio.
3 Weekends £770 – £880.
3 Day weekend plus 2 day weekend £760 – £805.
| Course Format | October – March | April – September |
| 5 Days Monday – Friday Tuesday – Sunday |
£675 | £725 |
| 6 Days – Weekends | £770 | £880 |
| 3 Day + 2 Day Weekend | £760 | £805 |
| 5 Days 3:1 Ratio Monday – Friday Tuesday – Sunday |
£TBC | £899 |
When:
Sunday evening– Friday (Courses start on a Sunday evening 6.30pm)
Tuesday evening – Sunday (Courses start on a Tuesday evening 6.30pm)
Weekend Courses – These run every weekend, please phone for exact dates. It will be run over 3 weekends or a bank holiday plus a weekend.
From: Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble, Southampton or Brighton Marina. This course is run every week and weekend. Please call us for the latest availability.
What’s Included: All food except the evening of joining, wet weather gear and accommodation on board. Mooring fees are an extra and we suggest that you budget approximately £15 per weekend or £20 for the 3 or 5 day course.
Book Your RYA Day Skipper Practical Course Now: Click Here To be transferred to our on site partners at Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble (Hamble School of Yachting) and their on line booking system. You can see real time availability and pay directly through this link. Go to the right hand side of the page for the up/down arrows which will then display available dates and days of the week. You pay exactly what you would if speaking to their guys in the office. If you are not being taught on one of the Yachtforce yachts you will be taught on one of similar size. They are all about 37 feet, 3 cabin plus saloon style, slab reefed, roller genoa, modern yachts. If you’d rather discuss it call us on 02380 016450 and we’ll help you decide if the course is right for you.
Skippering a yacht on coastal and offshore passages demands strong navigation, seamanship and leadership skills. During the RYA Coastal Skipper course your instructor will guide you through navigation, both offshore and in limited visibility, weather forecasting and passage planning, watch keeping, preparation for sea and handling heavy weather. You will put this all into practice as each student plans and executes passages taking complete command of the yacht. Coastal skippers must be good boat handlers and you will receive plenty of practice mooring the yacht and have at least 4 hours night sailing. Weather permitting the yacht will undertake a longer coastal passage.
At the successful completion of the RYA Coastal Skipper course you will be awarded the RYA Coastal Skipper Course Completion Certificate and will be able to skipper coastal passages safely and confidently. Normal course ratio 4:1
Previous Experience Required: 15 days aboard, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles logged and 8 night hours. A knowledge of navigation to RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory level.
Cost: 5 Days, High Season (Apr – Sep): £725 or Low Season (Oct – Mar): £675.
| Course Format | October – March | April – September |
| 5 Days | £675 | £725 |
| 5 Days 3:1 Ratio | £TBC | £899 |
When: Sunday evening 6.30pm – Friday 4pm
From: Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble, Southampton or Brighton Marina.
What’s Included: All food except the evening of joining, wet weather gear and accommodation on board. Mooring fees are an extra and we suggest that you budget approximately £20 for the 5 day course.
Book Your RYA Coastal Skipper Course Now: Click Here To be transferred to our on site partners at Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble (Hamble School of Yachting) and their on line booking system. You can see real time availability and pay directly through this link. Go to the right hand side of the page for the up/down arrows which will then display available dates and days of the week. You pay exactly what you would if speaking to their guys in the office. If you are not being taught on one of the Yachtforce yachts you will be taught on one of similar size. They are all about 37 feet, 3 cabin plus saloon style, slab reefed, roller genoa, modern yachts. If you’d rather discuss it call us on 02380 016450 and we’ll help you decide if the course is right for you.
A RYA Yachtmaster certificate of competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper.
Unlike other courses in the cruising programme, there is no formal training to complete in order to become a Yachtmaster. Instead, provided that you have sufficient experience and sea time, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. Many Yachtmaster candidates choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some tailor-made tuition to prepare them for the exam, but this is not compulsory.
Yachtmaster Coastal Assumed Experience: 30 days aboard, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles logged, 12 night hours (Half the qualifying sea-time must have been conducted in tidal waters). VHF operators certificate, valid first aid certificate. If a RYA Coastal Skipper completion certificate is held only 400 miles required.
Yachtmaster Offshore Assumed Experience: 50 days aboard, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles logged, 5 passages of over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper (Half the qualifying sea-time must have been conducted in tidal waters). VHF radio operators certificate and a valid first aid certificate.
Format: We run a Yachtmaster preparation course over 5 days, followed by the examination which can be up to 2 days depending upon the numbers examined and conditions.
Early in the prep week your instructor will asses your strengths and weaknesses and coach you in the areas required to pass the examination however our experience normally leads us to work on the following areas; passage planning, man overboard recovery, close quarters handling, skippering techniques, navigation in restricted visibility, pilotage and knowledge of the International Collision Regulations. Your instructor will debrief you fully as the week progresses and ensure that you get time to work on those weaker areas. Before joining the course, students should have the pre-requisite experience outlined above, navigation theory to RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory level and a thorough knowledge of the Collision Regulations. Ratio 1:4
| Course Format | October – March | April – September |
| 7 Days – 5 + 2 Days Exam | £850 | £850 |
| Yachtmaster Exam Fees | Coastal – £200 | Offshore – £231 |
Assessment: The examiner will ask each candidate to skipper the yacht on several short passages and complete various demonstrations of their skippering and sailing ability over the course of the weekend.
When:
Sunday evening – Sunday (Courses start on a Sunday evening 6.30pm) Examiner steps aboard Friday evening – Sunday
From: Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble, Southampton or Brighton Marina. This course is run every week and weekend. Please call us for the latest availability.
What’s Included: All food except the evening of joining, wet weather gear and accommodation on board. Mooring fees are an extra and we suggest that you budget approximately £15 per weekend or £20 for the 3 or 5 day course.
Exam Fee: In addition to the quoted price there is a fee payable to the RYA for the examination fee (see above). We recommend you call to check your suitability for this course before booking.
Book Your Yachtmaster Offshore Prep Course & Exam Now: Click Here To be transferred to our on site partners at Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble (Hamble School of Yachting) and their on line booking system. You can see real time availability and pay directly through this link. Go to the right hand side of the page for the up/down arrows which will then display available dates and days of the week. You pay exactly what you would if speaking to their guys in the office. If you are not being taught on one of the Yachtforce yachts you will be taught on one of similar size. They are all about 37 feet, 3 cabin plus saloon style, slab reefed, roller genoa, modern yachts. If you’d rather discuss it call us on 02380 016450 and we’ll help you decide if the course is right for you.
