RYA COURSES

BLUE SAILING offers a full range of Royal Yachting Association sailing courses to fit your particular needs.

RYA sailing courses and RYA training qualifications are renowned the world over for quality and are the benchmark standard for training in the UK's Royal Navy and RNLI crews. The RYA training scheme covers all sailing abilities from complete beginner through to advanced qualifications for serious leisure or commercial users.

Our RYA practical courses take place in the tidal waters of the Gulf of Morbihan and the Quiberon Bay, which are perfect sailing grounds. Tidal streams are sometimes strong in the Gulf of Morbihan but invariably keep you in safe deep waters. Our RYA shorebased courses are held in a beautiful venue overlooking the ocean near the Crouesty marina.

We'll help you select the approved RYA course that is right for you from any of our practical RYA sailing courses.

Our sailing base is Le Crouesty Marina on the Morbihan Peninsula giving outstanding access to our wonderful outdoor classroom in the Baie de Quiberon and the outstanding waters of the Golfe de Morbihan.

Crouesty location:
1 Rue des Cap-Horniers
56640
Arzon
Google Maps

RYA PRACTICAL AND SHOREBASED COURSES

You can enter our programme at any stage, based on your knowledge and experience. You will live aboard the yacht and be involved in all aspects of cruising from keeping watch to helping prepare dinner. We have a no-smoking policy on board.

Our prices are per person and all inclusive (Practical : food on board, diesel, marina fees, instructor...; Shorebased : full board accommodation). Please bring your own sleeping bag and foul weather gear, even in Summer.

Practical courses start on Sunday evening (19:00) and finish on Friday afternoon.

Recognition is held under the name of BLUE SAILING, practical courses are delivered from the Le Crouesty operating base, the minimum duration of practical courses is 5 days, the maximum student - instructor ratio on board is 4:1. Limited course materials are handed out during practical courses but the students are provided with downloadable material and a list of useful RYA books prior to the course, course completion certificates are delivered free of charge upon completion of the course, all courses are delivered in English.

Shorebased courses start on Monday morning (09:30) and finish on Friday afternoon.

Competent crew (Practical, 5 days)

Prerequisites: None required.

A basic hands-on course in practical seamanship and safety, with great fun living aboard a sailing yacht. This course is for beginners and those who would like to become active crew members rather than just passengers.

Experience living on board and really get to know the boat. 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.

By the end of the course you should be able to take the helm, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy and assist in all the day to day duties on board. You should also have visited some interesting places and had an enjoyable holiday.

2400 € (all inclusive, inc. 20% VAT).

Day skipper (Practical, 5 days)

Prerequisites: Basic sailing ability 5 days, 100 miles and 4 night hours onboard a sailing yacht. Navigation and theory knowledge to Day Skipper Shorebased level.

Where it all begins. This foundation course includes navigation, pilotage, and boat handling under sail. A course for aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills.

Day Skipper is a useful course to improve your skippering capability and can be used as minimum proof of competence to charter at home and abroad. It can be used to obtain the International Certificate of Competence or ICC which is now required in many countries.

Course Content:

This course is about learning to be a Skipper, the course lasts for five consecutive days.

Recommended prerequisites for the Day Skipper practical course are that you are up to the Day skipper theory course standard & you are competent around a yacht. This could be either from passing the Day Skipper Theory examination or having equivalent knowledge and experience. (Call us for advice if you are not sure).

The course covers: weather, tides, rules of the road, boat handling, safety on board and how to plan and execute a simple passage. Most of all we will help you to develop credibility and confidence in taking charge of a yacht. You will live aboard the boat with the instructor & other students/crew.

Each day will involve a mixture of short passages from port to port and intensive exercises. We will be in harbour or anchorage every night but you should also get a few hours experience of night sailing.

You will receive a comprehensive list of what to bring with you when you book.

All meals apart from the first night in Le Crouesty are provided aboard.

Outcome: You will be able to skipper a yacht on short passages in familiar/sheltered waters by day. Charter companies will accept your Day Skipper Course certificate as evidence of competence to charter a yacht in UK sheltered waters or in the Mediterranean or Caribbean.

2400 € (all inclusive, inc. 20% VAT).

Coastal skipper (Practical, 5 days)

Prerequisites: 15 days aboard, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles logged and 8 night hours and sailing ability to RYA Day Skipper. A knowledge of navigation to RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory level.

Course Content:

This is an intermediate course with an emphasis on passage making and extending your horizons with an introduction to night navigation. You will be taught advanced skippering techniques for yachtsmen and women with good knowledge of sailing and navigation, wanting to undertake coastal passages by day and night.

Like the Day Skipper course, 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.

It is a satisfying but intensive week, with candidates often working towards a Certificate of Competence.

Coastal Skippers should be able to undertake more difficult passages by day and night and handle the yacht in more demanding conditions. By the end of the course you should have the knowledge, if not the experience, to become a Yachtmaster.

2400 € (all inclusive : food, marina fees, diesel... includes 20% VAT).

RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore preparation + Exam (not an RYA course)

Prerequisites: Minimum 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 seatime must have been conducted in tidal waters). VHF radio operators certificate and a valid first aid certificate. Current theory knowledge to RYA Coastal/Yachtmaster theory level. Knowledge of English to high school level as the examination will be carried out in English.

The RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a highly respected qualification with world-wide recognition, attesting to the competence of a skipper. Holders of the RYA Yachtmaster can gain an endorsement allowing them to work commercially simply by completing a one-day RYA Basic Sea Survival course and a medical examination. Please note though that some non-UK marine authorities require additional qualifications for captains under the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1995 (STCW95).

Course Content:

Unlike other courses in the cruising programme, there is no formal training to complete in order to become a Yachtmaster. Many Yachtmaster candidates choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some tailor-made tuition to prepare them for the exam. This is not compulsory, but specific preparation can help tremendously.

To attain the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore certificate, candidates must pass a practical examination of their skippering ability, this exam is carried out in English language. A Yachtmaster is capable of skippering the yacht on extended offshore passages by day or night. He or she will essentially be a much more experienced Coastal Skipper and can do the same things more smoothly, for longer periods and in more arduous conditions.

Early in the week your experienced instructor will give you an honest appraisal of your chances of success and will then address any weaknesses that may have been highlighted. During the course you will take command of the yacht on short passages in the area by day and night and practice lots of close quarters boat handling techniques under sail and power. The instructor will tailor the course to your specific needs however our experience leads us to emphasize the following subjects: passage planning, man overboard recovery, close quarters handling under sail and power, skippering techniques, navigation in restricted visibility, pilotage and knowledge of the International Collision Regulations. Before joining the course, students should have the pre-requisite experience outlined above, navigation theory to the level of the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory course and a thorough knowledge of the Collision Regulations.

At the end of the week your instructor will give you a debrief and leave you feeling relaxed and confident in your ability to take the examination should you feel ready to do so. BLUE SAILING understands the Yachmaster exam and what is required of successful candidates. This is an advanced course in all aspects of navigation and skippering, designed to take your navigation and seamanship skills to professional levels, the key to the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster offshore certificate. The duration the course varies according to the experience of the candidate; a minimum of two weeks is usually necessary even for experienced candidates.

We limit the number of students to only 4 on our 44 yacht to provide teaching of the highest quality and a comfortable stay on board.

Our 44 and 48 foot yachts are used to cover the inshore part of the Yachtmaster syllabus such as pilotage, manoeuvres under sail and power, blind navigation, navigation without GPS...

2400 € per week (all inclusive except exam : food, diesel, marina fees...includes 20% VAT).

Mile Building (5 days, not an RYA course)

Cruising Morbihan, the objective is to log miles and build experience. A practical way to achieve 60-miles passages for RYA Yachtmaster candidates. No fixed syllabus and plenty of sailing to great destinations.

2400 € (all inclusive, includes 20% VAT).

Shorter or longer sessions are available upon request.

RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Theory (5 days, shorebased)

Advanced course in navigation, passage planning and safety offshore that is a must for those working towards the RYA Coastal and Offshore Yachtmaster exams.

2400 € (all inclusive : full board accomodation provided in beautiful house nearby the classroom. Includes 20% VAT).

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory Course (5 days, shorebased)

Suited to holders of the Yachtmaster Offshore certificate and to all those that aspire to Blue Water cruising. Covers all aspects of ocean navigation with emphasis on astro-navigation, worldwide meteorology, ocean passages and yacht management.

2400 € (all inclusive, full board accomodation provided in beautiful house nearby the classroom).