RYA Sail Cruising
Day Skipper Practical Course
Solent based weekend and weekday courses starting from Ocean Village, Southampton.
Prices are from £435 and include accommodation, meals on board, fuel and overnight public mooring fees.
Our yachts are fitted out to a high specification including the navigation and deck equipment necessary to complete all aspects of the course. The yachts are also fitted with home comforts such as refrigerated cool box, showers, 240v shore supply and cabin heating.
Courses generally run with a low student to instructor ratio (maximum 4:1), however we are happy to consider groups of five people if booking as a group.
Your instructor will be a fully qualified RYA Cruising or Yachtmaster Instructor.
The Course & Content
These 5 day courses provide an introduction to skippering a sailing yacht. Previous practical experience to Competent Crew level and beyond is assumed and expected. Similarly, a level of knowledge of the Day Skipper shorebased syllabus (or equivalent) is required.
The Day Skipper course is your first formal step towards learning the skills required to be a competent and safe skipper, so you can look forward to a great sense of achievement on completion! Topics covered include pilotage, boat handling and crew organisation. The course develops personal skills such as communication and delegation and also provides an introduction to 'managing' the yacht on a day to day basis.
During the course you will have the opportunity to learn in a safe environment, to plan and make short passages, including exiting and entering new harbours and to practice close quarter boat handling.
An RYA Day Skipper Practical (Tidal) certificate is awarded on completion of the course.
What To Do Next....
Choose either a 2 day plus 3 day weekend combination or a 5 day period from our schedule of dates and prices. Other dates may be available - please ask.
If you havent yet completed the Day Skipper Shorebased course and time away from work is an issue, have a look at our 9 Day RYA Combined Shorebased & Practical Course - this course is the most time efficient way of achieving both qualifications!
Simply call us to confirm availability and to discuss your requirements in more detail, then complete and return one booking form per person with a 30% deposit payment.
Once the full course fee has been received we will send a formal booking confirmation and Joining Instructions to you.
Other useful pre course information is provided in our Sail Cruising Courses - Preliminaries sheet
If you are a group of four or five people, please call us to discuss group discounts and dates.
Useful Pre Course Reading
RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course Notes
RYA Day Skipper Practical Course Notes
RYA Navigation Handbook (and associated Exercises)
RYA Sail Cruising - Syllabus & Logbook
...and after Day Skipper?
Consider joining us on one of our holiday cruises when opportunities to further develop your new found Day Skipper skills under the watchful eye of a professional skipper are available.
Soon you may consider chartering a yacht with a group of friends. Ambition Sailing is able to help you take the first steps to charter a suitable yacht in a familiar area.
For those looking for more excitement and longer passages consider crew positions on mile building trips and offshore racing!
If you wish to progress further and have the requisite experience, the next steps are the RYA Coastal Skipper Shorebased and Practical courses. Consideration should also be given to the RYA specialist courses (First Aid, VHF, Sea Survival, Diesel Engine) to develop your skills in other key areas.
