The RYA Day Skipper course provides you with the confidence and skills to skipper a yacht on short coastal passages during the day. This certificate of competence is seen as the “de facto” charter licence recognized around the world. Before applying for this course please carefully read the pre-course requirements below.
On successful completion of this course you may also be able to apply for the ICC (International Certificate of Competence). This certificate can also be used by charter companies as evidence of competence to skipper a yacht. The UK version of the ICC can only be issues to British nationals, anyone resident in the UK and nationals of countries that have not adopted Resolution 40. Countries that the RYA can not issue ICC to (unless you are resident in the UK) are Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Ukraine. For these countries please see the text of Resolution 40 to see how to obtain an ICC (click here).
| Pre-course Practical Requirements: | 5 days, 100 miles, 4 night hours on board a sailing yacht.
Before purchasing this course please have some form of documented evidence of the pre-course practical experience. Ideally this will be a logbook but it can be done retrospectively on a simple spreadsheet or document. The above is the absolute minimum requirement and ideally you should have gain more experience than the minimum to be properly prepared and to get the best out of the RYA Day Skipper course. The RYA Day Skipper practical course arguably the most challenging of the RYA courses as not only are you responsible for sailing the yacht but also for navigation, safety and leading the crew. For many this is a big step up in their previous sailing experience and can become overwhelming if the candidate’s sailing ability is weak. To improve the probability of a successful course outcome potential skippers need to be a reasonably competent sailor on joining the course e.g. have good wind awareness, can tack and gybe with relative ease, can sail on all points of sail and trim the sails effectively. If you have any reservations about your practical sailing ability please discuss with us before booking a course. |
| Pre-course Theory Requirements: | Theory knowledge to the level of Day Skipper Theory Course i.e. complete this course prior to doing the practical course (unless you can clearly demonstrate ’equivalent knowledge’). Please note that you will have so submit evidence of ’equivalent knowledge’ such as a merchant navy qualification. For Hong Kong, the PVOL 2 or 1 is not sufficient to fulfil this requirement due to gaps in their syllabus. |
| Course duration: | 5 days with 4 night sleeping on-board or 3 days + 2 days with 3 nights onboard (no exceptions permitted for nights onboard) |
| Minimum age: | 16. Under 18 year old will only be accepted if accompanied by a responsible adult. |
| What’s Included: | Mooring fees, accommodation on-board, all meals and snacks from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day. All drinks including water and soft drinks. |
| Maximum Students: | 5 maximum which may be a mixture of RYA Competent Crew and RYA Day Skipper students. |
| Cost: | Sirocco (Bavaria 47) HK$14,000 & Anemoon (Beneteau 37) HK$12,000 |
| Optional Cost: | HK$500 for an International Certificate of Competence (paid directly to RYA on application). |
| Award: | RYA Day Skipper Course Photo ID Certificate. |
The itinerary is dependant on weather and if its a 5 day straight or 3+2 (2+3) day course, but below is a typical 5 day course:
Day 1. Arrive RHKYC Causeway bay at the time given in your joining instructions. Crew briefing and sail to the south of Hong Kong island. Evening at anchor and dinner onboard.
Day 2. Sail round Lamma Island practicing reefing, sailing maneuvers and maneuvering under power. Spend the night alongside at Middle Island and dinner at the RHKYC clubhouse.
Day 3. Practice mooring alongside and to mooring buoys. Longer sail up to Sai Kung steering under compass. Night navigation exercise to an anchorage in the north of Sai Kung. Spend the night on a mooring and dinner onboard.
Day 4. Sail training around Sai Kung islands and a night entry into Hebe Haven. Evening spent in marina and dinner at RHKYC clubhouse.
Day 5. Practice confined docking in marina under power. Sail back to RHKYC Causeway Bay. Course ends approximately 1700hrs.
Students require to bring the following (see FAQs for more detials):
- Lightweight sleeping bag or equivalent and pillow.
- Clothes suitable for 5 days sailing.
- Kit backed into a soft bag (no hard suitcase).
- Photo ID.
- Weather proof clothing suitable for the time of year.
- Footwear such as deck shoes or trainers with good grip.
Preparation for sea, deck work, navigation, pilotage, meteorology, rules of the road, maintenance and repair work, engines, victualling, emergency situations, yacht handling under power, yacht handling under sail, passage making, night cruising
Consolidate what you have learnt by undertaking more sailing either on your own yacht, chartering or by taking part in one of our Experience Building cruises.
Following this you should take the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Theory Course in preparation for the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Course.
Booking
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