The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) was founded in the UK in 1953 in response to the highly variable training that was on offer from private individuals. The RYA training scheme provides a structure for training institutions with a series of modules encompassing both practical on the water courses and classroom theory courses. The RYA scheme and its qualifications are recognised throughout the world.
The RYA training scheme has been in Australia for 16 years and Yachtmaster was one of the schools instrumental in lobbying for them to include Australia in their scheme. We were actually the first school accepted into the scheme and Gordon Syme was the first RYA Instructor Examiner created in Australia.
Although RYA courses are about learning, there is plenty of time for our students to enjoy themselves. One of the really great things about doing a 5 day liveaboard course is that not only do you get 5 days sailing for less than the cost of a weekend’s charter, but you also have the benefit of personalised tuition and loads of hands-on experience.
You also get the chance to practice a lot of the manoeuvres that we hope you will never need, such as man overboard (MOB) practice; as well as the more challenging activities like navigating the Port Phillip Heads or sailing an unlit channel at night.
All our courses are fun but with the security of an RYA Instructor on board, you can relax and learn the skills required without the pressure of making your own decisions. And you never know when you may need these skills in your sailing adventures. The ability to sail onto a mooring buoy will take the stress out of your day if your engine dies whether there is a rope around the propeller or you have simply have a fuel issue.
An RYA Yachtmaster needs a wealth of knowledge, not only for sailing or motor cruising but also to be able to cope in demanding situations. At Yachtmaster Sailing School, we offer the RYA training scheme. The flow diagram explains what we offer and how the courses fit into each other.
