RYA Sailing Courses for Beginners
Our RYA beginners courses are perfect as a low cost way to explore whether sailing is for you, whilst growing your skills and confidence on a boat. Courses with MST are calm, supportive and most of all fun.
Most importantly, by sailing with us you will be supporting and enabling our work with disadvantaged and at-risk young people.
Start Yachting
Pre Course Experience: none
Duration: 2 days
Minimum age:
15 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
Start Yachting is a short introduction to sailing for complete beginners.
By the end of the course you will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board.
Course content: The yacht, ropework, underway, rules of the road, man overboard recovery, clothing and equipment, emergency equipment and precautions, meteorology.
Holders of the Start Yachting certificate can go on to complete the Competent Crew course in a reduced time of three days or two weekends.
Competent Crew
Pre-course experience: none
Duration: 5 days (three weekends, or two long weekends)
Minimum age:
15 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian
Competent Crew 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. By the end of the course you should be able to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy and assist in all the day to day duties on board.
Course content: Knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails, sail handling, ropework, fire precautions and fighting, personal safety equipment, man overboard, emergency equipment, meteorology, seasickness, helming, general duties, manners and customs, rules of the road, dinghies
Our Competent Crew courses will often also have Day Skipper students onboard, as we have found that the shared content in the two courses means that students benefit from learning together.
