RYA Training at Royal Lymington Yacht Club

Sailing tuition and courses are available at Royal Lymington Yacht Club. RYA sailing course dates for both children and adults, also including ladies sailing, will be published once the government allows training to resume. 

Youth Sailing Scheme

Youth Sailing Scheme – beginners’ courses

RYA Youth Sailing Scheme certificates are a significant achievement and can be used in other areas of your study or activities such as PE at school, or the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Stage 1 – Start Sailing

This RYA sailing course for beginners takes 2 days (or equivalent sessions) and provides an introduction to the sport of sailing. It provides a basic understanding of how a boat sailing, with some experience of steering and handling the boat. You’ll learn about launching and recovery, steering, parts of the boat and basic sailing techniques. Minimum age: 8 years.

Stage 2 – Building Confidence

This RYA sailing course for beginners who have completed Stage 1 takes 2 days (or equivalent sessions). You’ll build on the basic sailing skills learned in Stage 1, plus ropework and collision avoidance. On completion you will be able to tack and control boat speed, and understand basic principles of sailing. Minimum age: 8 years.

Stage 3 – Basic Skills (equivalent to Level 2 of the National Sailing Scheme)

This RYA sailing course for improvers who have completed Stages 1 and 2 takes 2 days (or equivalent sessions). You’ll learn about rigging, launching and recovery, sailing techniques, capsize recovery and sailing theory. On completion you will be able to launch and sail a dinghy around a triangle in moderate conditions. Minimum age: 8 years.

Stage 4 – Better Sailing (double handed)

This RYA sailing course for improvers who have completed Stages 1 - 3 takes 2 days (or equivalent sessions). It is optional if Stage 3 was taken in a double-hander. You will learn to sail a double handed boat as crew or helm, and solve a variety of problems afloat. The course includes rigging, launching and recovery, sailing techniques and manoeuvres in crewed boats, recovering a man overboard. On completion you will be able to launch and return to a beach, jetty or mooring, and sail a crewed dinghy around a triangle in moderate conditions. Minimum age: 8 years.

Course fees

Member: £150
Non-member: £190

Course dates

Stage 1 -

30th and 31st May 2022
1st and 2nd August 2022

Stage 2 -

2nd and 3rd June 2022
4th and 5th August 2022
11th and 12th August 2022

Stage 3 -

6th and 7th August 2022
22nd and 23rd August 2022

Stage 4 -

25th and 26th August 2022

Book here!

We accept bookings from members and non-members on a first come, first served basis. If the course is full, please email us at sail@rlymyc.org.uk with details of the course on which you would like to book and we will add you to our waiting list with a view to scheduling a new course as soon as possible.

Dates: TBC
Time: TBC
Cost:
Member - TBC
Non Member – TBC
 
Course Duration
5 days from 9am to 5pm. Each evening there is likely to be 1 – 2 hours ‘homework’
 
Prior experience
No prior boating experience is necessary although in reality most people who take Dayskipper Theory do so after a minimum of 1 – 2 years boating
 
Minimum Age
We are generally happy for a child over 14 to attend the course. We’d always suggest having a chat through things with you if you’d like to book a youngster onto the course. Those under 16 must attend with an adult
 
What do I get with the course
You get a full RYA Dayskipper Theory Course pack which includes course notes and RYA Training Charts. The workbooks that you complete as the course proceeds are also yours allowing you to practice again after the course if you wish. You also get a course completion certificate Is there an end of course assessment?
Yes there is. On the final day of the course you will sit two papers – one focuses on the collision regulations and the other on the navigation aspects of the course.
The course though addresses everything that comes up in the papers so you can be assured that you will find them pretty straightforward as they are simply a way to sum up all you have learnt at the conclusion of the course.
 
I’m a sailor – is this course valid for me too?
Absolutely. The RYA Dayskipper Theory course has been written to be completely relevant to both powerboats and those boating under sail. Our instructors both use powerboats and sail (they just love the water!) so are equally at home at both speeds of travel and are totally at ease with the issues specific to sailing boats


 

This two-day course provides the skills and background knowledge needed to drive a powerboat and is the basis of the International Certificate of Competence (ICC).

The course provides all you need to know for self-sufficient powerboating at a basic level, including launching, mooring, anchoring and recovery plus all the boat driving skills required for basic competence in a powerboat. 

It includes close quarters handling, high speed manoeuvres, man overboard recovery and collision regulations. The course can be taken inland or on the coast and your certificate will be endorsed accordingly.

Ability after course: Self-sufficient powerboat in the right conditions, aware of own limitations and those of craft.

Minimum age: 12 years

Course fees

To secure a place, please contact the Club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Members: £150 (group), £200 (2 to 1), £400 (1 to 1)
Non-members: £250 (group), £300 (2 to 1)

"I have completed the PB2 course and I would just like to pass on my thanks to the instructors who ran a very professional and informative course. All of the instructors were calm, reassuring and patient and I would certainly recommend them to friends!"

"We wanted to thank the instructors for teaching us about powerboats this weekend. We felt we learnt a great deal, although as with all things, the more you know the more you realise there is to learn! We both enjoyed it enormously and are looking forward to practising...maybe when the weather is a little warmer!"

Course dates

• To be confirmed

Book Here

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk

 

Who would raise the alarm in a distress situation on board your boat? What if the skipper was unable to? The Short Range Certificate (SRC) is a minimum legal requirement for every British flagged vessel voluntarily fitted with a radio. It’s also essential and informative for anyone who enjoys boating so that they can use a marine radio fitted with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) functionality.
 

Course Syllabus

The Short Range Certificate (SRC) is the minimum qualification required by law to control the operation of VHF and VHF Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment on any British flagged vessel voluntarily fitted with a radio. This includes both fixed and hand held equipment using International channels. The RYA SRC/VHF Radio Course uses straight-forward language and descriptions, helping you to understand important legal concepts and maritime SRC/VHF regulations and how they affect you whilst out on the water.

A radio is a key piece of safety equipment on board and it is vital to understand the correct procedures. Unnecessary transmissions could block out a Mayday distress call. The RYA SRC/VHF Radio Course includes a wide variety of real-life situations - both routine and distress. The new and innovative radio simulator helps you feel comfortable with handling a radio in a real-life situation.
When you have completed your course you eligible to attend SRC/VHF exam. Prior to siting your exam you will have the opportunity to practice with the radio equipment before commencing your exam.

Course dates

• Saturday 21st May

Course fees

To secure a place, please see below and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Members: £80
Non-members: £100
An additional payment of £60 for exam and the issue of your VHF/SRC Operators Licence (mandatory payment online via the RYA in advance of your course via the RYA website www.rya.org.uk/exam-payments

Book here

Sat 5th March 2022 10:00 - 12:00

The course will cover Safety Boat Management, Tactical Positioning, Contingency Plans, Risk Management and writing a Safety Plan. 

Our one-day course covers all the usual first aid subjects from a boating perspective. It is aimed at anyone who goes afloat, whether on inland waters, rivers, estuaries or on cross channel passages.

In a medical emergency a little first aid knowledge and immediate action can save lives, especially in remote locations. This one-day course is designed to provide a working knowledge of first aid for people using small craft and to support skippers.

It fulfils the requirements for:

• professional skippers of small craft working within 60 miles of a safe haven, including Boatmasters;
• the Senior First Aid certificate needed by offshore racers subject to ISAF's regulations on first aid training (OSR 4.08.4).

The course is recommended by the MCA and HSE. 

The subjects specific to boating include:

• the recovery position in a confined space
• CPR, including the drowning protocol
• cold shock and hypothermia from immersion and/or exposure
• seasickness and dehydration
• medical assistance or advice by VHF
• helicopter rescue

Course dates

•  Evening Course, run over two evenings: 4th & 6th July
  • 4th July timings: 16:00 - 21:00
  • 6th July timings: 18:00 - 21:00

Course fees

To secure a place, please contact the club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Members: £80
Non-members: £100

Book here

Ever wondered if you could be an RYA Assistant or RYA Dinghy Instructor?

Discover instructing!
 

Join the RYA Assistant Instructor Course on the 12th &13th March 2022

If you have some sailing experience then come and join us! Email Jack@rlymyc.org.uk

Find out what it is all about, with a practical session on the 5th March 9.30 -12.00

Book the Discover Instructing Course Here

Sailing tuition and courses are available at Royal Lymington Yacht Club with our Chief Instructor (Sail). RYA sailing course dates for both children and adults, also including ladies only sailing, will be published once the government allows training to resume. 

National Sailing Scheme

Dinghy Level 1 – Start Sailing

This RYA sailing course for beginners takes 2 days (or equivalent sessions) and provides an introduction to the sport of sailing. It covers all you need to know to get afloat under supervision, including how to sail in light winds in all directions, launching and recovering. There is no minimum age, although under 16s may prefer to learn through the Youth Sailing Scheme.

Dinghy Level 2 – Basic Skills

This RYA sailing course for beginners to intermediates takes 2 days (or equivalent sessions). It sets out the foundations of sailing to progress you to be a competent light wind sailor, developing skills to enable you to sail independently. The course assumes you have the sailing skills of Level 1 and trains you in rigging, launching, sailing in all directions, capsize recovery and essential sailing knowledge, enabling you to make decisions in good conditions. There is no minimum age, although under 16s may prefer to learn through the Youth Sailing Scheme.

Dinghy Level 3 – Better Sailing

This RYA sailing course for beginners and intermediates takes 2 days (or equivalent sessions). The course assumes you have the sailing skills of Level 2. It consolidates and develops further your sailing skills, improving your techniques, giving you more confidence and a taster of the advanced sailing modules. There is no minimum age, although under 16s may prefer to learn through the Youth Sailing Scheme.

Course fees

Member: £150
Non-member: £190

Course dates

• Level 1: 8th & 9th August

Book Now

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk

Sailing tuition and courses are available at Royal Lymington Yacht Club with our Chief Instructor (Sail). RYA sailing course dates for both children and adults, also including ladies only sailing, will be published once the government allows training to resume. 

Bespoke and individual sailing tuition

Bespoke training is available at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club for complete beginners through to racers; build your confidence and brush up on your skills. Private lessons are tailored to meet your needs and available at times to suit you. Sessions are 2.5 hours, please contact the club office for more details.

Tuition fees

One-2-One: Member £55, Non-member £65 
Group (max 3): Member £30 Member, Non-members £35 (per person)

Should the above dates not meet your requirements or indeed if you would like to discuss any other sailing tuition options including one-to-one lessons please do not hesitate to contact the Chief Instructor via the club office.

Racing is an exciting and sociable way to develop your sailing. From beginners, through to club racers and preparing for higher level competition, there is a course for you.

Start Racing

A 2-day (16 hours) RYA course for those who have completed Level 2 in the National Sailing Scheme (Stage 3 for under 16s). You’ll learn all the skills required to start club racing, including how to maximise boat speed and outwit your opponents. After the course you’ll be able to take part in club racing in good conditions.

Intermediate Racing

A 2-day (16 hours) RYA course for those who have some experience of racing at club level. You’ll improve your racing technique and knowledge, build on your basic racing skills and improve the key principles of starting, boat handling, boat speed, strategy and tactics. The course will improve your core racing skills and enjoyment of racing - and better club results will follow!

Advanced Racing

A 2-day (16 hours) RYA course for those with several seasons experience of racing at club level. A predominantly practical course working on the key techniques and knowledge to enable you to take part in open meetings and regional competition.
 

Course dates

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk

The RYA Dinghy Instructor course is a widely recognised teaching qualification that will equip you to inspire and teach the next generation. Taught by Club Chief Instructor, you’ll cover the RYA method, the structure of RYA and how to teach sailing.

This is the standard qualification for anyone wanting to teach dinghy sailing. During your training, you’ll learn how to coach the RYA syllabus, the skills of being a successful instructor, effective communication styles and teaching methods.

Course prerequisites

Prior to the course, candidates must fulfil the following requirements:

• Minimum age 16 years 
• Hold a valid first aid certificate
• Hold an RYA Powerboat Level 2 certificate
• Hold the RYA Safe and Fun Certificate and pre-course work completed (accessed within the RYA interactive online Safe & Fun course).
• Have completed the pre-entry sailing assessment within 1 year prior to the instructor training course. 
• RYA membership

The pre-entry course will need to be completed by all attendees of the Dinghy Instructor course regardless of their experience. The club can arrange courses to facilitate these qualifications.

Course fees

To secure a place on the RYA Dinghy Instructor course and pre-entry sailing assessment, please contact the Club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis.

3 Day Course - Members: £200 (course and pre-entry assessment)
3 Day Course - Non-members: £250 (course and pre-entry assessment)

5 Day Course - Members: £300 (course and pre-entry assessment)
5 Day Course - Non-members: £350 (course and pre-entry assessment)

Course dates

• 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd & 24th July plus a pre entry assessment on 9th July

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk

This is a course is run by the Club Chief Instructor (Power), Andrew Eady. It does not carry with it an RYA qualification, but it is based on the RYA Safety Boat Course. Candidates must already have an RYA Powerboat Level 2 certificate and be a confident powerboat driver.
 
The one-day course is designed for those that help at Club events, and who may not necessarily drive the safety boat, but would like to gain some of the knowledge and skills to enable them to more effectively deal with safety of fleets and capsize situations as a crew.
 

Course fees

To secure a place, please contact the club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis. A minimum of 6 people are required for this course.
 
Members: £45 including lunch
Non-members: £45 including lunch
 

Course dates

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk

A qualified RYA Level 2 Racing Coach is a good club racer with personal knowledge of club and/or regional racing and a broad basis of coaching skills. They will be able to deliver and award Start (can be delivered and awarded at RTCs only), Intermediate and Advanced Racing where appropriate, working at RYA affiliated clubs or recognised training centres.

The course to become an RYA Racing Coach L2 is an intense 2-3 days looking at the theory of coaching and applying it in a practical series of on the water exercises. Each candidate will be expected to run complete sessions including a brief, on the water exercises with feedback and a debrief. The aim of the course is to provide candidates with skills and techniques to coach racing to youth and adult sailors.  

Course prerequisites

• A UK sailor working with UK clubs or the British Sailing team
• Appropriate racing experience (good club racer)
• Appropriate current racing knowledge (classes/ pathways)
• RYA Powerboat Level 2 Powerboat Handling certificate
• Have an approved and valid RYA First Aid certificate
• An RYA member
• Minimum age 16. Level 2 coaches aged under 18 should be appropriately supervised by an adult who is either a RYA Senior Instructor or a Racing Coach Level 2 or above.
• Previous instructing experience is preferred but is not essential if the candidate has suitable alternative experience.
• RYA Safe and Fun certificate  

Course dates

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk
 

Course fees

To secure a place, please contact the club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis.
 
Members: TBC
Non-members: TBC
 

This two-day course provides the skills required when acting as an escort craft, safety boat or coach boat for a fleet of dinghies, windsurfers or canoes, and for racing or training activities. The course includes boat handling, rescue techniques for sailing dinghies, windsurfers and canoes, and tows.
 
After the course candidates will be able to provide safety cover to a range of craft, particularly sailing or windsurfing.
 

Course prerequisites

Suggested minimum pre-course experience include:

• RYA Powerboat Level 2 certificate must be held prior to the course.
• Minimum age 16.
• Basic understanding of sailing boats.

 Course fees

To secure a place, please contact the club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis. A minimum of 6 people are required for this course.
 
Members: £150
Non-members: £250
 

Course dates

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk
 

During Lockdown, Roger Wilson recorded the Club Safety Boat Refresher Course. Find it below:



 

This two course is run by the Club Chief Instructor (Power), Andrew Eady. It is designed for those that help or would like to help at club events, who would like to gain some further knowledge and the skills to enable them to more effectively lay marks for various courses.

The course runs from 09:00 to 16:30.

Additional requirements

RYA Level 2 Powerboat Certificate

Course fees

To secure a place, please contact the club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis.
 
Members: £95 including lunch
Non-members: £95 including lunch
 

Course dates

More dates will be available soon. In the meantime, please register your interest by contacting the club office on 01590 672677 or sail@rlymyc.org.uk

To secure a place, please contact the club office and pay for the full course fee. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis.
 

Over the winter the Royal Lymington Yacht Club runs a variety of sessions for members involved, or wishing to be involved, in the provision of racing and race events at the club. Members new to race management are particularly welcome. 

The sessions are also designed to be a useful update to existing race team members, support boat drivers, marklayers, committee boat skippers and shore-based support. The sessions are provided free to members.
 

Course dates

6 week course starting Tuesday 11th January 2022 at 18:30 at the Club. The sessions will also be recorded for those who cannot attend.

(11th, 18th, 25th January, 1st, 8th, 15th February)

Please note: these talks are for Members-only. To book Members must log-in to their account at Member Central & MyClubAccount. We also need to make it plain that there are two separate talks on some evenings: members need to choose which one to attend: the talks are simultaneous.

Course details

Tuesday 11th January

Legal and Safety - Roger Wilson

• This will be a refresher/revalidation for Safety Managers, OODs and Race Officer who already have experience of the legal and safety requirements for running racing. Roger will be doing a separate Dinghy Safety Management course for those new to the race team.

Introduction to Race Team Roles - Malcom McKeag

• Detail on the whole race team, giving a description of who does what and when and the importance of each role. It is aimed at those new to volunteering and those on the race teams interested in expanding their knowledge and possibly trying a different role.
• Race management is as much a part of sailboat racing as is competing. You can’t, as that song says, have one without the other. Indeed for some of us race management is now our primary hobby.
   
  Malcolm’s session will primarily be of interest to those who have yet to do much in the way of race team support here in Lymington be they long-standing members used to competing and now thinking they might give running the race a go, recently-joined members who in their applications expressed an interest in joining our race management team or members involved in one of our many individual race teams who would like to spread their wings and try a different role.  He will outline our own extensive racing programme, from Monday Evening Dinghies through XOD and Nordic racing, Thursday Evening Keelboats and Friday Juniors to Youth Week, our many Open meetings and occasional National Championships.  He will explain the differing structure of the race team required for different events – an XOD & Nordic race can be run by only three people, Youth Week involves a team of almost 100 people.  He’ll speak of the many roles that must be filled and the differing opportunities they provide: from setting the course and keeping the times to crewing the RIBs to noting the mark-rounding orders to shortening the course when needed to recording the finishers.  All tasks are important and sometimes vital.  As you will hear Malcolm say, possibly more than once: “if we don’t get a result all we have run is a cruise in company” and “not for nothing is it called race management”.
   

Tuesday 18th January

Course setting – Dinghy laid courses with inflatable marks - Roger Wilson

• The basics of course setting  where laid marks are available.

All About the Start – Mary McGough, Jane Clegg and Malcolm McKeag.

• Primarily intended for new or recently-joined members of the race team and those existing members who fancy trying new positions: flags, time-keeping, recording. All you need to know about how races are started and who does what. We shall begin with a quick run-through of the rules about starting that affect the race team, the flags and signals we use and the paperwork we keep, including video of starting teams in action. Take a look at the types of start we run – for Monday Evening dinghies, for keelboats, for Open meetings, for Thursday evening. Followed by some hands-on practice using the equipment.

Tuesday 25th January

Course setting - Steve Green

• Dinghy Courses for Monday and Friday racing from the Club. Steve will cover Tides and weather, Boat Speeds, Course options including Starts and Finishes and the briefing.
   

Keelboat Finishes – Malcolm McKeag.

• The finish. It concerns and involves every member of the race team. Conventional finishes, shorten course finishes, go-straight-home finishes: this evening’s session will cover them all, from where to finish to setting a fair line to calling the line to recording sail numbers and times to awarding the correct scores. There will be aspects to involve every member of the team, from race officer to timekeeper to signaller to scribe to RIB driver and crew. Put quite simply: if we don’t get a finish we haven’t run a race.

Tuesday 1st February

Timekeeping - Jane Clegg, Roger Wilson and Mary McGough

• Jane will go through Timekeeping before and at the start, using “traditional “ methods, and timing at the finishes. Jane will also describe the other aspects of timekeeping which give such valuable information to the Race Officer. We will present Roger’s brief video on the use of the i-start machine. We will have 2 i-starts available for practice, plus stop watches. We can then practice using both methods.

Tuesday 8th February

Safe and Fun, Safeguarding of Children & Vulnerable Adults - Jane Corden, Vicky Leen & Kristy Powell

• A evening aimed at volunteers, and anyone else involved in working with children and/or vulnerable adults at an RYA club or training centre such at the RLymYC.

Tuesday 15th February

Club Race Officer - Malcolm McKeag

• A one-hour overview of the course ( as most of it will have been covered elsewhere) plus the test. Aimed at those who need a CRO certificate to run races in the Club. They will need to both pass the test and be assessed in practice to get the certificate.

Tuesday 22nd February

Course-setting for one design keelboats - Malcolm McKeag

• Course setting in our waters for X-boats and Folkboats. Will NOT include course setting for Thursday evenings.