Locations: Cowes Isle of Wight, UK - Middle Harbour YC Sydney, Australia - NSW Offshore, Australia
The Yachtmaster Basic Traineeship is a comprehensive training programme leading to the benchmark RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification or its Yachting Australia equivalent. The training is delivered in three parts, to make the most of the sailing seasons. If you have previous experience and are serious about working in the yachting industry, this is the course for you. You can also join the programme as a beginner, if you are able to log at least 500 miles independently before joining Part 3.
IYT Part 1 (Day Skipper) is a four week foundation course, suitable for newcomers and offering more experienced sailors the chance to recap basic skills and improve techniques.
IYT Part 2 (Coastal Skipper) provides eight weeks of intensive yacht handling, seamanship training, racing and offshore navigation - not to mention a great sailing adventure and a lot of fun too.
Most people now take a break. This is an opportunity to travel and log extra miles before returning to Flying
Fish for your Part 3 (Yachtmaster Sail) exam. Part 1 is based at Cowes on England's Isle of Wight. Waterside accommodation is at our historic Point Cottages. You deal with simulated emergencies at sea, radio operation, fire fighting and first aid. In addition we teach you basic navigation theory and you spend two weeks living aboard, learning the skills of Competent Crew and Day Skipper.
After a five day break, you fly to Sydney, Australia, for Part 2. Shorebased accommodation is at Manly, one of Sydney's best suburbs, a stone's throw from the stunning surf beach and a short walk to the cafes, bars and restaurants. Here you begin with a week of skills and drills in yachts and asymmetric dinghies in beautiful Sydney Harbour. The theory programme covers advanced navigation, meteorology, collision regulations and passage planning. Then you start your offshore passages, with coaching in boat handling, sail trimming and safety drills, including man overboard, evacuation, and heavy weather procedures. You take time out to learn to dive or take an advanced course before a further period offshore to complete your Coastal Skipper course.
Next you learn spinnaker handling and race tactics on board our matched Beneteau 40.7 race yachts. This popular week includes training in drops and hoists, gybes and trim as well as broach recovery. Sail past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge! Flying Fish is based in a spectacular setting at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, the friendliest yacht club in Sydney. Course members are given free membership, which means you can put your name down for twilight races with local crews.
Part 2 finishes with a long offshore passage: fabulous sailing in challenging subtropical conditions. Explore the New South Wales coast, heading south following the route of the Sydney Hobart race or north towards Broughton Island, Seal Rocks and Coffs Harbour. Weather conditions vary from warm nor'-easterly breezes to strong, cool southerly busters. This is offshore sailing at its best. By the end of Part 2 you can expect to have achieved a YA Coastal Skipper qualification and be confident in charge of a yacht and its crew on coastal passages. During your course debrief you choose the date and location of your Part 3 Yachtmaster assessment. For most people, Part 3 takes place over two weeks in the challenging tidal waters of the Solent in southern England, including a one-day practical exam for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore certificate. If you prefer a warmer climate, dates are also available in Sydney, where you can choose between the RYA qualification and its Yachting Australia equivalent.
