Online RYA Professional Practices and Responsibilities (PPR)

Read our day-by-day guide to the RYA Day Skipper course for a detailed breakdown of what each day covers, with tips on navigation exercises and meteorology study.

No minimum age (under-16s accompanied by an adult). Some sailing experience helpful but not essential.

Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Day Skipper Theory course!

How to Book

Once you’ve found your ideal dates, you can secure your place with just a 30% deposit. We understand life can throw up the occasional choppy waters, so instalment payments are available to spread the payment out before your course—just get in touch to arrange what works best for you. If you have any questions or want to chat through the course before booking, don’t hesitate to contact Tom for friendly, expert advice on the phone.

Online vs classroom delivery for your RYA day skipper theory course

We offer the RYA day skipper theory course in two formats. The classroom course runs over five consecutive days at our training centre at Gosport Marina. It includes face to face tuition, group exercises, and access to our chart plotter simulator. The online course lets you study at your own pace from home, with tutor support by email and phone.

Both options cover the same RYA Day Skipper theory syllabus: navigation, safety, meteorology, collision regulations, passage planning, and engine checks. The key difference is pace. Classroom students complete in one week. Online students typically take 4-8 weeks. Choose whichever suits your schedule.

The RYA day skipper theory course is a prerequisite for the Day Skipper practical course. It is also valuable for anyone who wants to charter a yacht — many charter companies require evidence of theory training before they will let you take a boat out.

FAQ about the Day Skipper theory course

How long is the course?

The classroom course is 5 days, typically 9am to 5pm. The online course is self-paced with 40-60 hours of study material.

Is there an exam?

Yes. The course concludes with a 2-hour exam paper. A pass mark of 60% is required. You can retake if needed.

Do I need any previous qualifications?

No formal qualifications are needed, but you should have some sailing experience. The RYA recommends at least 2 days experience and 50 logged sea miles before starting the theory course.

Can I do the theory course after the practical?

Yes, but we recommend doing theory first. The navigation and meteorology knowledge will make your practical week far more productive.

The RYA Day Skipper practical course is where you stop being crew and start being skipper. Over five days on the Solent, you will take command of a Bavaria yacht under the supervision of an RYA instructor. You will plan passages, make navigational decisions, and manage the crew.

The Solent is one of the best places in the UK to train for your Day Skipper practical. Tidal streams, commercial shipping, and busy harbours mean you get real experience of skippering in challenging conditions. You will visit ports like Portsmouth, Cowes, and Yarmouth, practicing berthing alongside and picking up mooring buoys. Successful completion prepares you for the RYA Coastal Skipper practical course.

Prerequisites: RYA Competent Crew (or equivalent experience) and the RYA Day Skipper theory certificate. You should have logged at least 5 days, 100 sea miles, and 4 night hours on a sailing yacht.

RYA VHF/SRC Radio

The RYA SRC VHF Radio course is the minimum qualification required by law to operate VHF or Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment on any British flagged vessel. This RYA VHF SRC radio training covers marine VHF radio operation, DSC distress calling, and routine communication procedures.

Anyone who operates a marine radio at sea needs this qualification whether you are on a kayak, paddle board, RIB, jet ski, or yacht. Our RYA VHF SRC radio course runs in a single day at our Gosport Marina base on the Solent.

After completing this course you will be able to take the next step in your sailing journey with our RYA Day Skipper theory or practical training courses. For official course details visit the RYA radio courses page.

Learn more about our one day courses or view our full course calendar for available dates.

What you will learn on the RYA VHF radio course

The RYA VHF SRC (Short Range Certificate) course covers everything you need to legally operate marine VHF and DSC equipment on a UK-flagged vessel. You will learn how to make distress calls, communicate with coastguard stations, and use Digital Selective Calling to contact specific vessels.

The course runs from 9am to 5pm at our Gosport Marina training centre. The morning covers VHF radio theory, channel frequencies, and communication procedures. The afternoon is hands-on with DSC simulators practicing distress, urgent, and routine calls. The written and practical exam happens at the end of the day — results are immediate.

The RYA VHF radio course is the minimum legal requirement for anyone using marine VHF on a British vessel. It is also a prerequisite for the RYA Day Skipper theory course and is included in our Yachtmaster Fast Track programme. No previous experience is needed — just a good understanding of spoken English.