RYA Start Yachting
The RYA Start Yachting practical sailing training course is a gentle yet exciting and informative two day introduction in learning to sail for complete beginners with no prior experience to the world of sailing.
Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Start Yachting course!
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RYA Competent Crew
The perfect sailing course for beginners all over the UK, the five day RYA Competent Crew practical RYA course will give you the best building blocks to start your sailing journey with.
Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Competent Crew course at Gosport Marina!
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RYA Day Skipper Practical
The RYA Day Skipper Course runs over five days and brings students with at least the RYA Competent Crew qualification (or knowledge to that level as minimum) and some sailing experience, up to skipper level.
Where to Take This Course
You can join the RYA Day Skipper Practical course at a variety of recognised training centres throughout the UK and abroad. Many well-established sailing schools operate out of key locations like ours who have been operating for over 30 years from the Solent the best sailing ground in the world! . You can search for training courses based on your preferred time and choose a reputable providers to find a course that fits your schedule. Its highly recommended to take your training course in the UK where the training is the best in the world and your qualification will be respected and accepted all over the UK and the world!
If you’re unsure where to start, feel free to drop us a message—we’re happy to recommend popular options and help match you with a course that suits your needs and sailing aspirations.
Take a look at our live day skipper practical course calendar for dates for the RYA Day Skipper Practical course!
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RYA Day Skipper Combination Theory and Practical
The RYA Day Skipper Combined Theory and Practical Training Course runs over nine days. The course brings students with at least the RYA Competent Crew qualification, or some sailing experience, up to RYA Day Skipper level, through undertaking both the theory and practical training courses.
Accommodation during the theory side of the training course is available at a small extra cost (subject to boat availability).
Take a look at our live course calendar for RYA Day Skipper Theory and Practical Combined Training Course dates, taking place at Gosport Marina.
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RYA Coastal Skipper Practical
RYA Coastal Skipper Practical: Master Solent Navigation in 5 Days
The RYA Coastal Skipper Practical training course is designed for sailors looking to enhance their coastal navigation and passage planning skills at Premier Gosport Marina. As the next progressive step from the RYA Day Skipper qualification, this training course delivers advanced sailing techniques and navigational expertise for executing longer passages. With over 30 years of Solent-based experience, Commodore Yachting equips you with the confidence to tackle essential Channel crossings. View our live course calendar for RYA Coastal Skipper Practical dates at Gosport Marina.
This Course in Summer?
You may notice that the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical isn’t often scheduled during June, July, or August. This is quite intentional. One of the key elements of this advanced course is meaningful night sailing experience. The long daylight hours of summer simply don’t allow us to provide enough genuine night time navigation for every student. To ensure you gain real-world skills—like plotting courses in darkness and handling a yacht after sunset—we schedule these courses more at times of year when darkness reliably falls early enough for proper night passages.
Every aspect of the course is designed for focused, in-depth learning. We limit numbers to just four students per yacht, all learning at the same advanced level. This lets our RYA instructors tailor tuition to the needs of budding Coastal Skippers. Please note: students must be at least 17 years old, and anyone under 18 will need a parent or guardian on board. But don’t worry we do run them but we have smaller numbers in the summer so we can get those night hours in!
Ready to navigate with confidence, day or night? Here’s what’s included in your training:
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RYA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track
The RYA/MCA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track course takes you from limited or zero sailing experience all the way up to a fully qualified RYA/MCA Yachtmaster™ , with all the required practical, theory courses, mile-building and sailing experience you’ll need to help get you qualified*.
Developed by some of the best RYA Yachtmaster Instructors and world-leading Marine industry experts, our Yachtmaster Fast Track scheme is far more comprehensive and better value than the competition – Compare what we offer against others!
This complete, full-time training package is carefully structured to take you from basic seamanship skills to confidently skippering a yacht and passing your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam. Whether you’re aiming for a professional yachting career or want to rapidly build your competence as a leisure sailor, our course is designed for those who want to achieve the highest standard quickly—with no previous experience required.
We believe the quality of your instructors is crucial. That’s why our team is made up of highly experienced Yachtmaster instructors, each chosen not just for their exceptional sailing skills, but also for their approachable teaching style and genuine passion for sharing knowledge. You’ll benefit from their many years of real-world experience, making every lesson practical, relevant, and memorable.
From our base at Premier Marina Gosport, you’ll get hands-on training in a variety of challenging conditions and a range of ports around the Solent and adjacent waters. The result? By the end of your course, you’ll be a confident, safe, and highly capable skipper—ready to launch your professional journey or set sail with friends and family on your own adventures.
Why go elsewhere? Book your place on our next RYA/MCA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track course!
This course is designed for you to go from little to no sailing experience to a very confident safe and very capable skipper, weather you are coming into the industry to be a professional skipper or want to be a top quality sailor to take your family out sailing in the future this course is for you!
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RYA/MCA Yachtmaster™ Coastal/Offshore Preparation Week
The RYA Yachtmaster™ Coastal/Offshore qualification is the next progression step from being a qualified RYA Day/Coastal skipper, and is one of the most useful, credible, and accepted professional qualifications in Yachting.
Our Yachtmaster training & preparation week is 5 full days of preparation followed by up to 2 days for the exam.
Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Yachtmaster™ Coastal/Offshore Training & Preparation week!
How to Reserve Your Place
Booking your spot on the RYA Yachtmaster™ Coastal/Offshore Preparation Week is straightforward. Simply select your preferred start date from the options below and follow the link to secure your place. Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll be guided through an easy booking process—no need to pick up the phone unless you’d like a chat! If you have any questions along the way or would like to discuss the course in more detail, our team is always happy to help.
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RYA Day Skipper “Skills Weekend”
The Day Skipper Skills Weekend Training Course aims to help students who have not yet passed their RYA Day Skipper practical training course who have a small action plan to achieve the qualification. It’s also a great refresher for qualified sailors looking to hone and polish skills after a break from sailing, or a pre-season refresher. We also find it’s very popular with sailors about to embark on a charter holiday abroad.
Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the Day Skipper Skills Weekend Practical training 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.
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RYA Yachtmaster “Skills Weekend”
The Yachtmaster Skills Weekend helps students who have not yet passed their RYA Yachtmaster exam, RYA Coastal Skipper training course or those wanting to refresh skills before undertaking the RYA Cruising Instructor training course. It’s also a great refresher for qualified sailors looking to hone and polish sailing skills before a charter holiday abroad.
Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the Yachtmaster Skills Weekend Practical training course!
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RYA Cruising Instructor
The RYA Cruising Instructor practical sailing Course is a designed for RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore qualified sailors to enhance their career and gain the much coveted RYA Cruising Instructor qualification, and begin your Instructing career.
Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Cruising Instructor course!
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