Yachtmaster Fast Track Course – RYA Certified
RYA/MCA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track Syllabus & Programme
Why Choose the Yachtmaster Fast Track?
The Commodore Yachting “Zero to Hero” course, or more commonly known as the RYA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track programme, is a major investment in yourself as a sailor, with the end-goal that you’ll be awarded a professional qualification which will enable you to work worldwide in the sailing industry.
Our programme may not be the cheapest, but it’s by far the most comprehensive and detailed in the industry. We want you to feel you’ve not only gained a wealth of knowledge, but have the confidence, experience, and ability to back it up all the way, when and where it matters. For this, we don’t cut corners. We include all the usual courses everyone else does, but we add in a lot of self-sail time, including a more involved look at yachts and how they are constructed, maintained, and repaired. We give you all the tools you need to succeed; the rest is on you to practice, practice, practice, and show that knowledge and ability in the Yachtmaster exam.
So, let’s talk about our programme and what we offer that others don’t.
We run the RYA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track programme over 18 weeks, which we feel is the perfect timescale to give you the right level of immersion, ensuring that what you’ve learnt has time to soak in and become second nature. We’ve structured the programme so every course or event complements the previous one you completed. We want you to feel it’s one smooth, logical transition from step to step.
We offer a comprehensive package for our RYA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track programme, unlike a lot of our competition. We include all the instructor fees, yacht charter costs, RYA and Governing body certification costs (Yachtmaster Exam fees are not included), course materials, wet weather kit (not including footwear), and also, for things like when you take out a yacht for some self-sail mile building, acting as the skipper, we will give you a food budget and it’ll be up to you how you spend it. We also include accommodation aboard one of our fleet yachts during theory courses (food not included during theory courses), so the course is truly residential.
We split up the programme into three modules, all of which are detailed below, with the sea miles and days duration so you can see what you’ll be doing.
What We Don’t Include:
- Marina fees or harbour dues (although you can berth for free at any Premier Marina)
- Food during theory or shore-based courses
- Skippers insurance
- RYA/MCA Yachtmaster exam fee
Module 1:
| Week No. | Days | Duration (Days) | Course/Event Name | Sea Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Monday – Friday | 5 | RYA Competent Crew | 130 | |
| Week 2 | Saturday – Wednesday | 5 | RYA Competent Crew | 130 | |
| Thursday – Friday | 2 | Consolidate notes from RYA Competent Crew | N/A | ||
| Week 3 | Saturday – Sunday | 9 | RYA Day Skipper Theory & Practical | 100 | |
| Week 4 | Monday – Friday | 5 | RYA Day Skipper Practical | 100 | |
| Saturday – Sunday | 2 | Consolidate notes from Day Skipper Practical | N/A | ||
| Week 5 | Monday – Friday | 5 | Skippered Mile Builder | 200 | |
| Saturday – Sunday | 2 | RYA Day Skipper Skills | 50 | ||
| Week 6 | Monday | 1 | RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance | N/A | |
| Tuesday | 1 | Servicing yacht diesel engines | N/A | ||
| Wednesday | 1 | Consolidate notes on Diesel engines | N/A | ||
| Thursday – Friday | 2 | RYA Powerboat Level 2 | N/A | ||
| Saturday | 1 | RYA SRC/VHF & Exam | N/A | ||
| Sunday | 1 | RYA First Aid at Sea | N/A |
Module 1 brings you up to RYA Day Skipper level, with all the essential courses included to give you confidence and knowledge to handle the yacht and her crew, plus deal with issues should they arise.
You’ll now be able to successfully plan, organise, and execute passages, acting as the Skipper of the yacht. From here, your confidence will build, and you’ll grow as a sailor. At this point, it’s time to look at Module 2 and everything that contains, as now it starts to get more exciting!
Module 2:
| Week No. | Days | Duration (Days) | Course/Event Name | Sea Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 7 | Saturday – Friday | 7 | RYA Yachtmaster Theory | N/A | |
| Week 8 | Monday – Tuesday | 2 | Time off | N/A | Consolidate notes and learning |
| Wednesday – Sunday | 5 | RYA Coastal Skipper | 200 | High-end sailing & navigation skills | |
| Week 9 | Monday – Sunday | 7 | Self-Sail Time (Charter) | 300 | Pure sailing & passages |
| Week 10 | Monday – Tuesday | 2 | Time off | N/A | |
| Wednesday – Sunday | 5 | RYA Coastal Skipper | 300 | Repeated, for polishing & further experience | |
| Week 11 | Monday – Sunday | 7 | Self-Sail Time (Charter) | 400 | Practicing skills & exploring south coast |
Module 2 takes you from your successful completion of the RYA Day Skipper course and moves you up to the next level. This is where we give you plenty of time to build confidence and get out onto the waves, planning and executing your own passages of around 20-30 miles using navigational techniques during the day as well as at night. Now it’s time to go coastal! We then put you through your RYA Coastal Skipper course not just once, but twice. Twice, you say? Yes! We think that this course has so much intrinsic value that it’s well worth not rushing it, but repeating it to really bring home the value of the course and improve your abilities as a Coastal Skipper. Trust us, it’s worth it when we say it’s worth doing twice. This course brings home skills which aren’t often used, but when you need them, they’ll be second nature—skills like sailing in confined spaces, sailing onto and off moorings, and onto mooring buoys. It’s all good stuff and also great fun. This module will help advance your skills perfectly.
Module 3:
| Week No. | Days | Duration (Days) | Course/Event Name | Sea Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 12 | Wednesday – Tuesday | 7 | 60 Mile Passage Week | 450 | Assisted Skippered 60nm passages |
| Week 13 | Wednesday | 1 | Time off | 0 | |
| Thursday | 1 | Diesel Engine Servicing | 0 | Engine servicing | |
| Friday | 1 | 12 Volt Introduction | 0 | Introduction to 12V electrics | |
| Week 14 | Saturday – Friday | 7 | Self-Sail Time (Charter) | 500 | Offshore sailing |
| Week 15 | Saturday | 1 | RYA Sea Survival | 0 | Liferaft safety and use |
| Sunday – Monday | 2 | RYA Coastal Skipper Skills | 50 | Review skills | |
| Tuesday – Friday | 4 | Solent Pilotage | 120 | Explore Solent ports via day & night | |
| Week 16 | Monday – Friday | 5 | RYA Yachtmaster Prep | 100 | Mock exam |
| Saturday – Sunday | 2 | Skills and Drills | 20 | ||
| Week 17 | Monday – Friday | 5 | Sailing Time & Perfecting Skills | 100 | Skills polishing |
| Saturday – Sunday | 2 | Time off or Sailing Time | N/A | ||
| Week 18 | Monday – Sunday | 7 | RYA Yachtmaster Prep and Exam | Final prep week & exam |
Module 3 concentrates on building miles and experience, allowing you to hone your skills in conjunction with one of our RYA Yachtmaster Instructors™ who will be with you for the first five days. Following that, you’ll be out on your own (with a crew) for the next 14 days for some self-sail time (charter). You’ll have the whole of northern Europe at your disposal, so before you depart on your first big adventure, you’ll need to plan the journey and show us the skills you’ve accumulated over the previous weeks. This experience is essential as it allows you to gain real offshore knowledge and those all-essential qualifying passages for the final examination. During this time, don’t think you are all on your own, as we are still available on the phone 24/7 to offer help and guidance where we can. By this point, you should be a fully confident sailor, and the exam will be a mere formality to you.
The Yachts You’ll Be Training On
For the duration of your course, you’ll be sailing on a well-equipped 38-foot cruising yacht—think vessels in the style of Bavaria, Beneteau, or Jeanneau. These yachts are modern, seaworthy, and designed with both safety and comfort in mind, giving you the ideal platform to learn, practice, and grow your skills under real-world conditions. With spacious layouts and robust designs, these boats are tried-and-tested favourites in training settings, ensuring you have the best possible environment as you progress through each stage of the programme.
Small Group Sizes for Maximum Learning
Throughout the programme, we ensure you receive plenty of personal attention—each yacht operates with a maximum of 4 or 5 students on board. This smaller group size allows for hands-on experience, individual instruction, and a greater opportunity to fully immerse yourself in every aspect of sailing life. It’s all about making sure you’re not just another face in the crowd, but an integral part of the crew, building knowledge and confidence with each mile sailed.
First Aid Training: An Essential Skill Onboard
Absolutely—first aid training is a key component of our Fast Track syllabus. You’ll complete a comprehensive, MCA and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) approved one-day course designed with sailors in mind. This isn’t just a box-ticking exercise; the training ensures you’re well-prepared to handle medical emergencies at sea, from minor injuries and seasickness to more serious situations like hypothermia or fractures.
During the course, you’ll learn:
- How to assess and respond to onboard medical situations quickly and confidently
- Vital CPR and resuscitation techniques
- Treatment for common sailing injuries, including burns, cuts, sprains, and head wounds
- How to use a marine first aid kit effectively
- Best practices for seeking shoreside medical assistance when needed
By the end of your first aid training, you’ll have the practical knowledge to keep your crew safe and the confidence to manage unexpected medical situations until professional help is available.
And Finally…
Hopefully, the above has given you a flavour for what the RYA Yachtmaster™ Fast Track programme is all about. There is a lot to take in, and it’s not a decision that should be taken lightly. It’s an investment in you, and that investment needs a lot of input and dedication to achieve. So, ask around, speak to like-minded sailors, friends, family, even us! We love to chat about all kinds of sailing shenanigans, so don’t be afraid to pick up the phone anytime and give us a call. We are all sailors after all, and us lot at Commodore Yachting are so passionate about sailing we still answer the phones up to 8pm each night and sometimes even later! Don’t be a stranger—give us a shout and let’s have a chat about how we can help you achieve the pinnacle of professional sailing!
