Yachtmaster certificate, levels and attributions

The Yachting Certificate Yacht Master is the highest training certificate offered by the RYA (Royal Yachting Association).It is widely recognized worldwide and allows the possibility to work as a professional skipper in different seas, as we will explain below.

RYA Yachtmaster

Levels and differences within the Yacht Master certificate

The Yachtmaster certificate is composed of three different titles, y cada uno habilita al gobierno de embarcaciones a vela de diferentes esloras, a distintas distancias de costa y con diferentes propósitos (comercial o recreativo). These are the levels in which Yachtmaster is divided:

• Yachtmaster CoastalSailboats up to 24 meters in length and sailing 60 miles off the coast. To access the course, it is necessary to have a Coastal Skipper theory level and to have sailed a minimum of 800 miles in sections of more than 60 miles in a row.
• Yachtmaster Offshore: sailboats up to 200 gt and sailing 150 miles from the coast. To qualify for this title, you must have a Coastal Skipper level of theory and have a minimum of 2500 miles sailed in stretches of more than 60 miles in a row.
• Yachtmaster OceanYachtmaster Offshore: any recreational boat without limits of length or distance from the coast. To access it, you must be in possession of the Yachtmaster Offshore, and have made a crossing of more than 600 miles in the ocean by astros.

Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore and Ocean have some equivalence with Spanish recreational sailing qualifications: PER, Patrón de Yate and Capitán de Yate, respectively.. And unlike in Spain, you can start directly in Yacht Master Offshore if you have the necessary training and experience.

How can I obtain a Yachtmaster certificate?

Firstly, making sure that you you meet the mandatory experience/qualification requirements for each of the levels. It is also essential to have a minimum level of EnglishThe course contents are taught in English and the exam is in English.

After these considerations, it is advisable to to take an intensive theory course preparatory to Yacht Master. which lasts 40 hours, and is generally divided into 5 days in which you will review everything you need to know for the Yacht Master Coastal or Offshore certification (the theory is the same in both cases). …. This course is not compulsory, but without this knowledge you will find it very difficult to pass the practical exam and more importantly, you will be failing to learn. very important contents to improve your skills and safety at sea..

After passing the theoretical exam, the second step is to participate in the participate in a practical preparation called Yachtmaster Preparation Week at Seawhich consists of 4 days of practice on board a boat during which you prepare for the exam. After which, you will have to pass a 2-day practical exam conducted by an examiner who can never be your instructor or training center staff.

What are the advantages of RYA courses?

The RYA training system is very interesting and we recommend it to all our students for these reasons:

• The world’s best training system for learning to sail
• Contents focused on real navigation and on improving practical skills.
• Personalized and quality teaching, with a maximum of 5 students per instructor.
• You obtain a qualification with international recognition, valid for sailing in all the countries of the world.
• Very simple and quick to obtain professional qualifications.

Note: RYA certificates are not homologated in our country, so in order to sail as a Spaniard on a Spanish flagged boat it is essential to be in possession of an appropriate Spanish nautical qualification.

The contents of the Spanish nautical qualifications are not designed to teach sailing, they are designed to have theoretical knowledge of sailing, which is fine, but they are totally insufficient in real sailing. So if you want to complement the training of the Spanish nautical qualifications to learn to sail with confidence, the RYA courses are more than recommended. Would you like to receive more information, or would you like to sign up for any of the courses within our training schedule? Contact us, we will be happy to advise you!We will be happy to advise you!