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RYA QUALIFICATIONS

RYA stands for the Royal Yachting Association, which is the UK’s national association for all forms of recreational and competitive boating.  RYA’s training schemes for powered and sailing craft provide qualifications for skippers, instructors and water sports professionals worldwide.

RYA Yachtmaster and Yachtmaster Ocean

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is gained by taking an exam in either a sailing or motor yacht - your certificate will be endorsed accordingly.  There is no formal training course leading up to the exam, but those who have not previously taken RYA courses often find it useful to book themselves in for some informal training prior to taking an exam.  You will need to get your Certificate commercially endorsed for it to be valid for working on board superyachts.

The Yachtmaster Ocean exam is an oral and written test of your knowledge of ocean passage making including planning, navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management, yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.  You will also be questioned on your sights taken at sea during an ocean passage.  Again, you will need to get your Certificate commercially endorsed.

IYT (International Yacht Training) are a USA-based organisation and their equivalent courses are also recognised by the MCA.

For more information about RYA training and certification please go to their website http://www.ryatraining.org/professional/Introduction.htm.

The following Superyacht UK members offer RYA Yachtmaster and Yachtmaster Ocean Certification:

• Flagship Superyacht Academy, Hampshire – 023 9233 9000 –
• Hoylake Sailing School, Cheshire – 0151 632 4664 – www.hss.ac.uk
• Ocean Training, Distance Learning – 01451 860435 – www.oceantraining.com
• Flying Fish UK, Isle of Wight, 0871 250 2500

To find British Marine Federation/Marine Leisure Association members offering RYA Yachtmaster and Yachtmaster Ocean Certification please follow this link:  http://www.marineleisure.co.uk/members.asp?t=Training&p=List+of+Members&m=Training

To find other RYA approved training centres, please follow this link: http://www.ryatraining.org/findacentre/.

For further information about Yachtmaster and other RYA courses and qualifications, please visit their website at http://www.ryatraining.org/.