This RYA Competent Crew course is ideal if you have done little or no sailing before. You will become a useful crew member and an asset to anyone you go sailing with. Sleeping and eating on board (apart from perhaps the odd evening meal out in a pub or restaurant if you choose!) you will learn lots about sailing, life on board and how fun it is. You will stay at a different marina or anchorage or harbour each night.

Minimum Pre Course Experience: None required.

Ability after the Course: You will be a useful crew member!

Course Content: Basic seamanship and helmsmanship.

The course is best taken over 5 consecutive days or over 2 weekends (a short and a long).

We can also run different courses at the same time, on the same boat. So if a friend, family member or partner would like to complete another course, such as the Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper Course, they can do so at the same time as yourself. Just make us aware at the time you book.

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What to expect on the RYA Competent Crew course

You can expect a fully qualified and friendly instructor to welcome you aboard and teach you everything you need to know. All our instructors are regularly recognised for being enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and they all offer a wide range of experience and passion for teaching sailing.,

You’ll meet like-minded people and there’s a good chance you’ll leave with new friends alongside your new sailing skills. There’s also delicious fresh food and fresh sea air to match.,

Each day is action packed and you’ll find yourself pleasantly tired at the end of the course. We typically enjoy breakfast at around 8am or earlier, and you’ll normally be in a marina for a hot shower by 6pm, followed by supper on board and then if time a trip to the pub.,

We tailor each course depending on the wind, tide and your preferences, so some nights we’ll drop anchor, and others we’ll tie onto a buoy. We will also go for an evening sail to try out sailing in the dark, which is great fun!

Where will you sail?

First Class Sailing runs the practical RYA Competent Crew course from Southampton in Hampshire, so you will learn to sail on the south coast.,

If you choose to take the course from Southampton you will leave from Shamrock Quay and mainly sail around the Solent. Take a look at this handy map of the Solent, where you’ll see some of the places we sail to, including; Portsmouth, Cowes, Yarmouth, Beaulieu, Lymington, Hamble and many more fantastic places.

Learning to sail on the South Coast

The Solent is a great place to learn to sail. We’ll use the various harbours, bays, creeks, rivers, marinas and anchorages to help you practice a wide range of required skills. Because of the large volume of other boats and busy shipping activity, the Solent is always great fun, and will prepare you well for sailing in other places or countries.,

Whilst the Isle of Wight provides some protection from the worst of the Channel weather, making the sea within the Solent relatively flat compared with conditions in the open sea, the tides in the Solent provides students with an excellent challenge to their seamanship and navigational skills.

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Accommodation during the RYA Competent Crew course

During your sailing course you’ll sleep on board the yacht. There’s typically three double cabins and two single berths which provide accommodation for eight people.

However, there’s only ever a maximum of 2, 3, 4 or 5 students on board plus the instructor depending on the course ratio option that you book.

You will get your own sleeping space be this a cabin or the saloon. You will not have to share a sleeping space with anyone else unless you have booked as a group of friends/family.

Showers/Facilities

Whilst we do have showers on board the yacht, most nights you can use the hot showers and facilities in a marina.

The only thing not included in the price are mooring fees. It depends on where you end up each night but they are usually about £40 per person for 5 days.

Food & Meals

Except for supper on the evening you join the boat, we cater on board for all meals. We provide food that is healthy and nutritious, including salads, vegetables, white and wholemeal bread, chicken, lean minced beef, salmon, muesli and cereal. In fact, just the kind of food that you might buy yourself. For snacks there is plenty of fruit, but also a supply of chocolate and biscuits.,

If you have any special dietary requirements, be it vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten free, or allergies, we can normally accommodate these. Just let us know when you fill out your booking form.

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Course Location (Southampton / Solent)

Shamrock Quay is easily accessible by train or car.

Getting to Shamrock Quay

Shamrock Quay is about an 8 minute taxi ride from Southampton Central Station, or 15 minutes from Southampton Airport if you’re flying in. If you are arriving by car you can park in Shamrock Quay Marina, with 24/7 security.,

Occasionally a course may start on one of our boats when it is not at Shamrock Quay. It may be very close to Shamrock Quay or in Hamble. We will give you plenty of notice when this is the case.

Start/Finish Times for the Competent Crew Course

We find it is better if you arrive the evening before your course starts (arrive for 8pm). This way you can start getting to know the yacht, the skipper and your crew mates before the course really gets under way. If this is not possible then you need to be at the boat by 8.00am on the first day of the Sailing Course.

You can expect to get away by 3/3.30pm on the final day of your course. If you are catching a train we recommend you do not book a ticket in advance as we can’t guarantee you will get away at 3pm on the dot. It could be earlier or a little later.

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