RYA Practical Sailing Courses
These official RYA Sailing Courses take place on yachts, sailing around the Solent to a different marina, or harbour, or anchorage each night and sleeping onboard in cabins. From our base in Southampton we run the full range of RYA Practical Sailing Courses in and around the Solent on the UK's South Coast.

RYA Competent Crew Course
The RYA Competent Crew practical course is an excellent introduction for beginners. The perfect starting point if you have done no sailing before.
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RYA Day Skipper Practical Course
This 5-day course (weekdays or weekends) is excellent for aspiring skippers and is taught on the Solent by friendly skippers with bags of experience
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RYA Coastal Skipper Course
An advanced sailing course that teaches skippering techniques for those wanting to undertake coastal passages by day and night.
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Yachtmaster Ocean
RYA Yachtmaster Ocean courses. Preparatrion for Yachmaster Ocean exam and certification.
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Cruising Instructor Course
> RYA Cruising Instructor Course. The entry course for those wishing to teach RYA courses in the RYA Cruising Scheme
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Yachtmaster Coastal Course
This Yachtmaster Coastal Course is designed to bring experienced sailors up to speed before taking the MCA/RYA Certificate of Competence.
Learn MoreRYA Practical Courses With First Class Sailing
All our RYA Practical Sailing Courses start from Southampton, right in the heart of the Solent; known as the hub of the UK's yachting community. With expert guidance from our friendly instructors, these RYA qualifications and courses are designed to boost your sailing skills and confidence, opening the door to one of the most exhilarating water sports around.
Our RYA yacht courses in the Solent run over five days and are available in these different formats:
- Two weekends (one standard weekend and one long weekend including Friday or Monday)
- Five consecutive weekdays (Monday to Friday)
- Five consecutive days including a weekend (e.g., Thursday to Monday)
Fantastic Week
Fantastic week, would highly recommend this school and the Solent. Very knowledgeable and friendly instructor who was able to tailor learning to suit each person (challenging you when you could do the basic skills). Boat was in good condition, food provisioning was excellent and visited lots of fantastic marinas. Wish I could do it again this week!

Eleanor P
Verified Customer






Our Yachts
Our RYA Practical Courses are held on a range of yachts, from 32ft to 46ft. Makes of yacht include Jeanneau, Bavaria, Beneteau, and Westerly yachts to name just a few. Whichever RYA sailing course you are considering, you'll be learning aboard vessels perfectly suited to the task.
Our modern yachts are generally high-performance cruising yachts built for comfort and designed for those looking for a relaxed way of getting away from it all. They are all ideal boats for those wishing to learn the ropes whilst gaining an RTA qualification on a practical course. They’re the type of yacht you might charter in the Mediterranean or Caribbean.
On-board, you’ll find top-quality equipment, and of course, modern electronic chart plotters and radars plus traditional paper charts. The yachts are equipped and maintained to the high standard required for teaching by the RYA and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Below deck, our yachts have fully equipped galleys and heating in each cabin, ensuring a comfortable experience while you learn.
All of them are:
- Clean and comfy
- Equipped and maintained to the highest standard
- Much loved by our instructors and sailors
As part of the build up to your RYA Practical Sailing Courses, a few days before we will let you know which yacht you’ll be sailing on.
Our Yachts
