RYA Day Skipper Practical Weekend
Complete your RYA Day Skipper Practical over three flexible weekends. Build the skills and confidence to take command of a yacht and, on completion, gain your RYA Day Skipper certificate.
Description

Your Day Skipper training is practical, hands-on and designed to build confidence as a skipper. Over three weekends, you’ll develop your skills through coaching, short passages and real skippering decisions.
You can choose weekend dates to suit you. We recommend consolidating your skills and knowledge between weekends to get the most from the course.
Prefer to complete your training in one block? See our 5-day RYA Day Skipper Practical course.
RYA Day Skipper – key skills and training
- Preparing a yacht for sea and managing life on board
- Sail trim, reefing and yacht handling under sail and power
- Mooring, anchoring, marina manoeuvres and picking up buoys
- Navigation, pilotage, tides and passage planning
- Basic meteorology and collision regulations (COLREGS)
- Engine checks and basic fault finding
- Emergency procedures, VHF radio use and man overboard recovery
- Watchkeeping and day and night pilotage
Sailing on Sydney Harbour
Sydney Harbour is an outstanding place to learn, with busy waterways, sheltered bays, sea breezes and varied conditions. Your instructor will adapt the training to the weather and give you plenty of opportunities to practise real-world skippering.
Your yacht and instructor
You’ll train aboard one of our Beneteau First 40 cruiser-racer yachts with an experienced RYA-qualified instructor and a maximum of five students — giving you plenty of hands-on sailing, time at the helm and individual coaching.
What's included
- RYA tuition, course materials, logbook and pre-course reading
- Life jackets and safety harnesses
- Wet weather clothing available to borrow if required
- Tea, coffee and drinking water
- Use of onboard bathroom facilities
Please bring your own lunch and snacks.
Certificate and experience gained
- RYA Day Skipper Practical certificate on successful completion of all three weekends
- Eligibility to apply to the RYA for an International Certificate of Competence (ICC), commonly required when chartering yachts in Europe and other destinations
Before you start
- You should have completed RYA Competent Crew or have at least one week’s sailing experience and be confident as a crew member.
- You should have a basic understanding of navigation, pilotage and safety before starting the practical course.
- For the full theory programme, complete RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory.
- Alternatively, we recommend our Essential Boating Skills and Knowledge course — a flexible, fully online option covering the essential knowledge you need for Day Skipper Practical. It’s particularly useful for preparing and consolidating your knowledge between weekends.
- The minimum age for RYA Day Skipper certification is 16.
What next?
- We recommend all Day Skippers hold a Marine First Aid certificate and an ACMA Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP) — essential emergency skills for a competent skipper.
- Ready to progress? The next step is RYA Coastal Skipper Practical, supported by RYA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased Theory. These courses develop the navigation, passage planning and boat handling skills needed for longer coastal passages and progression towards RYA Yachtmaster.
Testimonials
- Tim Keith
- Day Skipper Weekend

- Thanks to Flying Fish instructor Matt, for a great learning experience and friendly flexible approach for us all over the weekend. I really enjoyed his teaching and the way we worked as a crew.
- Alison Thursby
- Start Yachting Weeekend

- “ Our instructor, Chris was fantastic. I now understand the basics of sailing and have recommended the course to many others. I look forward to doing a competent crew course soon ”
- Jeanette Kim
- NSW Boat licence

- “ The instructor was awesome! Made the lessons clear, fun and very informative. They focus on water safety and everything you need, to enjoy your time out on your boat. What are you waiting for? Get a boat licence and enjoy our beautiful harbour! ”
Faq
- How do I book?
- Book your weekend dates online to secure your places.
- Receive a 10% discount when booking three or more courses in a single transaction.
- Places are limited, so we recommend booking early.
- View our Terms and Conditions and cancellation policy.
- Do I have to complete all three weekends consecutively?
- No. You can choose weekend dates to suit your schedule.
- We recommend avoiding long gaps where possible and consolidating your skills and knowledge between weekends.
- Is it better to complete Day Skipper over five consecutive days?
- Both pathways cover the practical training required for the RYA Day Skipper certificate.
- The 5-day Day Skipper Practical course offers greater continuity and immersion, which can make it easier to build skills from day to day. The three-weekend pathway offers more flexibility if you cannot commit to five consecutive days.
- What happens if the weather is bad?
- Courses normally run in all weather. Your instructor will adapt the programme to the conditions, with safety always the priority.
- What type of yacht will I sail on?
- You’ll train aboard one of our Beneteau First 40 cruiser-racer yachts, well suited to practical RYA training and coastal sailing.
- What should I bring?
- Lunch and snacks — tea, coffee and drinking water are provided onboard
- Quick-dry clothing and a warm layer
- Non-slip shoes, hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
- Personal medications
- Life jackets are provided and wet weather gear can be loaned if required
- Can I book a private course?
- Yes. Private courses are available for groups of up to five people, with only four places charged.
- We can often combine different RYA levels on the same yacht, so some people can complete Day Skipper while others complete Competent Crew.
- This works particularly well for couples, families and groups of friends. Please get in touch and we’ll help arrange the right programme.