Yachtmaster Practical Skills
This advanced course is designed for experienced sailors at or above RYA Day Skipper level who are preparing for the RYA Yachtmaster examinations. It focuses on refining seamanship and boat handling skills, sharpening navigational techniques, and developing sound decision-making and builds confidence and competence through intensive practical training.
Description
This course is designed as an intensive skills pre-training week for the Yachtmaster Prep and Exam course.
It focuses on developing and refining the practical skills and decision-making required for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore practical examination.
With expert coaching and plenty of time at the helm, you'll build confidence in advanced seamanship, boat handling, and safety management.
Under the guidance of a qualified RYA Instructor, you’ll rotate through responsibilities on board, taking turns as skipper and crew in realistic scenarios.
You’ll also rehearse a range of simulated emergencies—including steering failure, man overboard recovery, and abandon ship procedures—to ensure you're fully prepared for both your assessment and real-world situations.
Course programme
Training runs daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A night exercise will take place on Tuesday. The draft schedule is as follows:
- Day 1 – Monday: Power and sail handling, mooring drills, short-handed docking, and sailing on/off mooring buoys.
- Day 2 – Tuesday: Heavy weather techniques, steering failure simulation, anchoring under sail, man overboard recovery, and night pilotage exercise.
- Day 3 – Wednesday: Offshore sailing with reefing and drogue deployment, position fixing using traditional and electronic methods, offshore MOB practice, and search patterns.
- Day 4 – Thursday: Navigation and blind pilotage drills, and checks on onboard systems such as seacocks, engine, log, and sounder.
- Day 5 – Friday: Docking under sail using warps (no engine), towing drills, abandon ship drill, and individual debriefs.
Theory knowledge
We strongly recommend pairing this course with the Yachtmaster shore-based theory course. It covers the navigation, meteorology, and collision regulations required for the Yachtmaster exam.
Location and sailing conditions
Training takes place in and around Sydney Harbour—an excellent area with a mix of busy shipping channels, navigation marks, and pilotage challenges. You’ll also sail offshore during the week for realistic passage-making and emergency drills.
The yacht and the instructor
You’ll train aboard one of our RYA-inspected Beneteau 40.7 cruiser-racer yachts, led by an experienced RYA Yachtmaster Instructor with extensive offshore expertise.
Before you start
- You hold the RYA Day Skipper practical certificate or have equivalent experience.
- You are a competent navigator, probably having attended the Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory course.
What's included
- Tuition, logbook, and pre-course reading
- Life jackets and safety harnesses are provided. Wet weather clothing can be loaned if required.
- All vessels have an enclosed bathroom on board.
- Please bring your own lunch and snacks.
- We provide tea, coffee, and water onboard.
Qualifications and experience
- 150 sea miles logged
- Logbook skills for Yachtmaster
What next?
- Subject to your seatime and theory knowledge, you may now be ready to go on to our Yachtmaster Prep and Exam week.
Faq
- Booking information
- To secure your place in the course, please pay a 20% holding deposit via the links provided above. This deposit will reserve your position until sixty days before the course start date, at which point the remaining course fees will be required.
- Please be aware that the deposit is non-refundable; however, it can be transferred to any other course or event offered by Flying Fish.
- We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment, as spaces are limited.
- View our Terms and Conditions.
- What are the essential skills and knowledge required to join this course?
- This course is designed for sailors with practical sailing experience, ideally at RYA Coastal Skipper level or above.
- You should be confident steering a yacht, trimming sails, handling lines and winches, and navigating by day and night.
- It’s a great way to develop your seamanship, navigation, and skippering ability ahead of the Yachtmaster Prep and Exam week.
- What type of yacht will I train on?
- This course takes place on a Beneteau 40.7 — a fast, responsive cruiser-racer ideal for advanced sail training.
- The yacht is RYA-inspected and fully equipped with modern navigation and safety equipment.
- You’ll rotate through roles on board, receiving expert guidance from an experienced RYA Yachtmaster Instructor.
- How fit do I need to be?
- You’ll need a reasonable level of fitness and mobility to move around the boat and work on deck in varied conditions.
- A positive attitude and willingness to get involved are essential.
- If you're unsure whether this course is suitable for you, please contact us for a chat.
- What happens if the weather is bad?
- We train in a wide range of weather conditions. Learning to manage the yacht in less-than-ideal weather is part of the experience.
- In the unlikely event of severe weather that compromises safety, the schedule may be adjusted as needed.
- Can I book as a private group?
- Yes, we welcome private group bookings for bespoke training weeks aboard our Beneteau 40.7.
- This is ideal for friends or sailing teams preparing for an exam or looking to improve together.
- Contact us to arrange a customised training program to suit your group’s goals.
- What should I bring with me?
- Comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing (quick-dry layers, warm fleece for colder months)
- Waterproof jacket and trousers (essential — loan gear available if needed)
- Non-slip sailing shoes or trainers
- Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen
- Water bottle and lunch/snacks for the day
- Life jackets are provided on board by Flying Fish.
- A sense of adventure and a team spirit!