Sailing Skills at Mallorca Sailing Academy: 5-Day RYA Course

Duration: 5 Days

Are you ready to take control of the yacht and command your own crew? If so, take the helm and take responsibility of the boat and crew, and navigate a passage under the careful guidance and safety of an experienced instructor during this 5-day, practical, hands-on RYA course. Day Skippers can sail on short passages during the day without supervision, putting you that much closer to your achieving your ultimate sailing goals.

Description

If you are ready to move up a level, take control of a yacht. and command your own crew, the popular RYA Day Skipper course will teach you everything you need to know to skipper a yacht in familiar waters during the day. Spend five fun days on a modern yacht and make the transition from crew to skipper while learning practical hands-on skills like sea preparation, navigation, yacht handling, mooring, changing sails, passage planning, and how to sail overnight. Upon completion of this course, you will have the confidence, skills, and experience needed to skipper a yacht during the day.

When you take the helm under the careful guidance of an experienced instructor, you will learn what it’s like to have complete responsibility for the boat, the crew, and navigation during this 5-day fully practical course. The Day Skipper certification will give you the skills and the confidence to sail without supervision during the day. The sea will be yours for the taking.

If you have some yachting experience that includes basic navigation and practical sailing skills, then you are ready to be a day skipper for short passages. The RYA Day Skipper certification enables you to safely take charge of a 30- to 45-foot cruising yacht with your family and friends for a weekend or a holiday. Skippering a yacht involves work, practice, dedication, and some key sailing skills like crew organization and watch keeping, but the RYA Day Skipper course prepares you to charter a boat or be the captain of your own ship.

The Royal Yacht Association administers the Day Skipper qualification, which proves you have the knowledge required to skipper a yacht on shorter, coastal cruises during daylight. It is part of a series of qualifications that include Competent Crew, Coastal Skipper, and Yachtmaster.

If you’ve already taken the RYA Competent Crew Course, the skills learned for Day Skipper will seem familiar. However, the training is more advanced, and you’ll gain experience making key decisions including what to do in case of an emergency, safety management, and where and how to moor the yacht. You’ll become comfortable delegating jobs to crew members and providing them with encouragement and motivation.

What's included?

• Marina fees
• Insurance while aboard
• All mooring and fuel costs
• Please note, price does not include accommodation on shore, travel insurance, and any other trip expenses.

Experience Required

• RYA Day Skipper Theory Course
• 100 nautical miles
• 5 days of sailing
• 4 night hours onboard a sailing yacht
• It is a general requirement in sailing that the participant is in good physical shape.

What to Bring

Sun screen Regardless of the forecast the sun in Mallorca can be unforgiving and you can be burnt on cloudy days or through light clothes. A good high factor waterproof sunscreen will help you to enjoy your days afloat.

Aboard shoes Deck shoes or sailing boots or any white soled shoe are required for when you are on board, the white soles ensure you do not leave marks on the deck.

Hat As with the sunscreen a good hat is necessary both for shade and to help you see when sailing , getting one with a drawstring will stop you losing it over the side in the first breeze.

Shirts Lightweight technical polyester based wicking t-shirts and long sleeve tops are best as a base layer, cotton t-shirts tend to stay damp if they get wet.

Lightweight jacket A lightweight wind and weatherproof jacket is essential, it can be cool in the day especially in a decent breeze and at night the temperature drops away fast at sea.

Hoody or lightweight smock for the cooler evenings and early mornings.

Short or lightweight trousers Shorts for the daytime and lightweight trousers for the evenings, surf type shorts dry quickly and can double up as swimming costume.

Towel microfiber A quick drying travel towel is ideal

Sunglasses with retainer The sun is very bright at sea since as well as direct sunlight light is also reflected off the ocean, a good set of sunglasses are essential, make sure you have a retainer chord, you will be moving around and working on board and many a pair of expensive designer glasses have gone for a one way swim to the ocean floor.

Bottled water At least two litres of water each.

Sea sickness tablets If you suffer from sea sickness the tablets may well help, follow the instructions on the packaging regarding dosage and when to take your first tablet.

Any prescription medicines or dietary needs On the longer courses you could be away from land for several days so please make sure you have an adequate supply of any essential medicines or special dietary requirements.

Soft bag A soft bag to keep your stuff together that can be stowed easily.

Passport Your passport is required and you may well need your bank card or cash for if we go ashore.

Gloves In theory you might say gloves are not essential but seriously do your hands a favour and get some, fingerless for warm weather or full gloves for cooler weather, you won’t regret it.

Torch For those doing overnight courses then a decent head torch or similar is essential, if you can get a red light torch for evening navigation, it helps you to keep your night vision when reading charts or similar in the dark.

Swimsuit Self-explanatory.

Sailing log if you already have one.

Camera Pack it well to prevent damage in rougher seas.

Classroom reference books For those on the day skipper or above courses your classroom reference books will be useful.

Cooler weather For those taking advantage of the quieter seasons to attend courses in Spring or Autumn there are just a few more items to bring.

Layers Plan to be able to layer your clothing for night or early morning watches, genrally a lightweight jacket is fine if you have several layers beneath.

Set of full oilers Are rarely required in Mallorca in the times that our courses are conducted but if you have a good sailing jacket then bring it along.

Waterproof trousers Again rarely needed in Mallorca and usually a lightweight set are ample for any conditions likely to be encountered.

Warm hat and scarf For early mornings.