RYA (Royal Yachting Association)Start Sailing for Adults

Course overview

A foundation course for those new to sailing, quickly building a solid skills base, enabling you to enjoy sailing and gain confidence in a variety of craft.

Syllabus

The programmes follows the following format:

Rigging

• Wind awareness. Knowledge of spars and rigging, parts of the sail, sail controls and foils

Ropework

• Ability to tie a figure of eight knot, round turn and two half hitches and secure a rope to a cleat

Sailing techniques and manoeuvres

• Wind awareness
• A practical understanding of the following manoeuvres:
  • Reaching - sailing across the wind
  • Stopping - lying to
  • Controlling speed
  • Tacking - turning the front of the boat through the wind
  • Getting out of iron
  • Sailing upwind
  • Sailing downwind
  • Gibing - turning the back of the boat through the wind

Launching and recovery

• Ability to secure a boat on a trolley
• Understand the principles of:
  • Wheeling a trolley clear of other boats and overhead cables
  • Launching and leaving the shore
  • Coming ashore and recovery of boat
  • Wind awareness ashore

Sailing theory and background

• Awareness of other water users
• Basic knowledge of rules of the road - power versus sail, port versus starboard, overtaking boat, winward boat

Clothing and equipment

• Understand the importance of personal buoyancy

Meteorology

• Awareness of onshore and offshore winds
• Understand sources of weather information

Capsize recovery

• Understand the basic theory and importance of staying with the boat