RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Dinghy Youth Scheme Stage 4

Course overview

A development course designed to sharpen basic skills and improve competency and enjoyment on the water before heading onto Dinghy Advanced and Explorer programmes.

Course Syllabus

Rigging and launching

• Can rig, launch and recover in any wind direction
• Can set up a boat according to weather conditions using sail and rig controls e.g. mast rake, reefing

Ropework

• Figure of eight, round turn and two half hitches, reef knot, bowline, clove hitch, rolling hitch, sheet bend

Sailing techniques and manoeuvres

• Sailing techniques and manoeuvres from stage 3 in a crewed boat
• Communicate effectively as helm and crew
• Effective use of the five essentials by helm and crew afloat including use of tell-tails
• Recovering a man overboard
• Returning to a beach, jetty or mooring safely in any wind direction

Sailing background

• IRPCS
• Beaufort Scale
• Synoptic chart
• Tidal ebb and flow
• Spring and neap tides
• Knows how to recover from total inversion

Coastal (optional)

• Can apply practical sailing techniques and manoeuvres on tidal waters
• Can apply for the IRPCS afloat
• Basic knowledge of IALA buoyage, how to use tide tables and how to find the direction of tidal streams