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RYA Practical Sailing Courses
These official RYA Sailing Courses take place on yachts, sailing around the Solent to a different marina, or harbour, or anchorage each night and sleeping onboard in cabins.
From our base in Southampton we run the full range of RYA Practical Sailing Courses in and around the Solent on the South Coast.
Competent Crew Practical Course
Perfect for beginners and for those that have done a little sailing before. It will transform you into a useful crew member.
Day Skipper Practical Course
For aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills.
Coastal Skipper Practical Course
Advanced skippering techniques for those wanting to undertake coastal passages by day and night.
Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore Practical Course
Prepare for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence Exam.
Yachtmaster Offshore Practical Course
Prepare to take the exam for the pinnacle of yachting qualifications the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence
Yachtmaster Ocean
A test in astro navigation, worldwide weather, and ocean passage planning. For the long distance sailor.
About The RYA Courses at FCS
The Solent is recognised as the hub of the UK's yachting community. You will get expert tuition from our friendly team, and courses are geared to build your level of sailing expertise and confidence. This in turn gives you direct access to one of the most exciting and exhilarating watersports there is.
RYA Practical Sailing Courses last for five days and we offer these in different formats:
- Over two weekends. One of these is a normal two-day weekend and the other is a long weekend including a Friday or a Monday.
- Over five consecutive weekdays, Monday to Friday.
- Over five consecutive days including a weekend, e.g. a Thursday to a Monday.
Our Yachts
We use a number of different yachts. Jeanneau, Bavaria and Westerly. In 2019 we took delivery of two brand new Beneteau 381 cruising yachts. The Beneteau 381 is a high-performance cruising yacht built for comfort, and designed for those looking for a relaxed way of getting away from it all. An ideal boat for those wishing to learn the ropes, it’s also the sort of boat you could well end up chartering in the Mediterranean or Caribbean.
The quality of equipment onboard is unequalled, including top brands such as Harken deck fittings and Selden mast and boom. The latest Raymarine electronic chart plotter integrated with radar is built into the cockpit, which means you can navigate from on deck.
Obviously we still carry paper charts and using these will be very much part of any course.
Below deck there are fully equipped galleys and heating supplied to each cabin.
We also own a 1908 gaff cutter called Golden Vanity. She is a Mumble Bee Brixham Sailing Trawler and great for anyone wanting to learn about gaff rig or traditional sailing.
