Your week on board is practical, engaging and designed to build real confidence as a skipper. Through short passages, coaching sessions and realistic scenarios, you’ll develop the skills needed to take charge of a sailing yacht.

You’ll build confidence in yacht handling, seamanship, pilotage and navigation with expert coaching from friendly, experienced instructors.

Wherever possible, you’ll make real decisions as skipper and gain valuable leadership and command experience.

By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to skipper a small sailing yacht with confidence in familiar waters by day.

RYA Day Skipper – key skills and training

• Preparing a yacht for sea, provisioning, and managing life on board
• Reefing, sail trim, and yacht handling under sail and power
• Mooring, anchoring, marina manoeuvres, and picking up buoys
• Navigation using charts, GPS, visual fixes, and pilotage techniques
• Tides, course to steer, dead reckoning (DR), and estimated position (EP)
• Basic meteorology and collision regulations (COLREGS)
• Engine checks, routine maintenance, and basic fault finding
• Emergency procedures, VHF radio use, and man overboard recovery
• Passage planning, watchkeeping, and day and night pilotage

Sailing location and conditions

Sydney Harbour – a world-class training ground

• Sail on iconic Sydney Harbour, ideal for developing practical skippering skills
• Your instructor will adapt the itinerary to make the most of conditions and maximise learning
• Experience sea breezes and varied conditions that prepare you for real-world sailing

We also run Day Skipper courses in the Whitsunday Islands during July and August — a fantastic opportunity to train in warm tropical waters. View Whitsundays courses.

Keep an eye out for dolphins, whales and, of course, Flying Fish along the way.

The yacht and the instructor

RYA-qualified instructors – Learn from experienced professionals delivering expert coaching in Flying Fish’s friendly and supportive style.

Small groups, more time at the helm – We follow RYA teaching standards with a maximum of five students to maximise hands-on sailing and individual coaching.

You’ll train aboard one of our Beneteau First 40 cruiser-racer yachts and take part in all aspects of operating and living aboard the boat.

• Tuition, logbook, pre-course reading.
• Life jackets and safety harnesses are provided, and we can loan you wet weather clothing if required.
• All vessels have an enclosed bathroom on board.
• Please bring your own lunch and snacks.
• We provide tea, coffee and water.  

Qualifications and experience

• 150 sea miles logged
• RYA Day Skipper Practical certificate
• On successful completion of the RYA Day Skipper Practical, you will be able to apply for the International Certificate for Operator of Pleasure Craft (ICC) from the RYA for a cost of approximately UK 50 pounds. You will then be able to Skipper/Charter vessels in the Mediterranean and other countries worldwide.

• You have completed the RYA Competent Crew course or have at least one week’s experience on a sailing yacht and are confident as a crew member under supervision. Experience on dinghies or keelboats is helpful.
• You have a basic understanding of pilotage and are familiar with navigation using paper charts.
• If your knowledge of navigation and safety is limited, we recommend completing the RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory course. Alternatively, you can take the RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship course online before you start.
• For a deeper understanding, you may also wish to complete the COLREGS (IRPCS) Rules of the Road online course, which, combined with Essential Navigation, covers much of the Day Skipper theory syllabus.
• The minimum age for RYA Day Skipper certification is 16.

• We recommend anyone operating as a Day Skipper should also hold a First Aid certificate and a Marine Radio Licence
• Your next Flying Fish course should be RYA Coastal Skipper and RYA Yachtmaster Shore-based Theory.

• William Jamieson - Sydney, Australia
• RYA Day Skipper Practical 
• 
• "My wife and I had an absolutely amazing experience with Mathew on Let Loose. His kindness, patience and teaching methods helped us build the confidence we needed to tackle our next adventure - bareboat skippering in Gippsland in a few weeks time. We’ve worked with several RYA instructors, but we founds Mathew’s gift for teaching beyond compare.  Thank you so much. We will be back!"
• Rob Scott - Queensland, Australia 
• RYA Day Skipper Practical
• 
• "I cannot speak highly enough of the RYA Day Skipper course Flying Fish offers. The combination of expert instruction, practical hands-on experience, a world-class boat, and a stunning environment made this a truly unforgettable experience. I am confident about taking on the responsibilities of a Day Skipper, and I owe it all to Jim and your fantastic team. Thank you once again for providing such an outstanding course. I look forward to levelling up with the Day Skipper to Yachtmaster Fast Track soon."
• Lyndsay Barnes - UK
• Yachtmaster Offshore Fast Track
• 
• “ Joining the Flying Fish Yachtmaster programme was one of the best decisions I ever made, My new office is floating on Sydney Harbour. If you’re considering doing the course, sign up now and don’t give it a second thought. But be warned, it could change your life ”

• How do I book and what is the payment schedule?
• Book online and pay a 20% holding deposit to secure your place.
• Your deposit reserves your position until 60 days before the course start date, when the remaining balance becomes due.
• Deposits are non-refundable but transferable to another Flying Fish course or event.
• Receive a 10% discount when booking three or more courses in a single transaction.
• Places are limited so we recommend booking early.
• View our Terms and Conditions.
• Do I need previous sailing experience?
• Yes — Day Skipper is designed for sailors with basic crewing experience.
• We recommend experience equivalent to RYA Competent Crew and approximately five days at sea before joining.
• The course develops the confidence and practical skills to skipper a yacht on short coastal passages by day.
• What happens if the weather is bad?
• Sailing is an all-weather sport and courses normally run as planned.
• Weather conditions become part of the learning experience and activities are adapted where required for safety and maximum training value.
• What type of yacht will I sail on?
• You’ll train aboard one of our Beneteau First 40 cruiser-racer yachts.
• These comfortable and capable yachts offer an excellent balance of performance, practicality and onboard comfort.
• Groups are limited to five students to maximise time helming, skippering and receiving individual coaching.
• What should I bring?
• Lunch and snacks (tea, coffee and drinking water are provided onboard)
• Quick-dry clothing and a warm layer
• Non-slip shoes
• Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Personal toiletries and medications
• Life jackets are provided and wet weather gear can be loaned if required
• A willingness to take charge and get involved
• Can I book a private course?
• Yes — private courses are available for groups of up to five people, with only four places charged.
• Private Day Skipper courses are ideal for couples, families and groups of friends wanting a more personalised sailing experience.
• One of the advantages of a private booking is that we can often combine different RYA levels on the same yacht. For example, two people could complete RYA Day Skipper while two or three others complete RYA Competent Crew, allowing everyone to train at the right level while sharing the same adventure.
• The minimum age for private courses is 16.
• Please get in touch and we’ll help design the right programme for your group.