The RYA Day Skipper Practical course develops the skills and confidence to skipper a sailing yacht in familiar waters by day. During the course you'll plan passages, make command decisions, brief your crew and safely handle the yacht in a wide range of situations.

Complete the qualification over three weekends or book the 5-day Day Skipper Practical course if you prefer an intensive format.

If you're not working towards the RYA qualification, the course is equally valuable as a refresher or an enjoyable liveaboard sailing adventure.

With a maximum of five students per yacht, you'll receive plenty of hands-on coaching while sharing all aspects of skippering and yacht operation.

By the end of the course you'll be able to confidently skipper a small cruising yacht in familiar waters during daylight hours.

Course content

Yacht preparation and seamanship

• Engine checks, yacht preparation and safety equipment
• Sail selection, reefing and sail handling
• Mooring, anchoring and picking up a buoy
• Victualling and onboard organisation

Navigation and pilotage

• Chartwork, GPS navigation and pilotage planning
• Visual fixes, dead reckoning and estimated positions
• Tidal heights, tidal streams, leeway and drift
• Buoyage, transits, clearing lines and echo sounder navigation

Meteorology and collision regulations

• Interpreting marine weather forecasts
• Using a barometer
• Introduction to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS)

Engines and onboard maintenance

• Basic engine checks and routine maintenance
• Changing filters, replacing an impeller and bleeding the fuel system
• Properties and uses of modern rope types

Emergency procedures

• Man overboard recovery
• Distress communications using VHF radio
• Use of flares, liferafts and towing procedures
• Helicopter rescue techniques

Yacht handling and passage making

• Sail trim and boat handling on all points of sail
• Compass steering and short coastal passages
• Night pilotage
• Daily skipper routines and crew management

Training location

Sydney Harbour provides one of Australia's finest training grounds for the RYA Day Skipper course, offering a mix of sheltered waters, busy shipping channels, pilotage opportunites and open-water sailing.

Throughout the year you'll experience a variety of conditions, from warm summer nor'easters to fresh southerly changes, giving excellent preparation for real-world cruising.

The yachts and your instructor

Learn from experienced RYA-qualified Flying Fish instructors who combine professional coaching with a friendly and supportive teaching style.

Training is conducted in accordance with RYA teaching standards, with a maximum of five students per yacht to maximise practical experience.

You'll sail aboard one of our Beneteau 40 cruiser-racer yachts, taking an active role in every aspect of yacht handling, navigation and skippering.

• 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 and coffee and water on board. 

Qualifications and experience

• RYA Dayskipper Practical certificate (once you have completed three weekends)

• You should have completed the RYA Competent Crew course or have at least five days’ experience sailing on a cruising yacht. You should be comfortable carrying out basic crew duties under supervision.
• A basic understanding of pilotage, navigation and paper charts is recommended. Previous dinghy or keelboat sailing experience is also helpful, but not essential.
• If your navigation and marine safety knowledge is limited, we recommend completing the RYA Day Skipper Shore-based Theory course before attending. Alternatively, the RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship online course provides a useful introduction to the fundamentals.

• We recommend all Day Skippers also hold a Marine First Aid certificate and an ACMA Marine Radio Operator's Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP). Together, these qualifications provide the essential emergency skills expected of competent skippers.
• Your next step is the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical course, together with the RYA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased Theory course. These programmes develop the advanced navigation, passage planning and boat handling skills needed for longer coastal passages and are the next stage on the RYA Yachtmaster training pathway.

• Tim Keith 
• Day Skipper Weekend
• 
• Thanks to  Flying Fish instructor Matt, for a great learning experience and friendly flexible approach for us all over the weekend. I really enjoyed his teaching and the way we worked as a crew.
• Alison Thursby
• Start Yachting Weeekend
• 
• “ Our instructor, Chris was fantastic. I now understand the basics of sailing and have recommended the course to many others. I look forward to doing a competent crew course soon ”
• Jeanette Kim
• NSW Boat licence
• 
• “ The instructor was awesome! Made the lessons clear, fun and very informative. They focus on water safety and everything you need, to enjoy your time out on your boat. What are you waiting for? Get a boat licence and enjoy our beautiful harbour! ”

• Booking information
• Please review our terms and conditions and cancellation policy 
• We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment, as spaces are limited.
• If you book multiple courses, you will receive a 10% discount on your order when you purchase three or more courses in a single transaction. 
• What if the weather is bad?
• Sailing is an all-weather sport. We like to say there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!
• We very rarely cancel a course due to bad weather. 
• What type of yacht will I learn on?
• At Flying Fish, our basic training boats are Beneteau First 40.7s. These yachts provide an excellent balance between comfort and performance and are great for learning. 
• The layout of the 40.7 is very practical, with two double rear cabins, a forward cabin, a comfortable saloon, and an enclosed toilet and shower unit. 
• The yacht sleeps six in comfort or eight using the saloon bunks. They are fully equipped to live on board.
• Can I book a private sailing course for a group or family?
• Yes! we regularly welcome private groups of friends or family on bespoke courses.
• A private RYA Day Skipper course is a great learning adventure to experience with your friends or family. What’s more, you can save money as you pay for four places on the course and can bring a maximum of five.
• The minimum age is 12. If you like the sound of this, please get in touch via the enquiry button at the top of the page and let us help you plan your adventure.
• What should I bring with me? 
  • Food! - BYO lunch and snacks. We provide tea, coffee and water on board.
  • Quick-dry clothing (shorts, T-shirts, long-sleeved tops).
  • Lightweight waterproof jacket.
  • Non-slip shoes.
  • Hat, high-factor sunscreen, and sunglasses.
  • Thermal base layer and fleece for colder months.
  • Waterproof jacket and trousers (loan sets available).
  • Life jackets are provided on board by Flying Fish.
  • A sense of adventure and a team spirit!