Capstan Sailing School

Sailing Schools Challenge

Capstan Sailing is the organiser of the annual Sailing Schools Challenge, in the Solent and the IoW. See you there in 2012!

Places, Races and Faces!

RYA Practical Courses

Our instructors work exceptionally hard to create a fun learning environment, pass their knowledge on and make absolutely sure that you enjoy the course. Our courses are geared to make the most of the 5 or 6 days you have with us, there is plenty of sailing to be done! We also try to cover as much theory as possible, to back up the practical side of things, and our past students tell us that we got our course structure ‘spot on’!

Dates and prices

We have training vessels of very high standards, well looked after and coded to the highest safety standard. Our training fleet consists of Beneteau Oceanis 40, J109 and Elan 410 cruiser/racer yachts, so if you also need some racing tips, you’ve come to the right place!

Description Dates

RYA Competent Crew

A very thorough five full days introduction into the sport of yacht sailing. Students live on board one of our modern, well maintained cruising yachts, and experience all aspects of sailing. Our friendly instructors will ensure you not only complete the Competent Crew syllabus but also introduce some boat handling under sail and power. By the end of the course you will be both competent and confident to sail with others and have learnt all that is required to crew effectively. Accommodation is on board for the week.

Duration: Sunday to Friday. 6 days.
Price: GBP 490
Minimum age: 18.
Experience: None
Certificate: RYA Competent Crew

 Hamble or Portsmouth
Dates:

  • 13/11/11-18/11/11
    (sold out)
  • 23/03/12-28/03/12
    (sold out)
  • 15/04/12-20/04/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 29/04/12-05/05/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 25/05/12-30/05/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 15/06/12-20/06/12
    (4 spaces)

RYA Day Skipper

This 5 day course aims to provide you with all the skills you require to successfully skipper a yacht by day, and includes a number of night hours to boost your confidence at night work.

Most students will have completed a Day Skipper Theory Course before joining the practical, although this is not always necessary.

Over the 5 days you will cover berthing and boat handling in a range of situations, carry out several sailing passages, including navigation, and will experience life on board a cruising yacht. All food is provided (except the first evening meal) and this is a great opportunity to learn not only from our experienced instructors, but also the others on the boat.

This course is popular with those looking to charter yachts, in the UK and abroad, as it is often the minimum requirement for chartering.

Duration: 6 days.
Price: GBP 490
Minimum age: 18
Experience: 100 sea miles
Certificate: RYA Day Skipper

 Hamble or Portsmouth
Dates:

  • 13/11/11-18/11/11
    (sold out)
  • 23/03/12-28/03/12
    (sold out)
  • 15/04/12-20/04/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 29/04/12-05/05/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 25/05/12-30/05/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 15/06/12-20/06/12
    (4 spaces)

RYA Coastal Skipper and RYA Yachtmaster Coastal (Commercial endorsement)

The RYA Coastal Skipper course aims to provide the knowledge and skills required to skipper a yacht and manage a crew in unfamiliar waters, by day and night. Over the 5 days your instructor will take you through more advanced maneuvres under sail, tricky berthing situations, and advanced boat handling. The level of navigation and theory is higher too – most people will come on this course having completed a Coastal/Yachtmaster Shorebased course.

This course can be followed with an RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal Exam if required, which can in turn be commercially endorsed. The RYA Charge a separate fee for this, and an external examiner will need to come down.

We usually undertake some longer passages out of the Solent on this course, with destinations including Chichester harbour and the waters to the East of the Solent, and Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch and other areas to the West of the Solent.

Duration: 5 days or 6 for RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal. Sunday to Friday/Saturday
Price: GBP 550
Minimum age: 12
Experience for RYA Coastal Skipper: 15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours
Experience for RYA Yachtmaster Coastal: 20 days at sea, 400 miles, 2 days as skipper, 12 night hours, SRC, First Aid
Certificate: RYA Coastal Skipper.
Additional certification: MCA Yachtmaster Coastal, if required

 Hamble or Portsmouth
Dates:

  • 13/11/11-18/11/11
    (sold out)
  • 23/03/12-28/03/12
    (sold out)
  • 15/04/12-20/04/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 29/04/12-05/05/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 25/05/12-30/05/12
    (4 spaces)
  • 15/06/12-20/06/12
    (4 spaces)

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (Commercial Endorsement)

Preparation and exam.
The Yachtmaster preparation course is designed to thoroughly prepare you for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam, conducted by the RYA, at the end of your course. The exam is 2 days and the price includes the use of the boat for the additional days.

The Yachtmaster Exam is renowned world over as the benchmark standard by which other nations set their standards, and many Yachtsmen aspire to this standard as either a personal goal, or as a means to go on and work commercially.

We offer a 5 day preparation course during which our instructors will offer tips and advice on the standards expected during the exam, as well as coaching on any areas you may be weaker in. Your skills should be fairly advanced before you embark on this course, so we suggest you contact us, if you have any questions or doubts so that we can help.

The Exam is subject to an additional fee from the RYA – Payable on the day.

Duration: 6 or 7 days. 5 days – preparation, up to 2 days – exam
Price: GBP 695
Minimum age: 16
Experience: 50 days at sea, 2500 miles, 5 passages over 60 miles, 2 as skipper. SRC, First Aid.
Certificate: RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore.
Additional certification: RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore.

 Hamble or PortsmouthDates:

  • TBC