RYA Instructor Courses

Embark on a journey to becoming an RYA-certified instructor.

Explore our comprehensive range of courses tailored to develop your sailing prowess, teaching abilities, and leadership skills.

The RYA Pre-entry assessment is for aspiring RYA Dinghy Instructors. This is needed to be completed in advance of the full RYA Dinghy Instructor Course to check personal sailing abilities.

Price: £99.00

Ages: 16+

Duration: 1 day

A comprehensive 5-day program focusing on teaching dinghy sailing to both adults and children, covering various skill levels and schemes.

Price: £425.00 
Ages: 16+ 
Duration: 5 days 

Designed for experienced instructors, this 4-day course emphasizes managing multiple courses and overseeing sailing school operations.

Price: £375.00pp 

Ages: 18+
Duration: 4 day course 

For qualified instructors seeking to teach the National Sailing Scheme in Keelboats, this endorsement course emphasises continuous assessment.

Price: £160
Duration: 2 day course

A 5-day program tailored for keelboat enthusiasts aiming to become certified RYA instructors, offering comprehensive teaching opportunities.

Price: £399

Ages: 16+

Duration: 5 Days

A necessary step for aspirant RYA Keelboat Instructors, completed within 12 months before the full RYA Keelboat Instructor Course.

Price: £70
Ages: 16+
Duration: 1 Day

  • RYA Safe and Fun - Online Interactive

An essential course ideal for individuals working with children or vulnerable adults at RYA Training Centres or Clubs, covering basic safeguarding knowledge.

Find out more information below

How to become an RYA Dinghy Instructor 

Becoming an RYA Dinghy Instructor can lead to roles teaching in the UK or be a ticket into many jobs teaching abroad. The skills you learn as an instructor are very transferable to future roles that you may have such as leadership, effective teaching styles and communication skills, personal skills as well as practical skills. 

It is strongly recommended that you buy the RYA G14 National Sailing Scheme Dinghy Instructor Handbook from our centre at £16.00 or the RYA website, for all the information that you will need. 

To become an RYA Dinghy Instructor you must complete the following pre-requisite courses.

  1. Have the personal sailing skill of RYA Stage 4 or RYA Level 2
  2. RYA First Aid (1 day course) - £95.00pp
  3. RYA Powerboat Level 2 (2-day course) - £299.00pp 
  4. Pre-entry Sailing Assessment (1 day course) - £99.00 
  5. RYA Safe and Fun online safeguarding course - £15
  6. RYA Dinghy Instructor Course (5 day) - £425.00 

RYA Dingy Instructor Pre-Entry Sailing Assessment 

  • Price: £99.00 
  • Ages: 16+ 
  • Duration: 1 day 

Children sailing on H12, Dinghy boat at Chichester Harbour

About the course 

In order to be accepted for training at Dinghy Instructor level, all candidates have to pass a practical test conducted by an RYA Coach/Assessor, not more than one year before instructor training. The test serves as a filter, because there is no time during the instructor course for candidates to be taught how to sail well. The minimum entry age for this course is 16. Please see this link for further information from the RYA. More details of the assessment can be found in the RYA ‘Dinghy Coaching Handbook’ (G14), this along with other RYA publications are available for purchase at the centre. Click here for a useful article on What the coach/assessor is looking for from you

All candidates are strongly advised to purchase and pre-read the RYA National Sailing Scheme Instructor Handbook (G14) to check that they know the syllabus content and can achieve the skills specified. You can buy this direct from the RYA Website or other retailers. They will need this handbook for their full RYA Dinghy Instructor Week Course. 

Throughout the pre-entry assessment the coach/assessor will try to obtain an impression of your sailing ability and whether it is of the required RYA Standard. As a result you might technically fail one task and still pass the assessment. The coach may also take into consideration your previous sailing experience. This course is likely to be conducted in a double handed dinghy, however the actual RYA Dinghy Instructor course will include practical work in single handers.  

In order to be accepted for training at Dinghy Instructor level, all candidates have to pass this pre-assessment not more than one year before Instructor training. The test serves as a filter, because there is no time during the Instructor course for candidates to be taught for any personal sailing skill development. More details of the assessment can be found in the RYA "Dinghy Coaching Handbook" (G14) which can be purchased prior from the RYA Website or from the Centre.

The candidate should be able to complete the following tasks, sailing at all times with an awareness of "The Five Essentials" ie, sail setting, balance, trim, centre board and course sailed. The assessor will be seeking to confirm that the candidate can sail in a controlled and competent manner, considering their preparation, communication and approach to each exercise. The full course outline can be found detailed here - dinghy-pre-entry (rya.org.uk)

Please see the below examples of the types of skills that will be needed to be demonstrated; 
·Sail around a triangular course 
·Close mark rounding 
·Sail a tight circular course 
·Sail a follow my leader course
·Pick up a man overboard dummy 
·Sail ruddlerless
·Lee shore landing and departure 
·Pick up a mooring or anchor 
·Come alongside a moored boat
·Recover a capsized dinghy and sail away  

 

RYA Dinghy Instructor 

  • Price: £425.00 
  • Ages: 16+ 
  • Duration: 5 days 
  • Pre-Requisites- RYA Dinghy Level 2, RYA Power boat Level 2, Valid First Aid Certificate, RYA Dinghy Instructor Pre-Assessment; RYA Safe and Fun Safeguarding Certificate
  • Student:Instructor ratio is 6:1

The Instructor is a competent and experienced small boat sailor, capable of sailing a training boat confidently in strong winds and handling small powerboats. This is a week long course that will train candidates and assess their competency to teach dinghy sailing to adults and children, both beginners and improvers, including the RYA National Sailing Scheme Level 1 & 2, Seamanship Skills and Youth Sailing Scheme Stage 1-4.

About the course 
 
More details of how to become an Dinghy Instructor can be found in the RYA "Dinghy Coaching Handbook" (G14) which can be also be purchased from the RYA Website of from the centre. Wetsuits and buoyancy aids can be provided at the centre. Please bring packed lunch each day. 

 

RYA Senior Dinghy Instructor Course 

  • £375.00pp 
  • 4 day course 

Course pre-requisites: 

  • Minimum age 18
  • 2 years intermittent or 1 year full time dinghy instructing since qualifying
  • RYA Safety Boat certificate
  • RYA Safe & Fun certificate
  • Valid First Aid certificate (check the RYA site)
  • Signed recommendation from Principal/RDO/Dinghy Scheme Trainer
  • Demonstrate ability to sail to the standard of the Dinghy Instructor pre entry
  • Student:Instructor ratio is 6:1
About the course 

This course trains experienced RYA Dinghy Instructors to manage multiple courses and oversee the safe operation of a RYA sailing school. The 4-day course covers preparation and delivery of sessions, course and centre management, powerboat handling in a teaching environment, RYA Sailing Schemes and the role of a Senior Instructor. 

  • Pre Work Senior Instructor Workbook - This is some 50 pages of information and exercises that needs to be completed before the course. It is designed to help you with the course. If it raises any questions in your mind please raise during the training course. It can be done online from the RYA website.

Students will be assessed on a continual basis over the 4 days when running water-based simulated group management sessions.

Accommodation 

Accommodation may be available in our staff flat and log cabin dormitories for £25.00 per night. Please email sail@cobnor.com to check availability. 

 

RYA Keelboat Instructor Endorsement

This course is for Instructors who initially qualified and would like to teach the National Sailing Scheme in Keelboats. On successful completion through continuous assessment, your Instructor award will be endorsed by the RYA.

  • Price: £165
  • Duration: 2 day course

To complete this course, you'll have needed to hold the minimum following pre-requisite qualifications.

  • RYA Dinghy Instructor

The course will be delivered over two days and will start at 09:00 and finish at 16:30 each day.

This course will give you the knowledge and skills required so that you can confidently teach RYA Keelboat courses.  The keelboat course will cover both ashore and afloat sessions, including how to deliver good briefings and debriefings and how best to effectively run sessions to improve student performance and maximise confidence.

Student:Instructor ratio is 6:1. 

 

RYA Keelboat Instructor Pre-Assessment 

  • Price: £70
  • Ages: 16+
  • Duration: 1 Day

The RYA Keelboat Pre-entry assessment is a necessary step for aspirant RYA Keelboat Instructors. This  needs to be completed within 12 months in advance of the full RYA Keelboat Instructor Course.

 

RYA Keelboat Instructor Course

Price: £399

Ages: 16+

Duration: 5 Days

Timings: 09:30-16:30

Are you ready to take your love for sailing to the next level? Our Keelboat Instructor Course is the perfect opportunity for keelboat enthusiasts to become certified RYA instructors, opening doors to a world of exciting teaching opportunities.

 

RYA Safe and Fun - Online Interactive

  • £15.00 
  • Please email sail@cobnor.com so we can set you up with a link to book on

Ideal for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults at RYA Training Centres or Clubs. Whether you are a volunteer, or an instructor, it will provide you with the basic knowledge of safeguarding issues that you may encounter. Here is a video from the RYA explaining the purpose and importance of this course. 

To enable access to your online course we need to share some of your personal data with the RYA via your user profile in www.ryainteractive.org. This learning management website is hosted and maintained by a third party called Learning Pool, who will not use your personal information for any reason other than enabling your course.

Your name and email address will be entered on www.ryainteractive.org in order to create your user account. On your first access to the site, you will be asked to enter your address and date of birth. You will have access to the site for one year in order to complete your online course. During this period, your personal information will be held on the website by Learning Pool and be available to this training centre and the RYA for the purpose of managing your course.

Instructional support will be provided by this training centre for a period of three months from the date of your course booking.

On completion of your course, your name, email, date of birth and address will be transferred to the RYA's central database for the purpose of recording details of the course and any certification you gain as a result of it. This information allows the RYA to record your certification, to update any records they may already hold about you or your qualifications and to verify your certificate if required. After one year from the date of your enrolment on the course, your user account will be removed from www.ryainteractive.org.

Full details of how the RYA will deal with your personal information will be displayed when you first access www.ryainteractive.org.