RYA Dayskipper with Lagoon Watersports
Whether you own a yacht, would like to charter a yacht for a holiday or simply want to learn a new skill – our RYA Dayskipper is the challenge for you! The 5 day practical course requires you to plan a trip; this entails familiarising yourself with the yacht, organising your crew, forecasting weather, navigation and pilotage plans for the best course to steer. You will start your practical course with theoretical knowledge from the 5 days of RYA Dayskipper Theory beforehand. Evenings are normally spent ashore enjoying a meal out and at least one of the nights you also try out some night sailing which is always very popular and interesting experience. A night sail is essential practice if you end up late back in to port one day and loose light – picking out those flashing lights is essential practice to guide you home. On this Dayskipper course you will stay aboard the yacht so that you really do live and understand the whole yachting experience.
“The instructor Steve Hacker was outstanding; friendly, patient, and extremely knowledgeable with a wealth of experience. He ensured a calm and methodical approach to the Practical Day Skipper course and created a variety of scenarios for each drill that needed to be covered (such as man over board, mooring, night navigation etc) which increased our confidence, experience and understanding substantially. Everything was very well-explained and well-executed.” Dayskipper, Nikki McLeary, Barcelona (Oct 2014)
Location, Location, Location The Dayskipper qualification will give you the opportunity to sail in locations all over the world. Lagoon Watersports are unique in the fact that you can choose between three fantastic locations for your sailing course. We are extremely flexible with our locations and you could even choose to do part of your course in the UK and the other part in Spain:
Brighton on the South Coast: In the UK we have an established centre that is close to London and provides easy access to the ocean. The wide open water gives plenty of space to practice sailing manoeuvres without the worries of hazards or collisions. You will also have a chance to see some great scenery, viewing the Brighton Piers and the city from the Big Blue as well as sailing along the stunning Sussex Heritage coastline.
Gosport in The Solent: Sailing from Gosport gives access to The Solent. The Solent has has long been a magnet for the experience sailor in search of navigational challenges – after all this is home to the world famous Cowes Week Regatta. However this sailing area also provides plenty of opportunity for more gentle sailing for those learning the ropes! With beautiful coastline, rocky inlets, fantastic mooring points, villages and fully equipped Marinas – you can soon see whey the Solent is a world renowned sailing mecca.
Barcelona: Our boats are moored in Port Vell, located in the heart of Barcelona. Port Vell is located against the backdrop of one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in Europe. On the Dayskipper course you will be sailing in the sunny Mediterranean, either heading south to stunning locations such as Sitges or Tarragona or north to the rugged Costa Brava coastline with secluded beaches, coves and hidden villages. So, if you want a fantastic sailing experience abroad with warm weather, perfect sailing conditions, wonderful coastline, ports, harbours and Catalan’ quaint coastal villages – then join Lagoon Watersports in the beautiful city of Barcelona!
The RYA Dayskipper Course & Our Yachts Not only do we have highly experienced qualified instructors we also have a fleet of well maintained performance modern yachts. In Brighton & Gosport we have a Beneteau First 35 and we have just purchased a BRAND NEW very spacious and luxurious Beneteau Oceanis 41 Express. In Barcelona we have a Bavaria 37 and a Beneteau 40.7…..So, now you have an idea of the performance yachts, quality instruction and great venues that we run our courses from, here is an outline of the RYA Dayskipper Course:
Dayskipper Theory (5 Days)
The Day Skipper Theory course is a comprehensive introduction to cruising for inexperienced skippers and is an essential preparation for our RYA Day Skipper Practical course. In the UK the theory courses are usually run over the winter months from our classroom in Brighton over three weekends.
Dayskipper Practical (5 Days) On the RYA Day Skipper Practical course you will gain further experience through planning and completing passages, including a night experience. You can also gain your ICC (International Certificate of Competence). You will also practice lots of close quarter handling skills and mooring in a range of marinas. For Part 2’s and the five day continuous courses you will stay onboard our yachts and stop over in different marinas. The practical courses are run from Brighton and Gosport over two weekends (1st weekend from Brighton, 2nd weekend in Gosport) or over continuous 5 days from Brighton or Gosport. Courses in Barcelona are usually run over continuous days from Port Vell, Barcelona.
Extra Theory Course: Diesel Maintenance, First Aid or VHF Radio (1 Day) Part of our Dayskipper packages is a FREE one day course in one of the following: RYA Diesel Maintenance: Mechanical failure is the main cause of lifeboat callouts, however this can be prevented if you learn basic maintenance and engine care. OR RYA First Aid: You will work through different emergency scenarios on our boats thus gaining valuable information in a more realistic environment. OR RYA VHF Radio: It is a legal requirement that someone onboard has a VHF license and this course teaches basic radio operation and what to do in situations of distress and emergencies. It is extremely beneficial to learn how to use a VHF as it is one of the most important safety features on any boat. *Does not include the £60 license fee.
RYA Dayskipper Dates & Prices 2015:
Dayskipper Practical & Theory from Brighton & Gosport
Dayskipper Practical & Theory from Barcelona
RYA Fast Track from Zero Experience to Dayskippper To embark on your RYA Dayskipper you will need your RYA Competent Crew which is a 5 day practical “hands on” course for total beginners. This course teaches you the basic principles of sailing, as well as personal safety. Our flexible discounted package from to Zero experience to RYA Dayskipper will enable you to complete your Competent Crew and Dayskipper in a short time or over the period of a year, from our three locations, Brighton, Gosport and Barcelona. For more information dates and prices Click Here
After Dayskipper – What Next? Once you have your RYA Dayskipper you can charter and yacht and enjoy sailing! Chartering a yacht is a perfect opportunity to get away from the crowded beaches, discover isolated coves only accessible by the sea and build on your skippering experience either in the UK or abroad. Lagoon Watersports charter out their yachts in Brighton & Gosport and Barcelona.
After your Dayskipper Course and skippering practice, Lagoon Watersports also run the advanced Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster courses from Brighton, Gosport and Barcelona. These courses are essential for those that want to carve out a career in sailing or those that have gained skippering experience after their Dayskipper course and are wanting to broaden their horizons – ready to venture on longer trips day or night.
