Yachtmaster Essentials - best value course from Flying Fish 

23 November 2008

Sailing beginner to RYA Yachtmaster for £6,590 with Flying Fish

RYA Yachtmaster Essentials is a 'zero to hero' course based at Cowes in the UK. When it was introduced by Flying Fish in 2005 it was acclaimed as the best value Yachtmaster course on the market.

Today Andy Hunt, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and Operations Director for Flying Fish UK, confirmed that the programme will run again in 2009, with the first course of the year starting at Cowes on 15 February 2009.

'Yachtmaster Essentials does just what it says on the tin,' said Andy. 'We have taken our flagship RYA Yachtmaster/Master of Yachts Pro Traineeship and reduced it to 12 weeks of intensive coaching in the UK, France and Ireland.

'This programme is designed for recreational skippers,' he added. 'And we've priced the course to beat anything else available. It costs just £6,590 including food while you are on board, and 12 weeks of tuition. If you need our accommodation ashore in Cowes, add another £360'   

But, at only 12 weeks, has anything been left out? 

Andy explained: 'We have kept all the training and the qualifications you need on the way to your RYA exam as a recreational Yachtmaster.

'We have simply cut out the commercial certificates and most of the extras of our full traineeships,' he said. 'That means no STCW tickets, no diving, no spinnaker handling or race training - and 500 fewer miles than you log during our Pro course.'

The trick lies in the calendar. The course is designed in three separate sections, giving you the opportunity to log extra miles and to gain experience between periods of formal training.  And logging those extra miles is easy with Flying Fish online recruitment to help you find crew jobs on yacht deliveries.

If you decide to go pro after the course, you can attend a one-week STCW95 Basic Safety Training course with Flying Fish at Cowes. This entitles you to add a commercial endorsement to your RYA Yachtmaster qualification. 

Read more about the Flying Fish Yachtmaster Essentials course and check dates and availability here >>