Yachtmaster Offshore Prep Course
Achieving your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is a significant milestone in your sailing career. This internationally recognised qualification proves that you’re capable of skippering yachts up to 24m, as far as 150 miles from a safe haven. Sail Squad’s intensive preparation course gives you the expert guidance, coaching, and support you need to succeed on exam day, and far beyond it.
Sail Squad’s Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation Week
Sail Squad’s Preparation Week is specifically designed for sailors who have already accumulated the necessary sea time and theoretical knowledge but seek formal training and expert guidance to fine-tune their skills and build confidence ahead of the rigorous exam.
There is no standard format for a prep week before the RYA Yachtmaster exam. The focus is on working with you to assess and improve your skills as a skipper. Sail Squad takes a personalised approach, ensuring you arrive at the exam feeling confident and well-prepared to demonstrate your abilities.
Yachtmaster Course Syllabus
Your instructor will assess your current level and coach you through:
Advanced Boat Handling & Skippering
Mastering control in various conditions and scenarios.
Navigation
Application of complex navigation techniques under pressure.
Sailing Ability & Seamanship
Refining your sailing skills and demonstrating sound seamanship.
Maintenance & Safety
Understanding essential maintenance and safety protocols.
Rules of the Road
In-depth knowledge and practical application of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).
Meteorology
Interpreting weather forecasts and understanding their impact on passage planning and execution.
Man Overboard Recovery
Practising efficient recovery techniques under sail and power.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is designed for experienced sailors who are already close to exam standard and are looking to refine their skills. The syllabus your examiner might test you on is extensive, and it cannot be covered in just a 5-day prep week.
- Before arriving, you should feel confident in:
- Performing a man overboard drill
- Picking up mooring buoys and anchoring under sail or power
- Navigating in restricted visibility
- Handling a yacht in confined spaces
- Reefing under pressure
- Planning detailed passages & pilotage
- Theory to Yachtmaster level
- An understanding of COLREGS
If you’re rusty on any of these, we recommend attending one of our skills & drills weeks or milebuilding weekends first. Not sure if you’re ready? Contact us, we’ll talk through your experience and help you build an action plan to get you to Yachtmaster Offshore.
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Requirements
Before taking the exam, you must meet the RYA minimum requirements:
- Seatime:
- 50 days at sea
- 5 days as skipper
- 2500 miles
- 5 qualifying passages over 60 miles (including 2 by night and 2 as skipper)
- Minimum Age: 18 years old
- Certificates:
- Valid VHF Operators Certificate
- Valid First Aid Certificate
- Photographic ID
Yachtmaster Offshore Course Price – Just £999 (All Inclusive)
The course fee includes:
- Accommodation onboard for the full prep week and exam
- All meals, hot drinks, and snacks
- Five full days of instruction
- Use of waterproofs and lifejackets
- All mooring fees
Just bring a sleeping bag, pillow, clothing and suitable footwear.
Why Train in the Solent?
The Solent is one of the UK’s most respected training grounds, and for good reason. With strong tidal streams, complex navigation, and busy commercial traffic, it delivers everything you’ll face in an offshore environment.
Completing your Yachtmaster Offshore exam here shows that you’ve been tested in one of the toughest and most realistic sailing arenas in the world, and it adds real credibility to your certificate.
What Is the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam Like?
The exam typically lasts 8 to 12 hours per candidate and tests your ability to skipper a yacht safely, efficiently, and confidently. You’ll be assessed on real-time navigation, safety, decision-making, and leadership.
At the end of your prep week, your instructor steps off and an RYA Examiner comes aboard. By that point, your Sail Squad instructor will have you so well prepped and practised that you can treat the exam as an opportunity to showcase your hard-earned skills calmly and confidently, rather than with too many nerves.
Book Your RYA Yachtmaster Preparation Course
Earning your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore certification is a significant accomplishment. By doing this preparation course, you set yourself up for the best chance of success and enjoy the process.
Join one of the most personalised and focused Yachtmaster courses in the UK, designed to meet all RYA Yachtmaster Offshore requirements and set you up for success.
Why Choose Sail Squad’s Yachtmaster Preparation Course?
Genuinely Supportive
We care about your development and take the time to understand and support your individual journey.
Personalised Plan
From day one, your instructor will assess your current level and create a structured plan to help raise your skills to exam standard.
Real-World Scenarios
You’ll face purposeful drills, practical challenges, and questions designed to build confidence and improve decision-making under pressure.
Leadership & Coaching
Our prep week balances supportive coaching with space to lead independently, helping you become the calm, capable skipper examiners look for.
All-Inclusive Course Fee
Your £999 fee covers instruction, accommodation, meals, waterproofs, lifejackets, and mooring.
Just Bring the Basics
You only need to pack a sleeping bag, pillow, clothing and suitable footwear; we take care of the rest.
FAQs
We’ve covered the most common questions to help you get started. If there’s anything else you need, just drop us a message. We’re always happy to chat.
Both exams test similar skills. The key difference lies in the level of precision and finesse expected. Yachtmaster Offshore candidates are expected to perform at a higher, more polished standard than Yachtmaster Coastal candidates.
The Solent is renowned globally as a challenging and dynamic sailing environment. Its strong tidal streams, complex navigation, and busy traffic provide excellent, realistic testing conditions. Achieving your Yachtmaster in the Solent is widely respected internationally and demonstrates your ability to handle diverse and demanding situations.
Yes, we can cater for most dietary needs, so please let us know in advance. As the crew typically cooks communally, it’s generally easy to adapt meals. If you have specific needs or concerns, please discuss them with us before booking.
The Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is internationally recognised. It allows you to skipper a yacht up to 24m and 150 miles offshore.
Yes! With a commercial endorsement, the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate allows you to skipper commercial vessels up to 24m. Many of our students go on from Yachtmaster courses to work in yacht deliveries, skippered charters, and positions aboard superyachts.