yacht master fast track

Fast Track Yachtmaster Professional Sail Training Course

The Hamble School of Yachting fast track Professional Sail Training (PST) course is designed to progress an inexperienced sailor to a fully qualified professional standard.

Hamble School of Yachting follows the globally recognised RYA certification programme that takes students to commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Offshore level - the gold standard in sailing qualifications. The PST course is also a great option for anyone looking for a life-changing experience; either following retirement, during a gap year, sabbatical or taking leisure sailing to the next level.

PST Brochure

Why Hamble?

SETTING QUALITY FOUNDATIONS

Whether you’re looking to embark on a career in the sailing industry, taking a break from work or looking for a new challenge of long-distance sailing in retirement, it is important to set solid foundations for your journey ahead.

Hamble School of Yachting has a reputation in the industry for the high quality of sailors that come from its courses which provides a valuable head-start when seeking employment.

HIGH CALIBRE INSTRUCTORS Hamble School of Yachting employs only the best teaching staff. All instructors are hand-picked for their ability to communicate, their knowledge and sense of humour! Instructors receive ongoing professional development from the Hamble School of Yachting via a programme delivered by the Chief Instructor. Very few schools adopt this policy.

STRICT INTAKE LIMIT Hamble School of Yachting can offer a choice of different yachts on which to sail and a dedicated teaching block equipped with the latest computer and audio visual technology.

Numbers of students on the PST course are strictly limited to an absolute maximum of ten on each intake. This allows incredibly high quality supervision and monitoring of training and enables students to get much more out of that vital contact time with each instructor.

THE VERY BEST PROGRAMME The programme is purposefully organised in such a way that each week has a clear and dedicated set of goals.

Students are debriefed after each task, and at the end of each week, by the instructor and

Chief Instructor. This enables the school to identify student strengths and weaknesses at a very early stage and ensure a personal action plan is put into place to build up skills accordingly.

AN ALL-ROUND EDUCATION Hamble School of Yachting does not try to enrol its students on a ticket collecting exercise for a bewildering array of different courses. This course is focused and carefully designed to turn out high quality sailors with a good degree of all-round seamanship skills.

The school believes there is no substitute for hands on experience and students spend 72 days of the total 98 days tuition at sea learning the skills of their trade. The weeks spent on practical sailing are carefully divided between skipper development and mileage building to destinations in the English Channel, and “drills and skills” weeks closer to home.

THE HAMBLE TOUCHES Hamble School of Yachting is so committed to delivering the best possible experience that it invites prospective PST students to join the team for a weekend of sailing, free of charge. This gives the opportunity for students to meet school’s friendly faces, see how the school operates and chat to the brilliant instructors about their ambitions. It also allows the team to ensure the course is right for the student. For those with more experience it might be suitable to start at module two or three and this will be assessed over the weekend.

Course Dates

For more details about the course and the options open to you, please download a PDF copy of our PST brochure. If you have problems downloading the brochure or would prefer a hard copy please feel free to call us.

If you would like any help at all or would like to discuss the possibilities further, please call Chris Rushton or any of the friendly team here at Hamble School of Yachting with any questions you might have. We would welcome you to the school at anytime to give you a chance to look around and enable us to discuss your requirements further. We all look forward to meeting you.

RYA Yachtmaster Fast-track Programme

Fast Track Yachtmaster is a 15 week program for thoese who looks for a career in the sailing industry. This structured program will prepare you for the examination that will give you the most respected RYA / MCA qualifications in the world.

Upcoming Course Dates

Please contact us if you're interested in private class or on a different date 😉‍

Program Overview

Fast Track Yachtmaster is a 15 week course. We also run a halftrack course for those with suitable experience. Please call us to discuss these options.

If you’re looking for a career in the sailing industry, we will teach and refine your skills and when you’re ready, organise examinations for RYA / MCA qualifications.

Prior to the Yachtmaster exam we will ensure you have achieved a minimum of 2,500 sea miles at least half of which will be tidal. In reality you will log considerably more! Quality miles and expert tuition.

If you put in the study hours both on and off the water you can achieve the coveted Yachtmaster qualification, known and respected throughout the world.

Course Content

The course includes:

• 15 weeks half board
• DSC VHF course
• Yacht Maintenance
• Sail care and repair
• Knots and Splicing
• Sail Trimming
• RYA Theory courses
• RYA Competant Crew
• RYA Day Skipper
• RYA Coastal Skipper
• RYA Sea Survival
• RYA First Aid
• Self Skippering weeks
• Weather course
• Rigging and tuning
• All RYA courses, quality mileage, and skippered passages required for Yachtmaster

Course Detail - Live the Dream!

• Two Base sailing Malta and Canary Islands or the UK
• Don't get stuck in the same marina for months on end!
• Minimum of 2,500 sea miles
• Required 5 x 60 mile passages
• Visit different Marinas and Anchorages
• Maximum 5 students to a yacht
• Visiting differnt countries, eg. UK, Malta, Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Morocco and Portugal
• Excellent shore-based facilities, classrooms, and restaurants at the Royal Malta Yacht Club, Valletta
• Exam fees excluded
• Full range of modern yachts
• Big boat handling (45+ ft)
• Professional sailing on modern safe yachts in a warm and exciting sailing area. Enjoy sailing and live the dream!

It is recommended that you undertake an MCA medical examination prior to the course in order for you to do your final Yachtmaster examination... Contact us for details.

Certification

RYA Yachtmaster Department of Transport (DoT) certificates with option to add commercial endorsement and opening the path to Cruising Instructor and/or Ocean Yachtmaster.

Course requirements

Fastrackers - you must come with your own life jacket and harness, waterproofs, deck shoes, Breton / Portland plotter or similar, dividers, notepads and pencils. Please phone for advice before purchasing expensive items.

Yachtmaster Preparation

All students are ready to be prepared for the Yachtmaster Exam. The weeks training will be intense, focusing on the weaker points to ensure you are well above the standard required. We coach you at your pace so you benefit from one-to-one coaching. And finally the Big Day!

You will be so well prepared, having sailed so many quality sea miles, entered a host of different marinas, sailed tidal and non-tidal waters that, although maybe a little nervous, you’ll skipper with confidence.

Price Options

• Fast Track Yachtmaster 15 weeks with half board accommodation for the duration Total £9,295
• Fast Track Yachtmaster Plus includes STCW 95 16 weeks with half board accommodation for the duration Total £11,495
• Half Track For those with prior experience. Talk to us about your requirements first please.
• STCW Modules can be taken separately, call us for details. Update courses also available.

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Fastrack to Yachtmaster Offshore

Product code:, rya yachtmaster offshore fastrack course, join a fastrak training course.

FASTRAK is the original comprehensive, eighteen-week, professional seamanship training programme designed and run by the British Offshore Sailing School. With full Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recognition, it is run by a highly experienced team of yachting instructors, who have taught all over the world. BOSS runs three highly successful eighteen-week FASTRAK courses per year. With small group sizes, we can ensure that the highest possible standard of instruction is given to each individual.

Students selected for this intensive course can expect to receive quality training that is second to none. From day one you will be working towards the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster® Offshore qualification. During your time with BOSS you will spend over 90 days afloat, aboard a variety of yachts, learning good practical seamanship, constantly improving personal technical expertise and above all learning those vital skippering skills.

You will experience sailing yachts with both tiller and wheel steering, masthead and fractional rigs with hank on, luff groove and roller furling headsails, allowing you to gain a wide base of experience. 15 days of your course will be shore based, utilising our custom built classroom facilities at Hamble. Here, students will be shown the intricacies of navigation, meteorology, safety, electronics, use of Radar and the rules regarding avoidance of collisions at sea.

The BOSS FASTRAK course is aimed at both those who are committed to establishing a career in the marine industry and those looking for a career break. It is not just a series of RYA courses put together but a careful mixture of programme learning, technical instruction and the all important skipper experience building. Combine this with regular appraisals of your progress and you have a unique package designed specifically to make the most of your 18 weeks. The course includes;

• Skippering Experience
• Sea Survival
• RYA Small Craft First Aid
• Navigation Cruises
• Close quarters Boat Handling
• 60 Mile Skippered Passages
• RYA Coastal Skipper
• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal
• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore
• Skippering Skills
• 2,500 miles

And much more.... 

• 12th August - 15th December 2024

ENQUIRE ABOUT THIS COURSE

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Yachtmaster Fast Track 

10 tips to get the most from a fast track course.

Looking for a new challenge or career direction? Whatever your incentive, a Yachtmaster Fast Track course is one way to get there.

We’ve all seen and heard the claims: ‘become a Yachtmaster Offshore in as little as 14 weeks.’

It’s a claim often made by training centres offering a Fast Track Yachtmaster course. But is it really possible to fast track your skills? And can you be as assured a sailor as someone with extensive experience on the water?

Can it be done? 

The short answer is ‘yes’. Just look at some of the people who have been down the Fast Track route.

Volvo Ocean Race Skipper, Dee Caffari, was a PE teacher who had never been on a boat before channelling all her energy into taking a Yachtmaster Fast Track program with UKSA in Cowes. Among her accolades is coming sixth in one of the toughest Vendée Globe Races in history.

According to Vaughan Marsh, RYA Chief Instructor of Sail and Motor Cruising, success depends on the type of person you are and how dedicated to learning you are.

“We can’t all expect to be the next Dee Caffari but going into it with the right attitude is a huge advantage. This intensive sailing program is like taking an entire university course in three to four months. It’s a massive personal and emotional investment, but it can be done. I’ve seen some excellent skippers go through the Fast Track route.”

What to expect from a Fast Track program

With a Yachtmaster course you can progress from having no sailing skill or prior knowledge to becoming a qualified, commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster® ready to begin a career as a professional yacht skipper. 

The intensive program of theoretical and practical sailing instruction will see you build experience, certificates, and sea miles as you go. Modules often include:

• RYA Competent Crew
• RYA Day Skipper theory and practical
• RYA Coastal Skipper theory and practical  
• RYA Marine Radio SRC course and exam
• And the RYA Yachtmaster exam  

Most students taking this route have plenty of time on their hands. Whether through retirement, a career break, or gap year and many have an end goal to skipper commercially.

For those ready to ‘eat sleep sail repeat’ for the next 14-18 weeks, it all starts with finding the right centre and what the program offers. Here are 10 things to think about to get the most from this life-changing experience. 

1. Structured learning

If you have never sailed before it’s wise to ensure that your sailing tuition is broken down into modules with the appropriate RYA certificates upon completion. 

If for some reason you have to stop studying, module certificates can easily prove to others, including future employers, the standard you have reached. 

You should also check that your learning will be monitored and that there will be constructive, structured feedback. 

2. Consolidation

It’s best to look for a school that is realistic in terms of time, planning breaks, and consolidation periods. This allows for the information and practical skills you’ve learned time to settle and be put into practice.

3. Value for money

Are your certificates and course materials included? It’s worth checking that exams, such as the Yachtmaster and SRC exams, are included in the price. Some cheaper programs may not include them. 

Some schools also offer extra yacht maintenance modules such as how to mend sails and fix engines as part of their Yachtmaster course. If a sail tears or the fuel filter gets blocked during your assessment, knowing how to problem solve will help you shine.

4. Stretch yourself in terms of geography

The more challenging the geographical area the better skipper you’ll be. It’s all very well learning somewhere sunny and calm with few obstacles, but it can lull you into a false sense of security about your own ability. If a career is your end goal, think about how the area you train in will look on your CV. Don’t be afraid to take more risks, it may pay off in the end.

5. A good spread of instructors

Learning with more than one instructor allows you see different approaches to skippering. When you’ve experienced a few styles, you’ll have more experience to draw from when you need it.

6. Variety of boats

The more vessels you can learn on the better. Each one has different quirks that you will have to adapt to. It’s worth finding a school that has the type of the vessel you would like work on as this will give you the upper hand when applying for jobs.

7. Different crew

Most centres run Fast Track Yachtmaster courses starting at a fixed time. This sometimes means being with the same crew the whole way through your journey. This can be great as you all bond and get to know each other. But it can limit your experience when dealing with or leading an unknown crew after the course has finished.

8. Accommodation

Check your living arrangements and what’s included. Will you be on the boat when doing the practical sessions and ashore for the theory? Does it include meals for the entire course or just afloat?

9. Freedom to roam

When your instructor is happy with your ability, will the school entrust you to skipper a boat without an instructor? Being in charge gives you a totally different mindset and removing the backstop is the best way to learn. 

Most schools in the UK allow this, although their insurance policies may require a fully qualified skipper on board until you have passed. 

If training outside of the UK, there may be a legal requirement to have a fully qualified skipper on board.

10. Be realistic about what you can learn in the timeframe

A Yachtmaster Fast Track course can help you build your skills, knowledge and reach the 2,500 miles needed as a prerequisite for the Yachtmaster exam. But there’s no substitute for experience.

There’s still a long way to go before becoming a well-rounded skipper. Remember, this is just the start of your journey so keep learning and work with as many experienced skippers and crew as you can.

Find out more about RYA Yachtmaster and working with RYA qualifications .

Or pick up a copy of the RYA Yachtmaster Handbook .