RYA Sailing Courses & Cruises
Abbreviations
CC = RYA Competent Crew
DS = RYA Day Skipper
CS = RYA Coastal Skipper
ICC = International Certificate of Competence
YM = Yachtmaster Prep (Coastal/Offshore)
Shearwater Sailing School 2026 Programme
Early Course Dates for the 2027 Season
29th March to 2nd April 2027 RYA 5 Day Course CC/DS/CS £885 4 Spaces
12th April to 16th April 2027 RYA 5 Day Course CC/DS/CS £885 4 Spaces
3rd May to 7th May 2027 RYA 5 Day Course CC/DS/CS £885 4 Spaces
East Coast Course, departing from and returning to RHYC Woolverstone
Dates 2026 Title Levels Price Availability
17th to 21st Aug 2026 RYA 5 Day Course CC/DS £845 Provisional full
30th Aug to 5th Sept London Return 7days CC/DS/CS £945 1 Space available
28th Sept to 2nd Oct RYA 5 Day Course CC/DS £845 Full booked
5th to 9th Oct 2026 YM Coastal/Offshore* YM/CC £845 Fully booked
*Yachtmaster Prep-course for Coastal and Offshore with the exam on day 5. This is an excellent and rare opportunity for Competent Crew candidates (who may also join this course) to gain their qualification and witness the yachtmaster process.
‘FULL AND BY’
Definition - A C17th nautical term meaning that the sails are filled, and the boat is tight on the wind, without pinching (close-hauled), making the best course to windward. In our use here, it means the training course is now complete, and it has gone by.
THAMES SAIL 2026
30th Aug to 5th September 2026 -RHYC Woolverstone to London and Return.
London Maritime Cruise in Company. Joining the boats at RHYC on the Sunday evening, returning to our home berth on the 5th Sept 2026. Just past historic Greenwich, we plan to take berths at South Dock Marina. Giving us a short walk to the National Maritime Museum and/or the Cutty Sark. The following day, we’ll head back out of the Thames with a strong tidal stream, like a cork out of the bottle. We sail down to the Thames to an anchorage overnight in the wilderness creeks off the Medway. A welcome stop for the night at Burnham or Brightlingsea on the passage home will see us into our home waters again.
This can be an RYA course (CC, DS or CS) £945 — 7 nights — (both Shanti II and Gaudeo will sail together)
All sailing courses depart from and conclude at:
RHYC Marina
Woolverstone
Suffolk
IP9 1AT
These challenging and fun 5 day courses focus on the skills required to be a good, safe sailor.
We will spend time sailing in the River Orwell and River Stour, and will likely stop in at Ipswich Marina, Shotley Marina, Walton Back Waters and depending on wind and tide take your sailing adventures to Burnham, Bradwell, Brightlingsea and Chatham.
6 - 8 Day Mile Building Cruises
Our 6 - 8 day cruises are a great way to go further afield than what we are able to do on a 5-day course. They are ideal for mile building, Yachtmaster Coastal and Day Skipper Qualifications. Regardless of why you choose one of these great sails, it will take your skills and confidence that one step further, while visiting some fantastic sites.
Some of the ports we call into on our London Cruise.
Some of the places we stop at during our France, Belgium & Holland Cruises (depending upon wind and tide, of course).
Dieppe, France
Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Calais, France
Dunkirk, France
Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Ostend, Belgium
Blankenberge, Belgium
Cadzand, Netherlands
Goes, Netherlands
Vlissingen, Netherlands
Veere, Netherlands
Breskens, Netherlands
Amerstam, Netherlands