The practical courses teach you to sail the boat. The theory is taught ashore over the winter: navigation, tides, passage planning, the rules, radio and radar. Members take it two ways.
Surrey Shorebased, an RYA training centre in Woking run by a club member, offers the shorebased navigation, radio and radar courses: surrey-shorebased.co.uk.
Met Police Sailing Club runs face-to-face RYA theory courses that SOYC members are welcome on, at member rates, because our Sailing Director is also their Chief Instructor. Day Skipper Theory runs over six days across several weekends in the winter; Yachtmaster Theory runs alongside it. They also plan RYA First Aid, VHF radio and Diesel Engine courses: mpsc.london.
Dates and prices for each intake are announced to members by email. A VHF licence and a valid first aid certificate are needed for the club skipper grades, so they are worth getting early.
The next Day Skipper Theory course runs over six days in January 2027 with Met Police Sailing Club: Sunday 10 and Monday 11 January, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January, then Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January, the last day being recap and examination. Paper Court Sailing Club at Ripley in Surrey, instructor Dave Bell, £395, maximum six students and a minimum of four for it to run. You must make all six days. There was also a place left on their Yachtmaster Theory course at £350.