Dinghy Improvers

RYA Basic Skills (adults) / Youth Stage 3+4 (Kids)

Course length

5 days or 2 weekends

Pre-requisite

Start sailing course or equivalent

Course overview

A development course designed to sharpen basic skills and improve competency and enjoyment on the water before heading onto the more advanced Dinghy Advanced and Explorer programmes.

RYA Dinghy Youth Scheme Stage 3 course syllabus

Rigging, launching and recovery

• Can rig, launch and recover in an onshore wind
• Can reef a dinghy ashore according to weather conditions
• Can store a dinghy ashore

Ropework

• Can tie a bowline, clove hitch and rolling hitch

Sailing techniques and manoeuvres

• The five essentials - sail setting, balance, trim, course made good and centreboard
• Sailing on all points of sail on a triangular course
• Tacking upwind
• Gibing from a training run
• Righting a small capsized dinghy
• Coming alongside a moored boat
• Prepare for/take up tow from power craft
• Picking up a mooring

Racing

• Understand the course and starting procedures

Manoeuvres

• Understand how to recover a man overboard
• Understand the points of sailing

General

• Understand how a sail works - basic aerodynamics
• Know the basic terminology for use afloat
• Understand the importance of clear communication aboard
• Understand lee shore dangers and sailing in close company with other water users
• Understand advice to inland sailors for coastal sailing
• Know the importance of personal safety and telling someone ashore
• Understand the dangers of hypothermia and the importance of first aid training

Rules of the road

• Know the basic rules of the road - Port/Starboard, winward boat and overtaking boat

Meteorology

• Know how to obtain a weather forecast
• Understand Beaufort Wind Scale
• Know when to reef

Clothing and equipment

• Personal safety equipment
• Boat buoyancy
• Basic safety equipment e.g. anchor, paddle, bailer

RYA Dinghy Youth Scheme Stage 4 course syllabus

Rigging and launching

• Can rig, launch and recover in any wind direction
• Can set up a boat according to weather conditions using sail and rig controls e.g. mast rake, reefing

Ropework

• Figure of eight, round turn and two half hitches, reef knot, bowline, clove hitch, rolling hitch, sheet bend

Sailing techniques and manoeuvres

• Sailing techniques and manoeuvres from stage 3 in a crewed boat
• Communicate effectively as helm and crew
• Effective use of the five essentials by helm and crew afloat including use of tell-tails
• Recovering a man overboard
• Returning to a beach, jetty or mooring safely in any wind direction

Sailing background

• IRPCS
• Beaufort Scale
• Synoptic chart
• Tidal ebb and flow
• Spring and neap tides
• Knows how to recover from total inversion

Coastal (optional)

• Can apply practical sailing techniques and manoeuvres on tidal waters
• Can apply for the IRPCS afloat
• Basic knowledge of IALA buoyage, how to use tide tables and how to find the direction of tidal streams