14/06/2026
Not sure if you need Competent Crew or Day Skipper? Here is how to decide, along with exactly what you need to get started.
While both courses spend five days training in the Solent, they focus on two completely different roles on board, creating a clear progression path for your sailing journey:
Competent Crew – Designed for absolute beginners with zero prior experience or knowledge. There are no prerequisites at all 🙂 The focus is entirely on the foundational building blocks—learning sail handling, ropework, and helming so you can build your confidence and become an active, invaluable asset to any crew.
Day Skipper – The natural next step once you have mastered those foundational practical skills (or have equivalent experience). You will also need a basic understanding of navigation and seamanship before starting. Here, the focus shifts from doing the physical tasks to taking charge, passage planning, and safely commanding the yacht and crew. The RYA Day Skipper qualification is your ticket to chartering yachts in the UK and abroad.
In short: Competent Crew teaches you how to be an excellent qualified sailor, while Day Skipper gives you the leadership tools to be the boss 😎
Head to our website https://commodore-yachting.com/ to have a look at upcoming course dates. If you're unsure, drop us a message and we can chat through the best course for you!
