Coastal Skipper becomes Yachtmaster Coastal 

Change of name from 1st January 2010

From the 1st January 2010 the RYA’s ‘Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence’ will be changing its name to the ‘Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence’.  

Everything else; the syllabus, the standard of the exam and the way commercial skippers endorse their certificates will remain the same.  

James Stevens, RYA Training Manager, explains, "Currently many trainee skippers are daunted by the standards of the Yachtmaster Offshore exam, but for inshore sailors and powerboaters the coastal exam is more appropriate and more achievable.  

"This change will remove any confusion between the Coastal Skipper Course and the exam, which has resulted in many people thinking they are qualified when in fact they have only attended the course."

This new three tier system of Yachtmaster Coastal, Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean now gives a sensible and understandable progression that the both the RYA and the MCA believe will encourage more people to take the coastal exam.  

The name change to these certificates will be worldwide and adopted by Yachting Australia and the NZ Coastguard Boating Education Service. Supporting courses; the Yachtmaster/Coastal Skipper shore-based course and the Coastal Skipper practical course remain unchanged.  

Holders of the Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence can get their certificate changed to the new Yachtmaster Coastal – please contact the RYA Certification department on 0845 345 0377.