RYA Start Yachting
A three-day introduction to sailing on Spain's beautiful Costa BlancaThe Boat School Start Yachting course is the very first step in the RYA training scheme for sailing yachts and is aimed at beginners looking for an introduction to the basics of sailing.
Quick facts
Here’s a summary of what you need to know.
RYA Start Yachting practical sailing course
2-day beginners course
Choose between Denia and Valencia
We offer this course in both Denia and Valencia
Create your own private group
Maximum 4 students | Minimum 2
Our only sailing course where you sleep at home
You’ll need to book a hotel or have private accomodation
Our boats
The boats we use on RYA Start Yachting courses are a perfect size for beginner sailors in groups of 2-4. They are stable and easy to sail, making them a lot of fun. Our experienced instructors will teach you the basics of sailing and help you get the most out of your time on the water.
The details
Click on the tabs for more detailed information.
Start Yachting – the beginner’s introduction to sailing
The Start Yachting course from Boat School is the first step in the RYA training scheme for sailing yachts. It’s a great way to get a feel for sailing and learn the basics if you’re going to be crewing on a yacht.
The course is almost all hands-on and requires no previous sailing experience. By the end of the course, you will have started to learn the basic skills needed to become an active and useful crew member on a cruising sail yacht.
The course can be completed over two full days or three half days. In the summer, we recommend the three-day option to avoid the heat and strong breezes in the afternoon.
Holders of the Start Yachting certificate can go on to complete the Competent Crew course in a reduced time of three days.
To learn more about the Start Yachting course, read through these tabs.
Groups and bookings
The Boat School RYA Start Yachting Course is available as a rental and course pack where you complete the course with family and friends. It is also available as own-boat tuition.
Rental & course pack
With this option, you complete the course with a “closed” group of family and friends. This is perfect for family groups, such as parents and the kids, or even for a couple who want to try sailing or improve their technique with private instruction.
This option gives you the maximum flexibility in terms of dates. On this kind of course, we happy for you to bring passengers; however, this is quite a physical course and that means a lot of moving about. You need to make your “passengers” aware of this.
Rental & course pack: 1200€ (for up to 4 students).
This is the price for the course, not the price per person. If you have a group of four, the price will be 400€ per person.
Own boat tuition
If you already own a yacht, or if you have a friend who owns a sailboat, we’re more than happy to run an RYA Start Yachting course on your own boat. This option will be probably be cheaper than other options; however, you do need to make sure that the boat is up to the standard required by the RYA for training.
Own boat tuition: please contact us for pricing
Two days or three mornings – that’s all it takes! The RYA Start Sailing course is the perfect introduction to sail cruising for absolute beginners and those who just like the idea of “giving it a go”. It is the first step on the world-renowned RYA Sail Cruising scheme, and could be the beginning of a much greater journey!
The course is almost all hands on. By the end of this course, you will have started to learn the basic skills needed to become an active and useful crew member on a cruising sail yacht.
On RYA Start Yachting courses, you are the crew! Without your contribution the sails won’t go up, the boat will go nowhere and the yacht won’t be steered!
Practical skills, including…
- Steering a yacht under sail or power
- Raising and lowering the sails
- Ropework (basic knots)
- Man overboard recovery
& just the right amount of theory, including…
- Basic knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat
- Weather information
- The Rules of the Road
- Emergency equipment and procedures
Where will I be sailing?
This course is available in both Valencia (capital city of the Valencia Autonomous Community) and Denia. If you’re flying in from abroad, these are both excellent destinations for a short break sailing holiday.
The minimum age to participate in the course is 12. However, we only run this course for under 18’s if the parent or guardian is taking the course at the same time. Sailing is an active participation activity. You won’t need a medical certificate, but you should be in reasonable physical condition.
Where will I be staying?
Although we sometimes run RYA Start Yachting as “live on board” course, most of our guests choose to stay ashore in the evening, enjoyng the wide range of cultural and dining delights available in and around our marina locations. They then join the boat each morning for the course itself. Our days begin at between 8 and 9 and we finish training around about 2 PM.
There is no night sailing involved in this course.
Book your RYA Start Yachting course
Complete the form and we'll get back to you.With The Boat School, you can choose to book your RYA Start Yachting course in an open group, charter a sailboat and get training on the boat you rent or even run the course on your own boat.
Rental with Course Pack or Own Boat tuition
The Start Yachting Own Boat / Rental option gives you maximum flexibility whether you’re looking for a small group (up to 5 students) or you want one-to-one training. You can choose between:
- Renting a sailboat and doing the course on this boat
- Running a course on your own boat
If you’d like a personalised quote for a rental with course pack or for own boat tuition, please use the contact form below to tell us what you’re looking for.
What our students think
Real reviews from our students..
The Boat School is part of Greenwich Náutica, a well-established sea school operating in Madrid and the Valencian Community. With a Google rating of 4.9 out of 5, Greenwich Náutica is renowned for its dedicated team of instructors, premium boats, and a wide range of courses that cater to all levels of sailors. As the only RYA school in the Valencian Community that also operates within the Spanish system, we possess unparalleled local knowledge, which adds significant value to our international students’ learning experience.
Guillermo and Simon, the instructors who taught me, were very professional and perfectly conveyed their knowledge in a subject that can sometimes be quite complex.
Don't hesitate to call the school and speak with Marta for information; she's very approachable, friendly, and helpful with everything you need!
I 100% RECOMMEND IT! GREAT JACKFISHING!!!!
The practical training is a different story: the radio training in Madrid was great, but for the sailing training, they sent me to a boat (from another school) whose instructor must have been excellent years ago, but now he completely doesn't care about anything. We only left port for a couple of hours, when it's mandatory to be out for 24 consecutive hours and do watches. Instead, he went out partying with two students, returning at 6 a.m. What a professional! I complained to the school, and they told me that according to the instructor, everything was fine, that other students had even congratulated him. And they were perfectly happy with that. I feel like I've been ripped off.
I don't know of any other schools, but I'm sure any of them are better than this one. Either study the theory on your own and make sure they'll give you the practical lessons...
Ready to book? Got any questions?
If you’re interested in a course with The Boat School, please complete the form below and we’ll get back to you.
The Boat School
Recognized by the Royal Yachting Association to conduct Powerboat Training, Sail Cruising courses in the Yachtmaster (sail) scheme and Shorebased (theory) courses.
Recognized by the Spanish Directorate General for Merchant Shipping, the Comunidad Valenciana and the Region of Murcia to conduct sail, motor, powerboat and VHF training.
Operational Base Denia
Marina de Dénia (Sail courses)
Darsena de babor s/n
03700 · Denía
Alicante · Spain
Click to call
Marina El Portet (Powerboat courses)
Moll de la pansa, s/n
3700 · Dénia
Alicante · Spain
Click to call
Classrooms & pick up for certificates
Carrer de Fora Mur, 12
03700 · Dénia
Alicante · Spain
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Madrid Office
Greenwich Náutica
C/ Marqués de Lema 7, Local 6
28003 · Madrid
Spain
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