RYA DINGHY & MULTIHULL INSTRUCTOR
JOINING INSTRUCTIONS
These Joining Instructions cover;
- RYA Assistant Dinghy Instructor
- RYA Dinghy Instructor Pre Entry
- RYA Dinghy Instructor
- RYA Dinghy Racing Instructor
- RYA Dinghy Advanced Instructor
- RYA Multihull Endorsement
- RYA Dinghy Senior Instructor
WHERE
MEALS
- Tea and coffee are included.
- Lunch is not included, please bring a packed lunch (there is a fridge, microwave and kettle available).
PREREQUISITES
All Instructor courses have pr requisites, they are requirements. If you are unsure what they are please check back against the relevant course description (links provided above) that you used when booking the course with us.
OUTCOMES & CERTIFICATION
There are three possible outcomes/results to an Instructor Course. They are;
- PASS (You pass the course and the trainer recommends to the RYA that you become an Instructor).
- ACTION PLAN (You pass some sections of your course and the Trainer sets an action plan for you to complete within a certain time period (often 1, 2 or 3 months) before you then qualify. An action plan may include re assessment of certain skills.
- FAIL (You will need to improve certain skill areas and then retake the course when you are ready).
At the end of your course your trainer will give you a full debrief and inform you of his/her decision. Some RYA Instructor courses are moderated by a second Trainer who will also be involved with the course debrief. Successful RYA Instructor candidates receive their certificate by post from the RYA within a few weeks of completing their course.
INSTRUCTOR TRAINING
While we train instructors at several different levels there are many themes and qualities common to all good instructors. The instructor’s role is to help, encourage and nurture students, to help them learn the skills and knowledge that they will find useful and above all to demonstrate a good example of seamanship and skippering for students to learn from.
We have all been taught by good and bad teachers at some point in our lives. We need to learn from these people which qualities aided our learning and which were negative. It goes without saying that an instructor must be able to demonstrate all of the skills required to a higher standard than that required by the student and an instructor must also be able to adapt his/her teaching style to suit different students.
During your course you will be asked to teach various sessions, some practical and some theory. The usual format is to explain, demonstrate, sum up the key points and then let the student have a go before de-briefing. De-briefing techniques will be covered on your course but the essential ingredients are to be positive, honest and to help the student become aware of what they need to do to improve.
Instructor training courses are at the top end of coaching; your trainer will expect you to have the boat handling skills before the course and will then coach you on instructional techniques. The most common reason for candidates not passing an Instructor course is due to a lack of understanding or experience in the chosen activity. If you are a little rusty on certain areas then work on them before your course.
You will find it useful before your course to consider the key points of each technique within the relevant syllabus. For example if a beginner were picking up a mooring buoy in double handed sailing boat the key points would be.
- Boat preparation (lines and possibly a practice run)
- Choosing the correct direction of approach and sail combination
- Briefing the crew and ongoing communication during the manoeuvre
- Controlling speed and stopping the boat
- Picking up the actual mooring buoy
- Securing to the buoy
- Having an escape plan and being aware of hazards.
In the normal course of our boating we do all of these things without giving it too much thought, but students learning new skills, need to be made aware of the key points or factors that will make their exercise successful. Below you will find notes specific to each Instructor Course.
PERSONAL BUOYANCY
Buoyancy Aids (or life jackets for keel boating) are provided, you are of course welcome to bring your own.
WHAT TO BRING
- Passport photo of yourself
- Note pad and pen
- Packed lunch each day
- Warm clothing and a change of clothes
- Usual sailing gear, or hire our wettest and spray top for £5/day, (capped at £20 for courses that are 4 days or longer)
- Cap/hat, gloves, sunglasses, suncream
- Wetsuit Boots or slippers
- Whistle
- Sailing Knife
- Publications- Scheme specific books listed in the Essential Pre Course Reading sections below
- Any teaching resources you think will be useful
- First Aid Certificate
- Any certificates listed within the prerequisites for your specific Instructor course
- RYA Membership Number
TIMINGS
- Start Time – 0915
- Finish Time – 1700 -1730 (SI courses may finish later, see below).
Please be ready to do some home work some evenings.
ACCOMODATION
Accommodation is NOT included on any of our courses.
DETAILED INFORMATION
Please scroll down to the relevant course title below for course specific information.
RYA DINGHY INSTRUCTOR PRE ENTRY ASSESSMENT (two days)
Pre-Requisites
• Minimum Age 15
• Experienced & competent Dinghy Sailor above RYA Dinghy Seamanship Level
• RYA Membership
BOOKS
There are 3 books you will need as a Dinghy Instructor so it will pay to source them now.
- The most urgent one is the RYA National Sailing Scheme Instructor Handbook (G14).
- the 2nd book is the RYA National Sailing Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G4).
- The 3rd is the RYA Youth Sailing Scheme Syllabus and Logbook
Other useful but not quite so essential books are (in order of importance)
- RYA Start Sailing (G3)
- RYA Advanced Sailing (G12)
Useful Pre Course Reading for the Pre Entry
- Seamanship section of the Advanced Dinghy Handbook
- Pre Entry Section of the Instructor Handbook
Pre Course Preparation
- Check your background knowledge includes everything within the RYA Keelboat Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Seamanship course syllabus contained in the RYA National Sailing Scheme Logbook
- Practice the manoeuvres in the Seamanship syllabus
- Complete the Pre Entry”, online quiz to test your knowledge and establish where there might be weak areas. Once you hit submit, we will be able to see your answers. This is an open book test so we hope you will score close to 100%.
Description and Assessment
This assessment is required before you start the Dinghy Instructor Course. Day 1 is devoted to seamanship skills coaching, day 2 to the assessment.
- We expect candidate to score close to 100%onn the online open book test (above), which you can complete in advance in your own time! An open book test is intended to be far less stressful than a written test on the day. If there is an area you are not sure about read up on it.
- Seamanship skills will be tested afloat and may include
- Picking up a mooring (wind with and wind against tide)
- Coming alongside a pontoon or RIB
- Reefing afloat
- Rudderless Sailing
- MOB
- Anchoring
- Backward Sailing
- Follow my leader
- Tight circles
- Recover a capsized Dinghy
- Sailing Efficiently
Clearly there is not time to teach all of this from scratch; you should be above RYA Dinghy Seamanship standard before the course starts. The craft used are likley to be Sonarss
RYA DINGHY INSTRUCTOR COURSE
Pre Requisites
- Minimum age 16 (by last day of course)
- Dinghy Instructor Pre Entry (Section above)
- RYA First Aid (or equivalent)
- RYA Safe & Fun (short online course)
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- RYA Membership
Pre-Requisites
• Minimum age 16 (by last day of course0
• RYA Keelboat Pre Entry (passed within the previous year)
• RYA First Aid or equivalent
• RYA Membership
Essential Pre-Course Reading
- RYA National Sailing Scheme Instructor Handbook (G14).
- RYA National Sailing Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G4).
- RYA Youth Sailing Scheme Syllabus and Logbook
Useful Pre-Course Reading
- RYA Start Sailing (G3)
- RYA Advanced Sailing (G12)
Pre-Course Preparation
- Read G14 thoroughly.
Description and Assessment
Candidates must be familiar with the RYA scheme and the contents of the Level 1 and Level 2 syllabuses (contained in G4). You will be expected to demonstrate sailing skills to a high standard and to deliver short onshore talks. G14 gives plenty of advice on teaching styles and techniques. This course is based on continual assessment and is moderated on the last day by a second Trainer
While we will be checking that your sailing skills are still at pre-entry standard and your background supporting knowledge is relevant, we will primarily be teaching you how to instruct, coach and de-brief (we will teach you these skills on the course, although you will need to have read G14 before you attend the course).
Successful candidates will become qualified to teach the RYA Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Seamanship and Day Sailing Courses at RYA Training Centres.
RYA DI RE-ASSESSMENT
You will be attending the moderation day of a DI course (above). The exact itinerary will be dictated by your action plan. For pre course reading please see the Dinghy Instructor section above.
RYA DI RE-VALIDATION
This one day is for existing DIs who have, “expired.” For pre course reading please see the Dinghy Instructor section above.
Pre-Requisites
- Expired RYA Dinghy Instructor
- RYA First Aid or equivalent
- RYA Safe and Fun
- RYA Powerboat level 2
- RYA Membership
On the day the trainer will ask you to demonstrate some or all of the following land drills
- Centre main tacking
- Centre main gybing
- Single hander capsize
and teach both a practical and an onshore session from the Level 1, 2 or seamanship course; please ensure you are familiar with all subjects on the syllabus. You may pre-prepare an onshore talk on any of the following subjects:
- Points of Sail
- Basic aerodynamic theory
- Rules of the road
- Online sources of weather information
- Digital sources of tidal height data
- The 5 Essentials
This talk should be pitched at RYA Level 1 or 2 standard. Your audience will be the rest of your course candidates and the trainer. Talks should be kept to a maximum of ten minutes, but if the subject can be covered in less time, then keep it shorter. The group may ask you one or two questions at the end of your talk. Resources available include Whiteboard. Powerpoint is not necessary in this environment. Your talk does not have to take place in a formal classroom environment; it is up to you to choose how to deliver the talk. The single best piece of advice we can give you is to make the talk interactive rather than a lecture
You will also be tested on your general theory knowledge and boat handling skills. Successful candidates will be recommended for the RYA Dinghy Instructor Award.
RYA DINGHY RACING INSTRUCTOR COURSE
Pre-Requisites
- RYA Dinghy Instructor
- RYA First Aid or equivalent
- Have competed in at least 9 club races
- Have assisted a Race Officer for at least one race
- RYA Membership
Pre-Course Reading
- Racing Instructor Section of RYA National Sailing Scheme Instructor Handbook (G14
- Start Racing section of RYA National Sailing Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G4)
Other Useful Reading
- RYA Race Training Exercises
- RYA Advanced Sailing (G12)
Pre-Course Preparation
- Prepare at least one of the short shorebased talks listed below
Description and Assessment
Candidates must be familiar with the RYA Start Racing Course syllabus and have a wide experience of Club Racing. Your day with us will be a mix of sessions ashore and afloat. You will have the opportunity to participate in and run sessions from the Start Racing course afloat. The Trainer will also expect you to deliver a short shorebased session (maximum 10 minutes but ideally shorter) on one of the subjects listed below; you will need to prepare this in advance. Your session will be delivered to a small group (3-6 sailors), so try to make it interactive and practical. The session should be aimed at competent adult sailors who are new to club racing.
- Start line bias
- Racing rules
- The start sequence
- Dinghy clubs and classes
- Upwind tactics
- Penalties and protests
RYA MULTIHUL INSTRUCTOR ENDORSEMENT (two day)
Pre-Requisites
- Minimum age 16
- RYA Dinghy Instructor or RYA Keelboat Instructor
- Multihull experience and ability to Pre-Entry Standard (i.e. Multihull Seamanship Skills)
- RYA First Aid or equivalent (in date)
- RYA Membership
Useful Reading
- RYA Instructor handbook
- RYA NSS Syllabus and Logbook
- RYA Catamaran Handbook G46
- The Catamaran Book by Brian Phipps
- RYA Advanced Sailing (G12)
Pre-Course Preparation
- Study the G4 and G14 logbooks and handbooks. Identify and list the differences between teaching multi-hull sailing and teaching dinghy sailing.
- Practice cat sailing, in particular the skills within the seamanship course.
- Read up on the following subjects and note down the key points:
- Launching
- Landing
- Mainsheet vs. traveller
- Tacking
- The pitch pole
Description and Assessment
You will be sailing onboard our Dart 16 and RS 14 catamarans. Over the two-day course, you will discuss how to adapt your existing techniques to these cats and how to run Multihull courses. The trainer will want to see that you can perform to pre-entry standard as well as deliver sessions. All candidates will be asked to deliver Shorebased briefing and practical sessions from the national sailing Scheme
RYA DINGHY SENIOR INSTRUCTOR COURSE (four day)
Pre-Requisites
- Minimum age 18
- At least 2 season’s (or 1 year’s full time) experience as a RYA Dinghy Instructor
- Sailing ability still at Pre-Entry Standard
- RYA Safetyboat
- RYA First Aid or equivalent (in date)
- Recommendation from a Training Centre Principal or RYA Dinghy Trainer
- RYA Membership
Timings
The course meets at 0915 ecah day at SWAC. Finish times will vary, but you can expect the course to go on until 1830 some days. There may be homework to complete on one or more evenings.
What to Bring
- Everything in the kit list at the top of this page
- RYA Safetyboat Certificate
- RYA Principals recommendation
- RYA Dinghy Instructor Certificate
Essential Pre-Course Reading
- RYA Dinghy Instructor Handbook G14
- RYA NSS Logbook G4
- RYA Safetyboat Handbook G16
- RYA YSS Logbook G11
Useful Pre-Course Reading
- RYA Start Sailing Handbook G3
- RYA Advanced Sailing Handbook G12
- Past editions of Wavelength Magazine
- The RYA website
Aim of the Course
The aim of the course is to help you, as an experienced instructor, to become competent to plan, organise and manage courses within the RYA National Sailing Schemes and, indeed, to see if you are ready to take on this role. This will involve sessions afloat as well as group discussions. The course will help you to understand the requirements of RYA Training Centre recognition and will highlight the need for the Senior Instructor (SI) to be patient and resourceful as well as being able to confidently manage people and situations. The overall aim of the SI is to facilitate courses that are enjoyable, safe and informative.
Pre-Course Preparation
- Familiarise yourself with the content of the Dinghy Instructor Handbook
- Pre-prepare a shorebased talk on a topic of your choice from any of the five RYA advanced sailing modules. The talk should be pitched at a group of 5-6 advanced students. Your talk should last no more than 10 minutes and be interactive and exciting. You will have the use of usual classroom facilities or an outdoor space.
- Ensure your Seamanship/Pre Entry sailing are still up to scratch.
- Print off and complete the SI Workbook (details below), which will be handed in on the first morning of the course.
- Research all of the group discussions topics listed below.
RYA Senior Instructor Workbook
Please use the following link, SI Workbook, print it out, complete it to the best of your ability and bring it along to the course. If you need a hard copy please contact RYA Training.
The workbook forms a part of the overall assessment so it must be completed. Spending time with it prior to the course will help you to gain an understanding of what it means to be a SI and will provide material for group discussions during the course. It will also give the Trainers running the course an overview of your knowledge and experiences to date. Please contact us if you have any reason to find completing the workbook difficult. As guidance we recommend you budget 8 hours of time to complete the workbook.
Group Discussions
You will be asked to lead a group discussion of approximately 15-20 minutes, on one of the subjects below. You will also need to contribute towards discussions on the other topics. Please note that you are not being asked to prepare a presentation. Rather, you should research all of the topics so that you can lead or discuss any of them at short notice:
- Risk management within RYA Training Centres
- Considerations regarding safeguarding within clubs and centres
- Why teach sailing using “The Method”?
- Managing complaints during or on completion of RYA courses
- Induction of new instructors/volunteers
- The RYA Assistant Instructor course and the role of the SI in delivering it
- RYA Centre recognition – benefits and considerations
- The role of the SI in maintaining standards of tuition
- Modifications to training dinghies to facilitate learning and reduce maintenance
- Considerations regarding the risk of entrapment
- Light and heavy wind alternatives to sailing
- Delivering a high level of customer service to students
Description and Assessment
As an experienced Instructor, you will be asked to run sessions both afloat and ashore using double and single handers. Sessions could be based on any part of the National Sailing Scheme. The two trainers running the course will be encouraging you to both think about your coaching and about managing larger fleets of sailors and instructors. Your sailing skills should still be at Pre-Entry standard and powerboating skills proficient to RYA safetyboat standard. A candidate’s attendance on the course will provide the Trainers with the information they need in order to decide whether or not to recommend them as a RYA Senior Instructor. As such, all elements of a candidate’s performance will be assessed.