A beginners guide on how to learn to sail

British Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) training scheme is the world’s biggest, best and most reputable yachting training scheme. With more than 50 years of tradition, the RYA offers more than 100 courses – from beginner to professional level – through 2.400 recognised training centres in 58 countries. Each year, more than 270.000 people learn how to sail on sailing yachts or dinghies, operate a powerboat, motor yacht or jet ski, surf and race on the RYA courses. More than 25.000 professional RYA instructors deliver the RYA courses, and the RYA publishes more than 100 publications to support its courses. Also, over 25.000 professionals working on commercial vessels worldwide have RYA Certificates of Competence. The RYA certificates for recreational and professional boaters are recognised and accepted worldwide. With the RYA Day Skipper or the RYA Coastal Skipper certificate and a VHF – SRC Marine Radio certificate, you’ll be able to charter a sailing yacht in Croatia and most countries worldwide. Center of Sailing is an RYA recognised training centre.

1. Internationally recognised and accepted certificates, 2. Quality educational materials and methods, 3. Professional instruction by trained instructors, 4. Specific goals and training for each level of the program, 5. Special students discounts on chartering one of the boats in our fleet

First, you join the RYA Competent Crew course to learn sailing, knots and basic seamanship. Then you follow with a Day Skipper Theory course and a Day Skipper (practical) course to start sailing on your own. The RYA Day Skipper certificate, accompanied by the RYA VHF – SRC Marine Radio certificate, is the minimum requirement to charter a yacht in Croatia and worldwide. The RYA Coastal Skipper course is the next step if you want to sail day and night on longer coastal and offshore passages. It also puts an excellent foundation for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster(TM) qualifications. 

We offer the RYA Competent Crew (practical) course, the RYA Day Skipper Theory course, the RYA Day Skipper (practical) course, the RYA VHF – SRC Marine Radio course, the RYA Coastal Skipper course. We also offer a Day Skipper Fast Track program and refreshers of RYA courses. After successfully completing these courses, students get awarded the appropriate RYA certificate. The RYA certificates for recreational and professional boaters are recognised and accepted worldwide. With the RYA Day Skipper or the RYA Coastal Skipper certificate and a VHF – SRC Marine Radio certificate, you’ll be able to charter a sailing yacht in Croatia and most countries worldwide.

Center of Sailing is an RYA recognised training centre, which means we comply with the high standards of the RYA training scheme. Our RYA instructors are trained professionals who did most of the RYA courses they now teach. The equipment of our yacht and the way we operate comply with RYA’s strict safety standards, and we must pass an RYA inspection every year. The RYA licences us to run the RYA courses following a structured program accompanied by all necessary handbooks and training materials published by the RYA. The RYA also authorises us to issue the RYA certificates for successful students after the courses. To enable our students to expand and broaden their sailing skills, we also offer non-RYA courses – Sail Faster! and mile-building Dubrovnik Adventure.

Warm weather: hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, shorts, T-shirts, swimwear, non-marking deck shoes or trainers, flip flops (only on land), spare set of clothing. Cold weather: lightweight jacket, fleece, hoodie, comfortable trousers, non-marking deck shoes or trainers, sailing boots, waterproof sailing jacket and trousers, warm underwear, and a spare set of clothing.  Special sailing gear: We strongly advise taking a pair of good-fitting sailing gloves. Here are some brands and stores where you can find sailing gear: Decathlon, Gill – Sailing Point, Musto, Helly Hansen, Slam, Henri Lloyd. Please use soft foldable bags because of the limited storage on board. In case you can’t avoid a hard-shelled trolley we have some storage place in our office. Please take all the medicines (prescription and non-prescription) needed for the whole course duration.

No, our sailing yachts are equipped with all required safety equipment, including liferaft, self-inflatable lifejackets and harness lines.

The course, Instructor, Accommodation in shared cabins – single-use of cabins available, Free unlimited wi-fi on board, Fuel, Cooking gas, Final cleaning, Docking fees in the base marina – ACI Jezera, Bed sheets, Covers, Duvets, Pillows, Pillowcases, Towels (beach towels included), Cleaning utensils, Kitchen towels, Bathroom soap, Mosquito repellent, Plates, glasses, cups, cutlery, Tourist tax, VAT. Additionally, for the RYA courses: RYA Instructor, RYA course materials and handbooks, RYA certificates - after successful completion of the course, RYA log books with mileage signed in. Not Included: Flights and travel costs, Travel and medical insurance, Docking/buoy fees in other marinas/bays, Food & drinks – for the crew and the instructor

Food & drinks, for the crew and the instructor, Docking/buoy fees in other marinas/bays, Flights and travel costs, Travel and medical insurance

Depending on the course booked, the yachts are equipped with 2, 3 or 4+1 cabins and (1 or 4 toilets with sinks, mirrors and hot water showers). The kitchen includes the most important – a fridge, sink, two gas cooking rings and a small oven.   Offshore there are 12 VOLT and USB chargers for computers and phones. 220 Volt power is available only when docked in a marina or port. Since our routes are sometimes out of the coverage of telephone networks, there may be interruptions in communication.