Aussies go legit

RYA Yachtmaster courses now available down under

The RYA (Royal Yachting Association) has today announced that RYA Yachtmaster courses and examinations will now be available in Australia, following a recent visit by senior examiners from the RYA.

Four centres were examined and 2 Australian RYA Examiners have been appointed to oversee the quality, content and execution of the Yachtmaster courses. The training centres, including the Australian Maritime College (AMC) in Launceston, Tasmania, were inspected to the highest level and had to achieve the same exacting standards set by the RYA that centres in the UK and Europe already adhere to.

RYA Training Manager James Stevens commented, "The RYA headed to Australia in response to a increasing demand from Australian Sea Schools who wanted to offer an internationally recognised sailing qualification to their students. We are absolutely delighted to be able to announce this exciting expansion in our Yachtmaster development programme and be able to make available there the same high standard of tuition that the RYA is known for in the UK and Europe."

Speaking from the Australian Maritime Centre for Vessel Operations at Beauty Point, Tasmania, Dr Paul McShane added: "AMC is committed to delivering world class, quality training courses that meet the needs of the Sailing Industry and the requirement of maritime authorities internationally. This development and endorsement by the RYA has opened a path for Australian mariners to enter the super yacht industry with a valid qualification gained at AMC, a big step forward as all previously Australian State issued certificate of competency (COC) have not been recognised internationally."

The RYA Yachtmaster certificate of competency (sail and power) is an internationally recognised benchmark of sailing proficiency, endorsed by the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA). The MCA is the leading authority in standards and crew training and is the only world maritime authority that administers a system of Certificates of Competency (COC) specifically for Super yachts. The entry requirements for all MCA qualifications is the RYA Yachtmaster certificate.

The centres that are now offerings RYA Yachtmaster courses are:

· Australian Maritime College, PO Box 986 Launceston, Tasmania 7250. D.Breckenridge@fme.amc.edu.au . www.amc.edu.au
· Yachtmaster Sailing School, 266 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne 3205. yacht@yachtmaster.co.au . www.yachtmaster.com.au
· Southern Cross School of Yachting, 170 Stratton Terrace, Manly, Queensland 4179. sailing@southerncrossyachting.co.au . www.southerncrossyachting.co.au

• Eastsail Pty Ltd, PO Box 517 Edgecliff NSW, 2027. jane@eastsail.co.au . www.eastsail.com.au (At present only offering RYA shorebased courses)