BRETAGNE ATLANTIC YACHTING

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Sailing Course

With the sailing school, Bretagne Atlantic Yachting you have the possibility to prepare yourself to the level of "competent crew", "day skipper tidal", or "coastal skipper". On program for the "competent crew" level: knowledge of the sea terms, security, rope and deck work, handling of the boat. Preparation for the "day skipper certification and coastal skipper certification": preparation for sea, chart work, navigation, tides, pilotage, meteorology, rules of the road, night navigation.

Your skipper, Loïck did for some years a course with Bill Johnson (RYA sailing school, Aztec Sailing, Plymouth) and learned about "yachting and RYA courses" (which are very similar in fact to the French or Spanish courses). Sailing is a universal language!

Just tell Loïck what are your wishes and aims, the balance you would like between learning and having holidays.

According to RYA courses

The aim of this course is to introduce the complete beginner to cruising and to teach personal safety, seamanship and helmanship to the level required to be a useful member ofa cruising yacht.

Knowledge of sea terms

• Different parts of the boat and how they work
• Specific sailing terms

Ropework

• knots
• coiling, stowing
• Casting off, mooring,

Security

• Individual security (lifejacket, safety harness)
• Fire precautions and fighting
• Emergency: liveraft
• Use of the VHF
• sources of weather forecast
• Rules of the road
• Use of the dinghy (loading rules, handle under oars )

Sails

• Preparing and setting sails
• Trimming the sails
• Adapt the sail area : take a reef, undo a reef
• Change the jib
• introduction to spinnaker by light wind

Handling of the yacht

• Casting off buoy, catway, quay
• Tacking, gybing
• Gybing with spinnaker
• Coming alongside, (pier, catwat), under motor / sail
• Picking up the crew (under motor or sail)

Good manners and customs

• Discretion and courtesis to other users of the sea and port
• Rules of coming alongside another ship in port
• Taking part in the general duties on deck and under deck
• Being aware of our responsibility to protect the environnement

DAY SKIPPER COURSE

The aim of the course is to teach pilotage, navigation, seamanship, and boat handling to a standard required to skipper a small cruising yacht safely, by day in which the student is familiar and good meteorological conditions.

Preparation for sea:

• Taking account of weater conditions and tides
• Preparing a yacht for sea, selecting the sails
• Checking the yacht (engine, rigg)
• Stowage of all gear on deck and below

Deck work

• Mastering the skills of a competent crew
• Preparing mooring warps to come alongside, to a buoy
• Anchor (engine, sails)

Navigation

• Use of a chart
• Use of GPS, waypoints
• Buoyage
• Echo sounder
• Preparing clearing lines, transits

Pilotage

• Preparing a pilotage plan to come out and in a port
• Use of transits and soundings

Steering

• To hold on course using compass and telltales
• Introduction to VMG au vent et sous le vent
• Steering on flat sea, with chop and swell

Meteorology

• Understanding and interpretation of forecasts
• Basic understanding of meteorological phenomenons

Rules of the road

Working knowledge of the RIPAM

Maintenance

• Maintenance of Engine
• Stowage of the sails
• Ropes

Victualling the boat

Imergency

• Taking correct action to recovery a man overboard
• Use of flares, liferaft
• Send a distress message on VHF

You will enjoy the fantastic waters of the Brittany coast and Islands in the summer or the eternal spring of the Canary Islands in the winter.