RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam Preparation
Intensive Training for Confident Candidates
If you are close to taking your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam, the difference between “nearly ready” and “properly prepared” is usually not sea time. It is exam focus: decision-making under pressure, slick boat management, clear planning, and calm, consistent leadership.
BOSS has been training Yachtmasters since 1991. Thousands of successful candidates have passed through our doors, and our exam preparation courses are built around one simple aim: to help you turn existing experience into exam-ready performance.
Who This Course Is For
This is a high-level, intensive programme designed for sailors who already have solid skippering skills and want to:
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Prepare specifically for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam
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Identify and close gaps quickly, with professional coaching
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Improve confidence in navigation, pilotage and boat handling under scrutiny
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Rehearse the exam format and expectations so nothing feels unfamiliar on the day
If you want a relaxed weekend sail, this is not it. If you want a focused run-up to an important assessment, you are in the right place.
What Makes BOSS Exam Preparation Different
Exam preparation is not the same as a course. You are not learning from scratch. You are refining, rehearsing, pressure-testing, and developing the standard of command expected of a Yachtmaster.
Our instructors train candidates year-round and understand what examiners look for in real terms: safe judgement, clear communication, disciplined planning, and confident boat handling that does not unravel when conditions change.
You will be coached hard, supported properly, and given direct feedback you can act on immediately.
What You Will Cover
The exact content will be shaped to the crew and the prevailing conditions, but preparation typically includes:
Passage planning and command
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Planning with purpose: realistic timings, contingencies, crew management
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Clear skippering routines: briefings, roles, lookout, safety discipline
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Decision-making under pressure: what to do and why, not just what you did
Pilotage and navigation
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High-standard pilotage planning and execution
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Position fixing, situational awareness and avoiding “drift into error”
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Confidence with tidal planning and practical coastal navigation
Boat handling and seamanship
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Close-quarters handling appropriate to the exam standard
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Man overboard procedures and recovery under realistic conditions
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Deck work, ropework and systems knowledge: competent, calm, methodical
Exam readiness
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Understanding the exam flow and how to present your thinking clearly
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Avoiding common candidate pitfalls (and how to recover if something goes wrong)
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Building consistency: the examiner is assessing your baseline, not your best moment
A Highly Practical, Coaching-Led Format
This is a practical course with meaningful time in command. You will rotate through skipper responsibilities, be observed closely, and receive straightforward feedback. Expect repetition where it matters, targeted drills, and a strong emphasis on operating as a capable skipper rather than simply “doing the task”.
Training Location
Operating from Hamble Point Marina near Southampton, our training ground in the Solent offers an outstanding environment for Yachtmaster preparation: busy waters, strong tides, tight pilotage opportunities, and realistic skippering challenges.
What You’ll Leave With
By the end of the programme you should have:
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A clearer sense of your current exam readiness
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A set of practical improvements you can implement immediately
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Greater confidence handling the yacht, crew and plan under exam conditions
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A professional view of what examiners are truly assessing
Book Your Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation Course
If you are aiming to take your Yachtmaster Offshore exam soon, an intensive preparation course is one of the best investments you can make in performance and confidence.
View dates and book online
Or speak with our team for honest guidance on whether you are ready and what preparation will serve you best.
Yachtmaster Pre Course Requirements
Before attempting the RYA / MCA Yachtmaster Offshore exam, you should have the following minimum experience;
50 days onboard sailing yachts over 24 feet
2,500 nautical miles (half of these should be in tidal waters)
5 non-stop passages over 60 miles - you should have skippered at least two of these and two should have been overnight
5 days of skippering
Theoretical knowledge and certificates
You should possess a good theoretical knowledge to the level of the RYA Yachtmaster shore based course. This includes a thorough knowledge of the IRPCS & radar. Candidates are required to hold an in date First Aid certificate (valid for three years from date of issue) and hold a VHF licence or Short Range Certificate - SRC
