RYA Start Sailing Stage Four
A Stage 4 certificate means that cadets have the skills necessary to sail a double handed boat as crew or helm and solve a variety of problems afloat. Passing this course is the natural entry point for the advanced courses in the National Sailing Scheme.
PRACTICAL
By the end of the course cadets can:
- Rig, launch and recover in any wind direction
- Set up a boat according to weather condition using sail and rig controls e.g. mast rake, reefing, etc
- Tie and know the uses of figure of eight, round turn and to half hitches, reef knot, bowline, clove hitch, rolling hitch, sheet bend
- Demonstrate sailing techniques and manoeuvres from Stage 3 in a crewed boat
- Communicate effectively as helm and crew
- Effectively use the 5 essentials by helm and crew including use of tell-tales
- Recover a man overboard
- Demonstrate returning to a beach, jetty or mooring safely in any wind direction
COASTAL (OPTIONAL):
- Apply practical sailing techniques and manoeuvres on tidal waters
- Apply the IRPCS afloat
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of IALA buoyage, how to use tide tables and how to find the direction of tidal streams
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
By the end of the course cadets will have knowledge of:
- IRPCS
- Beaufort Scale
- Synoptic charts
- Tidal ebb and flow
- Spring and neap tides
- Know how to recover from a total inversion