Shore-based Coastal Theory Course
6 days pleasant learning in Malta. Next course: 25 Feb – 3 March 2023
6 days of intense, yet friendly and relaxed learning
Complex issues explained with an holistic approach in an easy to understand way
All necessary theoretical knowledge to join a practical RYA Yachtmaster Prep course later
Hands-on tips what you really use during every-day skippering
– learn where you need to be exact and where approximations are accepted and still keep you safeCombination of electronic and traditional navigation
Discounted hotel prices which can be extended for some relaxing holidays in sunny Malta
Pleasant lunches and evening dinners with heartily sailing discussions
Feel the comradeship of the Reginasailing family – learning and sharing experiences together
You may take the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Theory assessments (at no extra cost)
Get prepared for your Yachtmaster Offshore exam
Course is held in easy to understand English with explanations in German or Swedish possible
The Syllabus
The subjects are as wide as they are important and interesting. Some examples of the hands-on subjects: Tidal Navigation, Navigation in Fog, Buoyage, Lights, GPS and Plotters, Coastal and Offshore Weather, Rules of the Road, Fire Safety, Distress Signals, Man Overboard, Helicopter Rescue, Passage Planning, Stability etc.
The curriculum of the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Shore-Based course in Malta consists of:
1. Position 2. The magnetic compass 3. Tides 4. Tidal streams 5. Buoyage 6. Lights 7. Pilotage 8. Electronic Navigation |
9. Echo sounders 10. Logs 11. Deck log 12. Meteorology 13. Rule of the Road 14. Safety at Sea 15. Navigation in restricted visibility 16. Passage planning 17. Marine Environment |
These subjects are further deepened during the Practical Coastal Sailing and the Practical Offshore Sailing, respectively.
The Preparation
The taught subjects are wide-spanning and the course is very intense. It has therefore lately been expanded from 5 days to 6 days, since the days simply got too long and tiresome.
Therefore it is very important to get prepared before you come. Especially the Col-Regs need to be learnt by heart, since it’s not fun to spend your valuable time in Malta by learning shapes, lights and horn signals in your room!
I have compiled a variety of books you you can buy and choose from. Most are in English, since this course is held in English and the RYA stipulates that it needs to be taught in the international language of the seas. Having said that, I have recently written a book that covers the necessary subjects in German. So for all German-speaking participants, reading “Praxisguide Fahrtensegeln” is a great preparation for the course in your own mother tongue.
Please don’t forget to use your 10% discount code rs-BHAPGG10 when ordering from bookharbour.com.
Praxisguide Fahrtensegeln, you can buy directly from the publishers Delius-Klasing-Verlag.
Course Info
The venue: The 5-star Corinthia St George Hotel:
After years at the 4-Star Corinthia Marina Hotel, we have been upgrade to the 5-star Corinthia St George Bay Hotel in St Julians for the same discounted price as before! And if you bring your spouse to participate at the course or, alternatively, just for him/her to enjoy the island during our day-time course hours, your partner pays no more than for the breakfast as an extra fee!
Prolong your stay over the week-ends to enjoy some own sight-seeing and exploration of this historically interesting island! Especially Valletta is definitely worth a visit!
The Corinthia St George is one of the absolute top hotels in Malta, offering us a first-class conference room with a direct exit to the pool area with sea view. The Hotel is situated directly by the sea and offers great opportunities for combining your RYA theoretical course with holiday. It can’t get any better!
Hotel prices for 2023 are (still!):
Superior single room with sea view: EUR 115 per night including breakfast
Superior double room with sea view: EUR 125 per night including breakfast
Coures date:
- Yachtmaster Offshore Theory course: 25 Feb – 3 March 2023

An evening at the Royal Malta Yacht Club. The sail training week is just as well a social event where we gain from each others’ experiences and enjoy the company.
Number of participants:
In order to grant the exclusive character and an individual and efficient learning experience, the number of participants have been limited to around 10 students.
Price for the course:
- Course Fee: Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course (6 days): EUR 995 plus travel, food and hotel
- Assessment Fee: Yachtmaster Offshore Theory assessment (3 in total) during the course: NIL, included in the above
Additional costs:
- Hotel: The cost for the hotel nights are paid on site directly to the Corinthia hotel and booked via Reginasailing
- Coffee breaks, water, lunches and dinner which are shared equally between the joining participants (see below)
- Obviously your individual travel cost to Malta

Our spacious conference room with direct exit to the pool deck and with sea view.

Outside our conference room overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Course price includes course notes, training and exercise booklet, training charts, assessment test, RYA certificate for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased course.
What to bring:
Please bring: pencil, eraser, colour pencils, notebook, divider, course plotter (navigation triangle or Portland Plotter).
Tea&Coffee/Water/Lunch/Dinner:
Coffee breaks are at 10:30 and 15:30. For EUR 5 per person and break you receive ample tea or coffee with cookies and homemade cake in the mornings and freshly made fruit salad in the afternoons. These are enjoyed just outside our conference room in the sunshine! (well, almost always there is sun in Malta…)

Our conference room to the right and the sea in front of us during coffee breaks in the sun.
Water bottles are supplied on our conference table and cost 3 EUR per large bottle. The total number of water consumed is divided through the number or participants (including me, of course). Typically the total consumption after 5.5 days cost around 20-25 EUR per person.
Lunches are planned, but not necessarily, to be enjoyed jointly. Some wish to have a lunch break on their own or having a short nap after an intense morning! Often lunches are great fun, I must admit, joining in for more talks about our joint sailing dreams…
To enjoy an efficient lunch, we choose from the menu and order during morning coffee breaks. At around 12:30 we walk over to the lunch terrace of the hotel at “Henry J Beans” which is then promptly served thanks to the fact that we ordered it during the morning break.
If your spouse or partner is making you company for a holiday on Malta but does not join the course, they are obviously very warmly welcome to join for lunches and dinners!

A salad or wrap for lunch?
Dinners can be enjoyed on your own or jointly with the group. Typically I join you for most (but maybe not all) of the evenings. We enjoy dinners in my favourite restaurants in vicinity, trying out local Maltese food (e.g. at Gululu) or choose cozy Bianco’s on the exceptional rainy day. My favourite restaurant is OdyC Bistro overlooking Spinola Bay, by the way.

Lunch during a Reginasailing theory course in Malta. Here at “Gululu”.
Possibly the top of evenings is when we jointly meet at the renown Royal Malta Yacht Club, (also famous for hosting the annual Rolex Middle Sea Race). As a member of the RMYC, I may invite my participants as guests at this exclusive club.

Pre-dinner drink on the terrace of the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

Reginasailing dinner at the Yacht Club.
Flights and getting to and from the airport:
Malta is one of the easiest places to fly to from all over Europe. Air Malta, Lufthansa, Ryanair are just a few of the many airlines that fly into Malta several times per day.
The hotel offers a shuttle service from and to the airport (approx 23 EUR) but the easiest way around on Malta is to download the BOLT-App to your smartphone and let one of the over 1,000 BOLT-drivers pick you up anywhere and drive you exactly where you need to go.
Preparation:
If you intend to take the RYA Yachtmaster Assessments, it is strongly recommended that you come well prepared and have a good understanding of the basics of navigation. You are, however, also welcome if you wish to learn as much as you please without doing the assessments in which case you, obviously, may come as prepared or unprepared as you like.
Please be aware, however, that it is very helpful if you are on the working level of an RYA Day Skipper or have taking your “SKS” in Germany. Alternatively, reading the Complete Day Skipper by Tom Cunliffe or Praxisguide Fahrtensegeln by myself makes the course so much more relaxed to attend!
Please check here for some examples of books to read.
Please don’t forget to use your 10% discount code rs-BHAPGG10 when ordering anything from bookharbour.com.
Book early:
Please contact me, preferably including some short information about yourself, if you are interested to participate in one of the upcoming theory courses.