Hall of Yachtmasters

September 30, 2023

Guests who passed their prestigious RYA Yachtmaster exams with Reginasailing

The proud students driving the boat back to Lymington after having passed their Yachtmaster exam. Screenshot of TimeZero Navigation system.

The red line is the track behind the boat on the electronic charting system.

The same message seen on Marine Traffic that day.

Many sail training participants keep returning year after year to Reginasailing in order to become yet more confident and experienced – further to the fun, of course. Combining cruising in exotic, thrilling areas while building experience, knowledge and skills at the same time, does not seldom eventually lead towards the RYA Yachtmaster. It is easy to forget how much you actually learn, when the atmosphere is positive and you feel safe and comfortable while stretching your borders outside your ordinary comfort zone, without really noticing.

Meeting among Reginasailing Yachtmasters and Day Skippers in Cowes 2017, whereby three Yachtmasters and two Day Skippers came sailing to Cowes with their own Hallberg-Rassy’s in order to participate at the re-union. From left to right: Day Skipper Ursula, Yachtmaster Heinz, Yachtmaster William, Day Skipper Inger-Johanne, Yachtmaster-in-Spe (2018) Marianne, Yachtmaster Kurt, Leon, Yachtmaster Anita. Photo taken by Yachtmaster Gaby.

Yachtmaster Heinz, who just picked up their new HR39 he bought together with his partner Ursula, said after the Yachtmaster reunion in Cowes: “To get to know you, Leon, is the second best thing that has ever happened to me! (The best is Ursula, of course!). Our meeting in Cowes was such a great experience, the atmosphere was so wonderfully relaxed and encouraging and all discussions about our new HR39 so helpful! My heart is filled with joy and pride. Ursula and I are also so much looking forward to sailing on Regina Laska again in a couple of weeks – this time in Scotland!”

Following is a list of guests who have reached their RYA Yachtmaster Certificate. Congratulations to a great achievement! Some of them keep returning to Reginasailing nevertheless, just for the sake of pleasure and comradeship – long after having passed their exams or even having purchased their own boats in the mean time!

Our examiner Allan, who is kind enough to examine the Reginasailing students. He is a very experienced sailor, having worked as an RYA Instructor for 25 years before becoming an examiner. In his log, he has, for instance, rounded Cape Horn during the very first Whitbread Round the World Race back in 1973. Reginasailing Yachtmasters are proud to have been examined by such a competent examiner, assessing each one on a very high and competent level.

The Reginasailing Yachtmasters:

Yachtmaster Ocean
Achim Schindler

YACHTMASTER OCEAN Achim Schindler is a great seaman and is a well-deserved Master of the Oceans. Together with his wife Christel, they sail on a beautiful HR43's named "Becky" in European waters and has crossed the Bay of Biscay two times on Regina Laska, one of which had winds over 45 knots of winds. Further, Achim took his Yachtmaster Offshore with Reginasailing in 2017 and has crossed the North Sea from Shetlands to Norway on Regina Laska in very harsh conditions.

Yachtmaster Ocean
Burkhard Grassmann

YACHTMASTER OCEAN Burkhard Grassmann has been working on becoming a true Yachtmaster Ocean for the last 10 years! Having over 14,000 miles in his wake, including two Reginasailing ocean training sailing legs and the Reginasailing Ocean Theory course, he has definitely earned to take the Yachtmaster Offshore on one day and immediately go for the Yachtmaster Ocean the following day. With his Garcia 52 which is currently on order, he will have no problems sailing on any ocean.

Yachtmaster Ocean
Ralf Gude

YACHTMASTER OCEAN Ralf Gude has sailed on Regina Laska four times and also been on several Reginasailing theory and also safety and medical courses. Ralf owns a Bestevaer 45 planning to sail into the ice. He's a great seaman, ready to sail on all oceans in both liquid and solid form. Congratulations to earning the highest of certificates!

Yachtmaster Ocean
Matthias Herlitzius

YACHTMASTER OCEAN Matthias Herlitzius has joined Regina Laska no less than 5 times and been on two Reginasailing shore-based theory courses as well as Reginasailing safety and medical courses and has finally achieved the highest of acknowledgements of being an outstanding seaman. Matthias has earned the title of being an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean and has proven he can safely skipper a boat on any ocean. Congratulations to a fine ocean sailor!

Burkhard Grassmann

YACHTMASTER Burkhard Grassmann, Germany, has owned many types of boats, from a HR over an Xc-Yacht and Gunfleet and is currently sailing a Pogo and has a Garcia on order. He has been re-joining Reginasailing several times, especially on ocean passages. Burkhard likes challenges, dreams about sailing in the ice and has all available German sailing certificates but was still aiming for the highest of certificates of competence and hence took his Yachtmaster on Regina Laska in The Solent.

Jochen Rieker

YACHTMASTER Jochen Rieker, editor-in-chief of the German YACHT magazine, has sailed, tested and judged most types of sailing vessels. He has several Atlantic crossings and thousands of miles of experience from smallest dinghies to large racing yachts. His publication and its publishing house are involved in the German sail training system, but Jochen had no previous experience of the RYA system of learning. No wonder, he was eager to experience the alternative way of teaching sailing and taking the Yachtmaster, which Jochen now has passed with ease. Expect an article in YACHT to follow!

Ralf Gude

YACHTMASTER Ralf Gude has just taken delivery of a special built Bestevaer to take him through the North-West passage in due course. Before starting on his adventure of a life-time he first joined the Yachtmaster Prep course (without the exam) on Regina Laska in 2018 and then continued the following year with a 5 days brush-up course. In 2019, Ralf passed his RYA Yachtmaster on Regina Laska, ready for the big adventures with his own sturdy aluminium yacht.

Bastian Hauck

YACHTMASTER Bastian Hauck has rounded Cape Horn three times and his father-in-law sailed the Whitbread Round the World Race back in the 1970’s. Bastian has tens of thousands of miles in his wake, has written a book and made a popular video called “Raus ins Blaue”, sailing all the edges of the Baltic Sea in a 21foot wooden Folkbåt. He is the organizers of the Refit Centre at boot Düsseldorf and has owned a shipyard for Folkeboote. And yet, he had not a single sailing certificate, which is quite unusual for a German sailor. After having joined Regina Laska in 2018 (Dublin-Oban), Bastian decided to go for it and to join the Reginasailing Yachtmaster course in 2019. He has now passed his well-deserved RYA Yachtmaster in excellence.

Matthias Herlitzius

YACHTMASTER Matthias Herlitzius said he was in no hurry for his Yachtmaster when he joined Reginasailing three years ago. He first wanted to gather experience in seamanship and feel confident when opting for the Yachtmaster. Despite Matthias has a record of never sailing with the same instructor or skipper twice, he has done an exception with Reginasailing and continued to come on Regina Laska on an annual basis. This is the fourth time he sailed on Regina Laska and found the RYA Yachtmaster being the pinnacle of his sailing education (he holds most German sailing certificates already).

Lorenzo Murzilli

YACHTMASTER Lorenzo Murzilli from Italy/Switzerland has been sailing on Regina Laska three times including one Bay of Biscay crossing, sailing in England, Ireland and Scotland before joining on the prestigious Yachtmaster Prep course in 2019. He has also chartered a lot in the Med and done RYA courses in England before joining Reginasailing. Lorenzo is a very able skipper and passed his Yachtmaster in style - now planning to continue to become a Yachtmaster Ocean.

Jake Adam

YACHTMASTER Jake Adam from the UK has had a lot of training by another RYA training centre in The Solent, taking most imaginable RYA courses before discovering Reginasailing on the Internet. He then decided to take the actual Yachtmaster Exams on Regina Laska. He re-took the Yachtmaster Theory with Reginasailing in Malta as a refresher and then joined the Yachtmaster Prep Leg in 2019. He has already booked his Yachtmaster Ocean in 2020 (theory in Malta and ocean passage over the Bay of Biscay). He passed his Yachtmaster in style.

Mattias Hedlund

Of all the 27,000 miles Regina Laska has sailed so far, YACHTMASTER Matthias Hedlund from Sweden has been on 10% of them. In other words, the Yachtmaster course was Mattias' 6th leg, after having done a lot of mile-eating passages on the boat, crossing the Keltic Sea, the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay. He has sailed in Scotland, Brittany, England, Irland and Sweden on Regina Laska, from Galicia in the south to Shetland in the north, further to owning his own sailing boat in Sweden. He passed in style!

Yachtmaster Ocean
Gerd Scheurer

YACHTMASTER Gerd Scheurer crossed the Atlantic 10 years ago and holds all German sailing certificates, including the "SHS". Unfortunately, he found the German way to explain celestial navigation too theoretical and complicated and therefore never used the sextant again. In 2018, he joined the Reginasailing Yachtmaster Ocean course, sailed in Scotland and Shetland on Regina Laska and took the exam in Dec 2018. The hands-on, understandable and useful celestial methods given by the RYA are fun and have encouraged him to use his sextant regularly onboard his X-45 in the future.

Gaby Theile

YACHTMASTER Gaby Theile, Germany, started sailing 5 years ago and initially enjoyed the idea of cruising more than actually having to skipper a yacht. This should change, however, and Gaby has since some time been working hard in order to improve her skills within sailing, navigation and skippering. In 2017, she demonstrated her skills and took her Yachtmaster in style.

Achim Schindler

YACHTMASTER Achim Schindler, Germany, own his own HR43 and joined the Yachtmaster Theory course in Malta, before he came on the practical Yachtmaster Prep Course in 2017, where he took the Yachtmaster in ease and style.

William Brochs-Haukedal

YACHTMASTER William Brochs-Haukedal, Norway owns a HR37 and has regularly joined Regina Laska since 2014. In 2016 William participated on the 2-weeks Yachtmaster Prep course without taking the actual exam. Instead, he returned in 2017 for yet another training week and is now a proud Yachtmaster.

Rüdiger Engel

YACHTMASTER Rüdiger Engel, Germany, is an experienced small-boat sailor and sailed in his own 26 foot sailing boat from Germany to Shetland and Scotland and back in 2015. In 2016, he joined for a Yachtmaster Prep Course and took the exam in style. After leaving the deck of Regina Laska he went and bought his own Hallberg-Rassy.

Michael Eberhartinger

YACHTMASTER Michael Eberhartinger, Austria, started in 2012 with the RYA Coastal Skipper with me in Malta. He then joined Regina Laska in 2014 and 2015 to gain more experience and miles. Michael returned in 2017 and took his Yachtmaster in style.

Michel Leuenberger

YACHTMASTER Michel Leuenberger, Switzerland, has sailed on Regina Laska in 2015 and 2016. He then returned in 2017 and took his Yachtmaster in style.

Yachtmaster Ocean
Markus Wratschko

YACHTMASTER Markus Wratschko, Austria, first joined in 2014 gaining miles sailing 600+nm nonstop from Scotland to Germany. After taking his RYA Yachtmaster exam, he sailed on yet another 600+nm nonstop leg onboard Regina Laska in 2016. He has gone the Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course and is now preparing for his Yachtmaster Ocean exam.

Ross Moncrieff

YACHTMASTER Ross Moncrieff, Australia, is flying each summer from Australia to Europe in order to join one or two legs on Regina Laska. Ross has joined in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2016 he took his RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam in style. For 2017, Ross will join on a 600+nm RYA Yachtmaster Ocean qualifying leg as well a leg in Scotland plus a Reginasailing Yachtmaster Ocean theory course in Malta in order to take the Yachtmaster Ocean in a not too distant future.

Jos Wammes

YACHTMASTER Jos Wammes, The Netherlands/Switzerland, had a lot of non-Tidal miles, predominantly from the Mediterranean, when he joined the Yachtmaster Prep Course in 2017. With no tidal experience, this was a steep learning curve, but after eager training and learning, Jos took his Yachtmater in style.

Heinz Galm

YACHTMASTER Heinz Galm, Switzerland, was already a very experienced sailor when he joined on his Yachtmaster Prep course in 2016, taking his Yachtmaster exam in style. Nevertheless, he keeps returning and has booked a leg in Scotland for 2017 just for the fun doing it together with his partner and to gain yet more experience.

Kurt Cortier

YACHTMASTER Kurt Cortier, Belgium, owns an HR342 together with his wife Anita, and joined on Regina Laska in 2015. He returned in 2016 twice: First to take his Yachtmaster Offshore and then later for the 600+ nm qualifying leg for the Yachtmaster Ocean. He is planning to participate on a Reginasailing RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory Course and then take the Yachtmaster Ocean exam in 2017 or 2018.

Anita De Bruycker

YACHTMASTER Anita De Bruycker, Belgium, owns a HR342 and works within sail training as an instructor in her spare time. She first joined in 2015 for an offshore leg onboard Regina Laska and returned in 2016 twice: First on a Yachtmaster Prep Course, taking her Yachtmaster Exam in style, and then for a 600+nm Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifying Leg. In 2017 she plans to participate on a Reginasailing Yachtmaster Ocean theory course in Malta and then taking the Yachtmaster Ocean exam.

Artur Kawa

YACHTMASTER Artur Kawa, Poland, has invited a significant part of his family to sail on Regina Laska. Except for 2013, when he couldn't join due to a broken foot, Artur has sailed on Regina Laska at least one week per year. He has also bought and refitted an own HR46 (Blue Daisy) to the same standard as Regina Laska. After several years of sail training onboard Regina Laska, he passed his Yachtmaster in style in 2015.

Stig Ursing

YACHTMASTER Stig Ursing, Sweden, owns a HR36 and joined in 2015 for the Yachtmaster Prep Course. He had sailed to Scotland several times and wanted the Yachtmaster as an acknowledgment of his experience and seamanship. Stig passed in style and without any difficulties, although he felt it was tougher than he had originally expected. After the exam he has now taken his boat to Galicia.

Tobias Odenberger

YACHTMASTER Tobias Odenberger, Sweden, was already experienced when he joined Regina Laska on the Yachtmaster Prep Course in 2015. He owns a Najad and has crossed the North Sea several times. He took a three months sabbatical after his Yachtmaster exam he took in style in 2015.

Tom Kingston

YACHTMASTER Tom Kingston, Minnesota/USA joined the first time when crossing the Atlantic from Bermuda to the Azores back in 2006. In 2013 he participated on my first Yachtmaster Prep Course onboard Regina Laska, which ended in his Yachtmaster Exam which he took in style. Since then, he continues returning for the fun and experience: In 2016 in Galicia and in 2017 two legs in Scotland as well as crossing the North Sea.

Jan Manhem

YACHTMASTER Jan Manhem, Sweden, was the first candidate to pass the Yachtmaster exam onboard Regina Laska back in 2013. He has sailed all his life in Sweden and elsewhere and also holds the record for being the oldest Yachtmaster student. He was the first to take the Yachtmaster in style.