A pilot course for the new RYA keelboat senior instructor qualification was run over two weekends in March and April, hosted by the Nancy Oldfield Trust and Horstead Centre on Barton Broad.

Senior instructors are needed to supervise courses at RYA training centres. But until now, the qualification has only been available to dinghy sailors. This course was run to test how the current format would fit with keelboat sailing.

Theory sessions and on-water activities were run in a range of keelboats including Yeomans, a Yare and Bure One Design and a 21ft Dutch Randmeer. All nine candidates qualified and enjoyed the course, despite the snow!

John Thorn, RYA National Sailing Coach, said: We are delighted with the success of this pilot course, particularly as it opens the senior instructor qualification to those who are highly experienced but do not sail dinghies. This was my first experience of Broadland sailing, and I was greatly impressed by the local boats and the skill with which they are sailed.

The success of this venture has led to this new qualification being implemented and further courses being planned, the first of which should take place in the Autumn.

If you are interested in training as a keelboat senior instructor, please contact RYA Training using the link above.

Potential candidates must be competent keelboat sailors, hold the keelboat instructor certificate, the safety boat certificate and have experience of running keelboat courses at an RYA training centre.