• Wave icon Trip Type: Coastal, Masterclass
  • Speech bubble icon Instructors: 2
  • People icon Crew Size: Max 9 (10 for ocean)
  • Cake icon Ages: 18-70 ish
  • Pin icon Region: UK & Ireland
High

Adventure Rating:
High

Day Skipper +

Experience Required:
Day Skipper +

12 Days from £2,199

Dates, Prices & Travel

Passage Making Masterclass England-Scotland

Take your sailing expertise to the next level with our advanced sailing course from England to Scotland, specifically designed for those who have achieved the RYA Day Skipper qualification or ASA 104 or equivalent skills and experience). This masterclass is about enhancing your seamanship and skippering skills and getting the real-world experience that can’t be found in any classroom.

You’ll get the highest quality instruction, with the challenging waters of the English Channel, Irish Sea and Outer Hebrides as your training ground. It is an area renowned for its unpredictable weather, heavy commercial traffic, strong tides, and varied sea states. It is the perfect place for theoretical knowledge to meet practical application. Under the guidance of our expert instructors, you’ll refine your navigation skills, master advanced passage-making techniques, and learn to make critical decisions under pressure.

The skills you will learn go beyond just sailing; being a skipper is about leading a crew, managing a vessel through complex situations, and gaining the confidence and competence to handle various sailing scenarios. By the end, you’ll have improved your technical skills, leadership, and problem-solving abilities, making you a more proficient and self-assured skipper.

Want to join?

For the Masterclass, you’ll need to have some prior experience and be at least an RYA Day SKipper, or ASA 104 or have a similar base level of skills and experience. It’s fine for those skills to be rusty – most people’s are – but you will need those foundations. If that’s you and you’re hungry to learn from the best around, go to the Dates & Prices button to see the dates this course runs. It will also give you information on connecting travel, including where to fly and when and where to join the boat.

Sailing Area

sailing scotland an england area map
sailing england to scotland route map
The Yachts

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Key Information
What’s included
  • All food and accommodation on board

  • All fuel & berthing fees

  • Your own bunk and storage area

  • Use of oilskins

  • Use of lifejacket with PLB

  • All sailing tuition

  • RYA Competent Crew (supplementary fee)

What’s Not included
  • Your connecting travel to & from boat

  • Sailing & travel insurance

  • Meals you choose to eat ashore

  • Alcohol

  • Visas (where required)

  • Discretionary crew tip

Interested in dates & availability?

To see when this trip runs, its start and end locations, price to join the crew and availability, click on the ‘Dates, Prices & Travel’ button up top.

Discretionary tipping of the Rubicon 3 crew

We’ve priced this trip 5-10% lower than we otherwise would to allow you the option, at the end of your adventure, to offer a discretionary tip to the Rubicon 3 skipper and mate if you feel they’ve provided exceptional service. A combined tip of 5-10% is suggested but is entirely at your discretion and based on your satisfaction with their performance. See our FAQs here.

Got Questions? We’re Here to Help!

We get it – joining a major sailing adventure is a big decision, and it’s natural to have lots of questions before you book. Wondering who else will be onboard? What the experience will be like? These and many more questions are completely normal. While our homepage and FAQs provide loads of info, we know sometimes it’s best to talk it through. Don’t hesitate to contact us by phone, email, or live chat (at the bottom of the screen). Better yet, we’d suggest you schedule a call. Most crew who join do and find it really useful. We can discuss your options, answer every question, and make sure you’re booking on the perfect trip for you.

Masterclass Overview

This advanced sailing course is designed for sailors who have some prior experience but now wish to make a big jump in their skills, experience and seamanship. The challenging waters between England and Scotland provide an ideal setting for this intensive course, which combines practical sailing experience with more advanced theoretical knowledge.

Masterclass Objectives

  • To develop more advanced sailing skills in coastal and short offshore scenarios, including navigation and piloting.
  • To enhance weather forecasting and storm tactics abilities.
  • To practice emergency procedures and safety management.
  • To refine sail trim and boat handling skills in various conditions, including rough weather.
  • To improve crew management and communication.

Syllabus Outline

Pre-Departure Preparation

  • Safety briefing and emergency procedures.
  • Overview of the voyage plan.
  • Weather routing and forecasting.
  • Crew roles and responsibilities.
breaking waves

Advanced Coastal Navigation

  • Coastal pilotage techniques.
  • Tidal calculations and current analysis.
  • Night sailing and navigation.

Offshore Passage Making

  • Open water navigation and plotting.
  • Advanced sail trim techniques for different wind conditions.
  • Watchkeeping routines and fatigue management.
  • Heavy weather sailing tactics.
ocean sailing

Weather Systems and Meteorology

  • Understanding synoptic charts.
  • Identifying and handling squalls, fronts, and storms.
  • Barometric trends and their implications.
synoptic chart

Emergency Scenarios and Drills

  • Man overboard recovery.
  • Firefighting and abandon ship procedures.
  • Damage control and water ingress management.
rough weather

Crew Leadership and Teamwork

  • Effective communication and decision-making under stress.
  • Conflict resolution and crew welfare.
  • Leadership styles and crew motivation.

Notes

  • This course requires high commitment and participation from all crew members. Participants are expected to participate actively in the voyage, including night watches, navigation, and daily chores.
  • This course can run north to Scotland or south to England. There is no difference between the two in terms of learning or experience. Check the Dates and Prices tab to check routes and dates.

Ready to join the masterclass? Head to the Dates & Prices tab

Dates, Prices & Travel

Start Date & Location

June 9, 2025
Scotand

End Date & Location

June 20, 2025
England

Price

£2,199

Deposit

£749

Availability

Available

Trip Information

Start Date: June 9, 2025

Start Time: 09:00

Start Country: Scotand

Start Port: Largs

Start Marina: Largs Yacht Haven

End Date: June 20, 2025

End Time: 10:00

End Country: England

End Port: Plymouth

End Marina: Plymouth Yacht Haven

Find Flights For This Trip
Fly Into: Glasgow (IATA code: GLA)
Fly Out of: Exeter (IATA code: EXT)

* Flights are not included in the trip price.

Important Notes

Joining the boat

  • You will join the boat in Largs Yacht Haven, Scotland,
  • Getting to Largs from Glasgow airport is easy and takes just over an hour.
  • Get the 757 bus to Paisley Gilmour Street Station and from there take the train direct to Largs.

Leaving the boat

  • You will arrive into Plymouth on the evening of June 19, 2025 and will need to disembark by 10:00am on June 20 2025.
  • The nearest airport is Exeter International Airport (IATA code: EXT) and you can take a train or bus to Exeter from Plymouth. Bristol Airport (IATA code: BRS) is another option, also with regular train and bus connections from Plymouth.
5-Point Pre-Booking Checklist

Before you finalize your booking, we suggest you run through our pre-booking checklist:

  1. Check Flights: Make sure you have found the right flights for your trip. Book them as soon as you have booked your Rubicon 3 trip.
  2. Travel Insurance: Once you’ve booked your trip with us, buy some sailing travel insurance. Read our full guide here.
  3. Passport Validity: Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your planned return date. Some countries require this for entry, so it’s crucial to check and renew your passport if necessary.
  4. Visas: Most sailors will not require any visas for this trip. However, any non EU residents will likely require an ETIAS, the new EU border control / visa waiver system. You can find out all the information here. You must have this before you join the boat,
  5. Vaccinations and Health Checks: There are no vaccinations required for this trip. Make sure you have an acceptable level of fitness and agility. You can read our guide here. This is for the safety of all on board.
Add Trip Extras

Sub total: £749

Start Date & Location

September 2, 2025
England

End Date & Location

September 13, 2025
Scotland

Price

£2,199

Deposit

£799

Availability

Available

Trip Information

Start Date: September 2, 2025

Start Time: 09:00

Start Country: England

Start Port: Plymouth

Start Marina: Plymouth Yacht Haven

End Date: September 13, 2025

End Time: 10:00

End Country: Scotland

End Port: Largs

End Marina: Largs Yacht Haven

Find Flights For This Trip
Fly Into: Exeter (IATA code: EXT)
Fly Out of: Glasgow (IATA code: GLA)

* Flights are not included in the trip price.

Important Notes
Joining the boat
  • You will join the boat in Plymouth, United Kingdom
  • Direct trains run from London Paddington to Plymouth, taking around 3-3.5 hours (details here)
  • The nearest airport is Exeter International Airport (IATA code: EXT) and you can take a train or bus from Exeter to Plymouth. Bristol Airport (IATA code: BRS) is another option, also with regular train and bus connections to Plymouth.
  • The course starts at 9:00 AM on September 02 2025, so you will need to be in Plymouth by September 01, 2025.
  • You have two options for accommodation on the night before the start date:
    • Stay in a hotel or AirBnB
    • Alternatively, you can stay onboard the boat from 6:00 PM on a bed & breakfast basis. Select this option during your booking process.
Leaving the boat
  • You will leave the boat in Largs, Scotland
  • The boat is scheduled to arrive into Largs on the evening of September 12, 2025, and you will need to disembark by 10:00am on September 13 2025
General Notes
  • If you have RYA Day Skipper, ASA 104 or equivalent, this is suitable for you.
  • You cannot stay on the boat after the trip end date.
  • Once you have booked, we will connect you up with other crew so you can liaise regarding connecting travel, meet up in advance etc.
  • If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
  • There is a suggested packing list here.
5-Point Pre-Booking Checklist

Before you finalize your booking, we suggest you run through our pre-booking checklist:

  1. Check Flights: Make sure you have found the right flights for your trip. Book them as soon as you have booked your Rubicon 3 trip.
  2. Travel Insurance: Once you’ve booked your trip with us, buy some sailing travel insurance. Read our full guide here.
  3. Passport Validity: Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your planned return date. Some countries require this for entry, so it’s crucial to check and renew your passport if necessary.
  4. Visas: Most sailors will not require any visas for this trip. However, any non EU residents will likely require an ETIAS, the new EU border control / visa waiver system. You can find out all the information here. You must have this before you join the boat,
  5. Vaccinations and Health Checks: There are no vaccinations required for this trip. Make sure you have an acceptable level of fitness and agility. You can read our guide here. This is for the safety of all on board.
Add Trip Extras

Sub total: £799

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