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Top Sail ItalyRYA TRAINING CENTRE

From your first tackto Yachtmaster.

RYA courses aboard between Cannigione, La Maddalena and Corsica, in small groups. Theory and radio courses also in Rome, Rimini, Salerno, Palermo and Puglia.

5.0324 reviews on GoogleRYA Training CentreRYA recognised centre41°06′N 9°26′E · Cannigione

On Google, Cannigione

5.0

324 reviews · 318 five-star, 6 four-star, none lower

Instructor and student at the helm
Yachtmaster OffshorePartendo da zero sono riuscito a passare il yacht master off-shore, grazie a professionisti che lavorano con passione.Starting from zero I managed to pass the Yachtmaster Offshore, thanks to professionals who work with passion. (our translation) Antonio M.

Students don’t talk about the school. They talk about who was aboard.

Of 324 reviews, 210 include written comments. In them, instructors are named more than 120 times: for their patience, their method, the way they explain.

  • William50
  • Fabrizio26
  • Leonardo16
  • Flavio15
  • Nicole11
  • Daniele8

From your first tack to command, one stage at a time.

Each certificate asks for days at sea, miles and night hours. Tell us yours and we’ll tell you where to start.

Work out where you startnm = nautical miles required to enrol

Eleven courses, one school.

Compare all courses

The base

You learn where the sea teaches.

In the Strait of Bonifacio there’s wind most days, plus currents, lighthouses, islands and sheltered coves for the night. In a week you cross to Corsica and back: it’s the training ground for our courses aboard.

  • CannigioneDay Skipper & Competent Crew departures
  • La MaddalenaThe archipelago, 6 miles out
  • BonifacioCorsica, across the Strait
  • Porto CervoCosta Smeralda
  • OlbiaClassroom, Marina di Olbia, Yachtmaster exams
8°45′E9°00′E9°15′E9°30′E9°45′E41°00′N41°15′N41°30′NCannigioneLa MaddalenaBonifacioPorto CervoOlbiaSTRAIT OF BONIFACIO
A typical week, as students tell it: Cannigione, La Maddalena, Bonifacio, the islands, and back.
The La Maddalena archipelago from above
Dinner in the cockpit at sunset

Our instructors. Students call them by name.

120+times named in Google reviews

RYA shorebased, sail and power instructors, SRC assessors, FIV instructors

The whole school
  • William AddobbatiWilliam AddobbatiPartner and instructor, Yachtmaster OceanNamed in about 50 reviews. “Infinitely kind and patient […]” (Chris H.)Shorebased Instructor · YM Sailing Instructor · YM Power Instructor · YM Ocean Instructor · Master 200 GT Instructor · Diesel Engine Instructor · GMDSS SRC Assessor · FIV Instructor
  • Fabrizio MorgiaFabrizio MorgiaInstructor, YachtmasterNamed in 26 reviews, mostly by Yachtmaster candidatesShorebased Instructor · YM Sailing Instructor · YM Power Instructor · GMDSS SRC Assessor
  • Leonardo MolfettaLeonardo MolfettaInstructor, SRC & first aid“Personal anecdotes from his long experience at sea” (Filippo C., SRC course, our translation)Shorebased Instructor · YM Sailing Instructor · Diesel Engine Instructor · GMDSS SRC Assessor
  • Nicole LaiNicole LaiInstructor, power & SRCShorebased Instructor · YM Power Instructor · Powerboat Instructor · GMDSS SRC Assessor
  • Daniele AnderleDaniele AnderleInstructor, sailShorebased Instructor · YM Sailing Instructor · GMDSS SRC Assessor

Google reviews, word for word

“TOP by name and by nature.”

All 324 on Google

Between courses, the school stays in your pocket.

The Yachtmaster is entirely in English and the exam is oral. That’s why Top Sail students get an app: lessons, quizzes with exam pass marks, chartwork on the RYA chart, and an examiner that questions you like the real one will.

  • Study8 chapters, bilingual diagrams, English audio
  • Chartwork13 exercise types, including on the training chart
  • PracticePass-mark quizzes, flash cards, spoken questions
  • ExaminerAsk, practise, mock oral with a report
The course manual by topic, with your diagrams
The course manual by topic, with your diagrams
The examiner: the oral in English, on the school’s cards
The examiner: the oral in English, on the school’s cards
Chartwork: fresh exercises every time, answers computed
Chartwork: fresh exercises every time, answers computed

A week, seen by those who were there.

Photos students left with their reviews: the archipelago, manoeuvres, chartwork on deck, dinners in the cockpit. Tap one to see it full size.

The La Maddalena archipelago from above
01 / 12The La Maddalena archipelago from above

The sea in Sardinia. Theory close to home.

Practical courses and Yachtmaster exams are in Sardinia. Day Skipper and Yachtmaster theory and the GMDSS SRC radio course also run in Rome, Rimini, Salerno, Palermo and Puglia.

  • Top Sail Italy SardiniaCannigione & OlbiaThe sea base: sail and power practicals, Yachtmaster exams, classroom theory
  • Top Sail Italy RomeOstia, Lega NavaleDay Skipper & Yachtmaster theory, GMDSS SRC
  • Top Sail Italy AdriaticaRimini & RavennaDay Skipper & Yachtmaster theory, GMDSS SRC
  • Top Sail Italy SalernoSalerno & EboliDay Skipper & Yachtmaster theory, GMDSS SRC
  • Top Sail Italy SicilyPalermoTheory, GMDSS SRC, first aid
  • Top Sail Italy PugliaGallipoli & BisceglieDay Skipper & Yachtmaster theory, GMDSS SRC
SardiniaRomeAdriaticaSalernoSicilyPuglia

What people search before enrolling.

All questions
I have never sailed. Where do I start?

With Competent Crew: five days aboard, no prerequisites. It runs on the same boat as the Day Skipper, so beginners sail alongside people one step ahead. To see where you stand, try “Where do I start”: enter your days and miles and we’ll suggest the right course.

Is the RYA Yachtmaster valid in Italy?

It depends on the flag. With commercial endorsement, the Yachtmaster is accepted by flags that approve it (UK and Red Ensign, Malta, San Marino and others), not the Italian flag. The MCA Master 200 GT, which we prepare you for, is recognised by more flags. Italian rules for professional yachting changed in 2024: ask us about your case before enrolling.

Courses are in English. What if my English isn’t perfect?

RYA courses and exams are in English, but the instructors are Italian and help you when needed. For Yachtmaster you need good English, because the examiner is external. The study app trains you for the oral in English too.

How much is a Day Skipper?

From €800 for 5 days, October to March, up to €1,050 for 7 days in July and August. Boat, fuel, moorings, linen and certificate included; provisions and travel excluded.

How long from zero to Yachtmaster Offshore?

It depends on your miles: you need 2,500, with 50 days at sea and 5 long passages, half of them in tidal waters, i.e. outside the Med. Sailing one week every two or three months, roughly one to two and a half years. Coastal Skipper and mile-building weeks in Sardinia also count towards your miles.

What do I need to work on yachts?

To start as deckhand or stew: STCW basic training, ENG1 medical and English. To skipper: a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster. For command up to 200 GT: Master 200 GT. “Working at sea” lays it all out.