The 2-Day Weekend Course
Learn the basics of sailing
in one weekend.
A 2-day hands-on sailing course on the Bay of Bengal, taught by YAI-accredited instructors at South India's oldest yacht club. No experience needed.
Certificate on completion · Limited spots available
1911
Est. Founded
115+
Years of Excellence
South India
First & Oldest
YAI
Accredited Training
Est. 1911
South India's oldest sailing club
The Beginner Course
Who this is for
For anyone who wants to learn a new skill and learn to sail. You don't need experience, background, or gear, just curiosity and a free weekend. Come on your own and meet people who love the water, or bring a friend and share the whole adventure. Either way, in two days you'll go from complete beginner to learning the basics and sailing on open water.
How It Works
A complete breakdown of your two days
From classroom to open water. Theory to practice. Everything builds toward your long sail on day two.
Day One
10 AM to 5 PM · Classroom & On-Water Training
Knots & Ropework
Learn essential knots including the Figure Eight, Bowline, and Clove Hitch.
Safety & Recovery Drills
Understand safety procedures, man overboard theory, and practical recovery drills.
Rigging & Boat Preparation
Prepare the boat for sailing, cast off confidently, and learn basic boat setup.
Points of Sail & Boat Handling
Learn tacking, gybing, and how a sailboat responds to wind and direction.
Day Two
10 AM to 5 PM · Full Day on Water
Weather & Navigation
Learn how weather forecasts, tides, and navigation influence sailing decisions.
Crew work & Communication
Develop teamwork, communication, and confidence while operating on the water.
Applied Sailing Skills
Put your day-one learning into practice in real sailing conditions.
Long Distance Sail
Complete an extended sailing experience and discover what keelboat sailing is all about.
By Sunday evening you'll have sailed on open water and earned your certificate.
Your Course Handbook
Receive a comprehensive sailing handbook to support your learning during and after the course.
Sailing theory and fundamentals
Types of boats and parts of a boat
Rules of sailing, collision regulations, and display of lights
SOPs, communication, and crew coordination
Weather, wind, tides, and sea conditions
Essential knots and ropework
Man overboard procedures
Offshore sailing fundamentals
Your Classroom
Your classroom is an 8-metre French keelboat.
The J/80 is a contemporary one-design offshore keelboat. Easy to learn, serious to sail. Main, jib, and a downwind sail. Compass, VHF, outboard, and a compact cabin. Eight metres of boat that teaches you fast.
J/80 Keelboat
Bay of Bengal, Chennai
Our Team
Learn from the best
Our instructors bring decades of combined experience, from competitive racing to leisure sailing, ensuring you learn the right way.
YAI Instructor
Capt. Vivek Shanbhag
With over 25 years of sailing experience, Capt. Vivek has trained sailors across Omega, Enterprise, Seabird, and J/80 classes. He has led landmark expeditions from Chennai to Rameswaram (2022) and India to Sri Lanka (2025), while also conducting training programmes for the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Police.
Vincent Ebinezar
YAI Instructor
T Venkatesh
Asst. Coach
Ramu Jayaraman
Boat Handler
Rajkumar A
Boat Handler
Reviews
What participants say
I'd never set foot on a sailboat before and turned up a bit nervous, honestly. But the whole weekend was so relaxed and welcoming, nobody made you feel like a beginner, and everyone was happy to help. Being out there on the bay, city behind you and open water ahead, is something I wasn't expecting to love as much as I did.
Naveen
Basic Sailing Course
The instructors really know their stuff and they're patient with it, they'll explain something until it actually clicks. By the second day I was sailing the boat myself, hands on the tiller, out on open water. That feeling is the reason I keep going back.
Bhargav
Basic Sailing Course
Accreditation
An accredited club.
A certificate that
means something.
RMYC is a YAI-accredited training centre, one of the few in the country. Complete the 2-day course and you earn your RMYC certificate, issued by South India's oldest sailing institution and recognised across the sailing community.
What You Earn
You leave with more
than a certificate.
Everything included in your ₹19,000.
Royal Madras Yacht Club
Issued by RMYC · Est. 1911
Certificate of Sailing
This certifies that
Your Name Here
has successfully completed the Basic Sailing Course. This certificate is awarded and issued by the Royal Madras Yacht Club, Chennai, India
Instructor
RMYC
Est. 1911
Commodore
Every candidate gets a comprehensive handbook and their official logbook entry — the start of a sailing record that follows them for life.
RMYC Sailing Certificate
Issued by RMYC — South India's oldest sailing institution. Recognised across the sailing community nationwide.
Course Handbook
Yours to keep. Covers sailing theory, rules of the road, weather, tides, knot-work, and offshore procedure.
Logbook Entry
Your official sailing record starts here. Every sail you do from this point forward goes in.
RMYC is a YAI-accredited training centre
One of the few in the country. Complete the 2-day course and earn your RMYC certificate — issued by RMYC, South India's oldest sailing institution.
Book Your Weekend
Choose Your Course Date
Select your preferred weekend and we'll secure your spot in the Basic Sailing Course
₹19,000, incl. GST. Certificate, handbook, and logbook included.
Select your preferred weekend
Prefer to reach us directly?
FAQ
Questions, answered.
The 2-day Discover Sailing course is ₹19,000 + 18% GST.
No. The Discover Sailing course is built for complete beginners of all ages — no prior experience required. The national-level sailor and the person who has never touched a tiller do the same two days on the same boat.
Two days, over a weekend — around twelve hours on the water in total. By the end of Day Two you are sailing offshore.
The J/80 — an 8-metre French one-design offshore keelboat, with a main, jib and a downwind sail, plus compass, VHF, outboard and a compact cabin.
Knots (figure of eight, bowline, clove hitch), rigging, casting off and anchoring, the man overboard drill, the points of sailing (beat, reach, run), tacking and gybing — finishing with a long-distance offshore sail on Day Two.
A YAI Basic Sailing certificate issued by RMYC, a course handbook to keep, and your official logbook entry — the start of your sailing record.
Yes. RMYC is a YAI-accredited training centre — one of the few in the country — and your certificate is issued by South India’s oldest sailing institution and recognised across the sailing community.
YAI-qualified instructors, led by Capt. Vivek Shanbhag (YAI Keelboat Instructor) with over 25 years of sailing experience.
Continue through Advanced Sailing Levels 1–3 (₹22,000 + 18% GST each). Completing Level 3 makes you eligible to join the RMYC racing crew.
Register your interest from the course above and the team will get in touch within 24 hours to help you enrol — or message the club on WhatsApp.
This is where you
start belonging.
Every sailor at RMYC started with the same two days. The water is there. The question is when you decide to step onto it.