Objectives
The skipper course takes place in a flotilla, with no instructor on board: each participant takes a turn as skipper, and the professional skipper sails close by, on another boat of the flotilla. The FFV N4 qualification can be obtained on this course. To become an all-round crew member first (level N2), the coastal cruising course is the place to start.
You are planning to charter or buy a boat, you already have good sailing and sea experience, and you want to gain confidence: here you genuinely take on the role of skipper. You are in charge of navigation, preparing the boat, coordinating the manoeuvres and the harbour manoeuvres, up to the FFV N4 qualification (the French federation’s skipper level) and full independence.
How the skipper course works
Four people sign up individually and each takes a turn as skipper. The day’s programme is set every day with the professional skipper. Under way, the skipper of the day decides, listening to the crew’s questions; the professional skipper stays reachable on the VHF and assists with harbour manoeuvres if needed.
A heavy squall is approaching. Should we reef the mainsail? Wait? The crew decides together what to do, then carries out the manoeuvre. It is facing decisions like this, several times a day, that moves you forward on your way to becoming a skipper.
Prerequisites: good coastal experience, a harbour manoeuvres course beforehand (essential to validate N4), and a genuine ability to listen within the crew.
The FFV levels
The FFV levels are a useful reference to see where you stand in your progress:
- Level 1 — competent crew member: understanding what the skipper asks and doing it (at least 1 course).
- Level 2 — all-round crew member: aims at independence in preparing the boat and in manoeuvres in every position, with few instructions (at least 3 courses).
- Level 3 — watch leader: an assistant skipper, independent in most roles on board; can act as skipper in a flotilla with a competent crew (at least 6 courses).
- Level 4 — skipper: full independence, handling a cruising yacht and its crew safely in all circumstances.
Depending on the candidate, an N3 or an N4 can be validated on this course. A harbour manoeuvres course is essential before an N4 can be validated. Each level is described in detail on the coastal cruising course page.
Our skipper is a certified regional instructor up to level N4 and can take you as far as the cruising instructor training (CQP, the French professional instructor qualification). About ten weeks of training is a good benchmark for skippering a medium-sized yacht on coastal passages.
Next: flotilla charter
Once you are a skipper, you can charter one of the school’s yachts and sail on a flotilla charter, still with the professional skipper close by.
What the price includes
Included: accommodation on board, training by a professional skipper, third-party liability insurance, use of the yacht and its equipment.
Not included: harbour fees, diesel and gas, food for the crew (≈ 10 to 15 € / person / day).
Price: 630 to 660 € per week; –50 € on request for children, young people, students and job seekers.
