RYA vs IYT
Two international schemes covering nearly identical ground, with two genuine differences worth knowing.
RYA for availability and for the Yachtmaster route. IYT if you want a catamaran-specific certificate or need an ICC issued without a separate process.
RYA
The British scheme. Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster.
IYT
International Yacht Training. International Crew, Bareboat Skipper, Master of Yachts.
| RYA | IYT | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry course | Competent Crew, 5 days | International Crew, 5 days |
| Skipper level | Day Skipper | Bareboat Skipper |
| Top level | Yachtmaster Coastal / Offshore / Ocean | Master of Yachts Coastal / Limited / Unlimited |
| Catamaran | Covered within courses; no separate certificate at every level | Dedicated catamaran certificates at each skipper level |
| ICC | Issued separately, and with eligibility conditions | Issued within the scheme |
| Australian availability | The widest of any international scheme | Good, concentrated in yacht training |
| AMSA Sailing Master | Accepted (commercially endorsed Yachtmaster) | Accepted (Master of Yachts) |
- you want the largest choice of Australian schools
- Yachtmaster is the long-term goal
- you are sailing monohulls
- you want the scheme most charter companies name first
- you are training specifically on a catamaran
- you need an ICC and want it handled in one place
- an IYT school near you is the better school
- you are heading for the Master of Yachts route
Compared side by side, RYA and IYT teach the same syllabus in different words. Both are internationally recognised, both feed the AMSA Sailing Master certificates, and both take a beginner to command of a cruising yacht in roughly the same time.
Difference one: catamarans
IYT issues catamaran-specific certificates at each skipper level. The RYA teaches catamaran handling within its courses but does not mirror every level with a separate multihull certificate on the cruising side.
For anyone whose plan is a Whitsundays bareboat — where most of the fleet is catamarans — that difference is worth money.
Difference two: the ICC
The International Certificate of Competence is what many overseas charter bases ask for. IYT issues one within its own scheme. RYA holders can obtain an ICC too, but it is a separate process with its own eligibility conditions.
What is not a difference
Rigour. Both schemes assess against a published standard, and both depend far more on the school and the instructor than on the logo. Choose the school first; the scheme second.
Is one harder than the other?
No. The standards are comparable, and the variation between two schools inside one scheme is larger than the variation between the schemes.
Will a charter company accept IYT?
Generally yes — IYT is internationally recognised and its Bareboat Skipper certificate is written for exactly this purpose. Confirm with the specific operator, as always.
Decided? Now find a school.
Three questions — your experience, the boat you want to sail, and your goal — give you a starting course and the schools that teach it near you.