Which is better, RYA or IYT?

Neither is automatically better, and any school telling you otherwise is selling something. The two schemes cover very similar ground with different vocabulary: RYA runs Competent Crew, Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper toward Yachtmaster; IYT runs International Crew, Flotilla Skipper and Bareboat Skipper toward the same Yachtmaster titles.

Three things genuinely separate them in Australia. First, availability: RYA has considerably more recognised training centres here, which in practice means more dates, more locations and more competition on price. Second, catamarans: IYT offers dedicated multihull certificates at every skipper level, which is the clearest catamaran pathway of any scheme. Third, entry requirements: IYT Bareboat Skipper is not a beginner course and currently requires more than 200 nautical miles and 10 days at sea.

For most Australian sailors heading toward monohull charter or ownership, RYA wins on availability alone. For someone whose goal is specifically a cruising catamaran, IYT’s multihull certificates are worth seeking out.

Neither is a commercial licence, and neither is a boat licence. If you intend to work on the water, the AMSA pathway sits outside both schemes entirely.