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RYA Multihull Start Sailing
A beach cat is not a fast dinghy. It is a different boat with different rules.
The RYA Multihull Scheme covers small catamarans, and runs alongside the dinghy and keelboat schemes rather than after them.
Start Sailing covers:
Why tacking gets its own session
A catamaran loses drive through the tack and will sit in irons if it is rushed. Getting a cat round reliably is the first genuine skill of the course, and the one that surprises dinghy sailors.
- Who it suits
- Beginners drawn to catamarans, and dinghy sailors moving across.
- What it is not
- Not preparation for a cruising catamaran — that is the IYT or RYA cruising route.
Primary source: RYA training. Course structures and prerequisites can change; confirm the current version with the training body and school.
The course in context
RYA small-multihull training introduces sailing on responsive two-hulled boats such as beach catamarans. This is a different setting from a liveaboard cruising catamaran with engines and cabins. Early lessons concentrate on understanding the wind, controlling the boat and working within the centre’s support arrangements.
Before you start
Introductory training welcomes beginners. Ask about the boat’s layout, launching method, clothing and physical demands. Previous monohull experience is useful, but a multihull’s movement and turning behaviour can feel different.
Skills you will develop
Basic control
Connect steering and sail settings with the boat’s direction and speed. Begin with manageable conditions and a clear sailing area.
Balance and movement
Learn where and how the crew moves on the training boat. The relevant habits depend on the particular multihull rather than a universal cockpit layout.
Supported routines
Take part in launching, returning and the safety procedures taught by the centre. These are integral to learning the boat, not merely preparation for the fun part.
Training and assessment
Confirm the named level and boat used. A small-multihull certificate is not a bareboat charter qualification for a large catamaran, despite the shared two-hull description.
Questions to ask the school
- Is this a beach catamaran or a cruising catamaran?
- What clothing and safety equipment are provided?
- How is recovery practice supported?
Related learning
Other RYA courses
RYA Sailing Pathway
The whole RYA cruising route in order, and where you are allowed to skip a step.
RYA Cruising Level 1: Start Sailing
A short introduction aboard a small cruising yacht — the shortest way to find out whether yachting suits you.
RYA Cruising Level 2: Basic Skills
The follow-on from Level 1, adding real boat handling on a small cruising yacht.
RYA Start Yachting
Two days aboard a cruising yacht, for complete beginners who want a genuine taste of yachting.
RYA Day Skipper Theory
The classroom half of Day Skipper: charts, tides, buoyage, collision regulations and passage planning.
RYA Day Skipper Practical Sailing
Five days in which you stop being crew and start being the person responsible for the boat.
RYA Coastal Skipper Practical
Skippering beyond familiar water and beyond daylight — longer passages, night pilotage, heavier weather.
RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore Theory
The advanced shorebased course: tidal work, passage planning, meteorology and collision regulations at Yachtmaster depth.
Australian schools using RYA
These schools advertise training under the RYA system. This does not confirm that every school currently runs RYA Multihull Start Sailing; check the current course list directly.
Which course should you actually book?
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.