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Which theory course fits you?
An honest side-by-side. If you need the RYA certificate, an RYA school's course is the one to buy. If you want to understand the syllabus properly, practise the boat handling and test yourself first, that's what we're for.
| Sail Academy | RYA school online courses e.g. Sailtrain, Sail Ionian, Rubicon3, Urban Truant (SailingCourseOnline) | NauticEd | Free resources B&G Academy, World Sailing Academy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier; £12 a month or £79 a year | £245–£298 one-off (as listed, Oct 2026) | Open Ocean membership US$19 a month, or courses bought one by one | Free |
| Access | While your plan runs; cancel any time | Typically 12 months | While your membership runs; passed courses are yours to keep | Open |
| Covers the Day Skipper theory syllabus | Yes, all 18 topics, mapped line by line on our syllabus page | Yes, it is the RYA course | Its RYA Day Skipper course is sold separately, outside the membership | No: general theory and technique |
| Narrated lesson films | Yes, one per module, with captions and a phone version | Not listed on the course pages we checked | Not listed | B&G: animated video tutorials |
| Boat-handling simulators | Yes: docking, marina berthing, anchoring, with wind, tide and prop walk | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Catamaran content | Yes: every place a cat differs is called out, and the games let you helm one | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Mock exam | Yes: 50 questions, timed, scored by module, as often as you like | Course exercises and the final assessment | Course tests | B&G: a quiz after each tutorial |
| Knots | Yes: animated, step by step | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| RYA certificate | No. We're not an RYA training centre | Yes, when you pass their assessment | Only with its RYA course | No |
| Printed chart pack | No: we use our own practice chart on screen | Yes at most schools (charts, almanac, plotter) | Not listed | No |
"Not listed" means the provider's public course page doesn't mention it as of October 2026. Check with them before you buy. Prices and inclusions come from their own pages.
Ready for the real exam?
The RYA Day Skipper theory certificate comes from an RYA recognised training centre: book its course or its assessment when you're ready. Use our mock exam first to find the modules to go back over. The RYA's theory courses page lists the options.