Sailing schools ‘severely hit' by COVID-19 social distancing restrictions

Training centres offering sail cruising courses have been disproportionately affected by restrictions introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

- Katy Stickland

The RYA says that while some shore-based courses and personal watercraft and powerboat courses have seen an increase in participants, sail and motor cruising courses have been ‘severely hit’ due to social distancing measures.

Many schools offered online shore-based courses during the first England-wide lockdown between March and June. But the delay in allowing commercial passenger vessels to operate after lockdown ended meant schools were unable to run on-the-water courses until August.

The RYA has also temporarily removed the requirement to live aboard for the Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses to assist students in accessing training whilst allowing schools to remain within government COVID-19 guidelines.

The RYA director of training, Richard Falk said that while some schools have been able to access Government help, others were not eligible due to their size, their structure or the length of time they had been trading.