TRIP’s skipper school offers the opportunity for those who have completed a coastal skipper course or who have a good understanding of the basics of sailing and have acquired sailing experience (minimum 100 nautical miles) to practice transitioning from a skilled crew member to a skipper.
Participants in the skipper school practice their skills in safe, three-person small groups during the season. The goal is to improve their ability to act as a skipper in favorable archipelago conditions during daytime, and with enough practice and confidence, participants should have the necessary skills to pass the club’s skipper exam, also known as the mate exam.
Successfully passing the skipper’s exam and boat introduction entitles the participants to skipper Teekkaripurjehtijat’s archipelago boats, ElecTrip (FinnExpress 83) and GinTrip (Delphia 28). The goal is to produce skilled, safe skippers who have the necessary knowledge and experience to participate in the club’s activities and volunteer work in the coming years.
In the skipper school, participants also teach each other, focusing on significant aspects of sailing. Therefore, participants should already have a good understanding of the basics of sailing before joining the skipper school. The goal is not to teach new things, but to provide a guided training and development opportunity for those who already know the basics of sailing but have little experience. Training topics include, for example, landing, route planning, and MOB training.
The skipper school schedule is flexible, with the aim of conducting classes on weekdays (Mon-Thu) during June-September, depending on the group’s availability. Boat reservations are made before the skipper meeting to ensure that the reservation times are suitable for the participants. Therefore, the reservations made are binding.
There is no actual course fee, as it is covered by bee hours, which require 20 hours per person. This amount corresponds, for example, to participating in the boats’ spring or fall workdays for three or four days so that the participants become familiar with the boats and understand the importance of maintenance work for the club’s boats. In addition, participants share the cost of the reservation day based on the number of lessons.
Who is it for?
The criteria for admission are:
- Completed Navigation 1 or Coastal Navigation certificate
- Completed Coastal Skipper course or similar level of knowledge and skills
- 100 nautical miles of sailing experience
- Activity in TRIP is taken into account, but applicants must have at least 20 bee hours.
Selection is made based on overall consideration, taking into account the applicant’s motivation and the benefit of the skipper school for the participant’s preparation for the skipper exam.
When is it held?
The skipper school is held on five weekday evenings during the sailing season. Skipper school participants agree on the training session times among themselves and reserve them before the skipper meeting.
Who are the instructors?
TRIP’s sailing instructors, teachers, and captains.
What is the cost?
20 bee hours and boat reservation fees for the practice sessions. Reservations must follow the boat reservation rules.
How many people can participate?
About 3-9 members.
Does the skipper school provide an official certification?
The skipper school is a training program offered by TRIP for those who want to become the club’s skipper, therefore it does not provide an official certification. The skipper school primarily provides a unique opportunity to practice skippering in an encouraging, informative, and safe environment at a very reasonable cost. Participation in the skipper school does not guarantee passing TRIP’s mate exam, but it provides good preparation for it.
More information
hallitus@teekkaripurjehtijat.fi