"Dennis Pogson" wrote in message
...
Please excuse my ignorance in posing this question. As a UK sailor of many
years experience in racing and cruising yachts, I am curious to know,
since
the subject rarely turns up, whether our US cousins have a similar series
of
qualifications to those administered in the UK by the Royal Yachting
Association (Yachmaster, at various levels).

I am not extolling the virtues of such "official"qualifications, indeed
many
UK sailors think they are less than useful, just curious to know if such
training and examination facilities exist in the US, as the subject never
seems to be discussed in this NG.

Dennis.



As I understand it, the UKRYA and the ASA (American Sailing Assoc.) are
similar in that they both publish guidelines and "standardized" test for
various level of expertise. The training and testing is then conducted by
private contractors or in some cases the US Coast Guard Aux.
It is also my understanding, at least this side, that the only thing really
required to sail a pleasure craft (not for profit) is cash!