BF wrote:
"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!

I used to think that too, but most of the crews who sail with the big boat
owners seem to have very little of that commodity, but they still enjoy the
sailing!

DP