Performance Sailing is where club sailors learn to make the boat move: hiking hard, using the trapeze if the centre rigs one, trimming main and jib together and setting a spinnaker without the usual shoreside chaos. The RYA coaches you in two-person dinghies over roughly two days, linking sail shape, body weight and steering so speed becomes predictable rather than accidental.
You need Better Sailing Level 3 or Stage 4 standard before you book. Instructors assume you can tack and gybe under control; this module tightens the screws. Expect repetitive drills that feel athletic on the wire and the rail. Your knees may complain before your brain does. That is normal.
Centres choose boats with performance in mind: 420s, 2000s, RS pairs and similar. Spinnaker work may overlap with the dedicated spinnaker module but here it serves speed on all legs, not downwind specialist training alone. If you plan to race, pair this with Start Racing when you are ready for starts and rules.
Performance Sailing is assessed continuously afloat by your RYA instructor. No written exam.
Quick answers about this qualification. For anything else, use live chat or browse bookable activities below.
Find activitiesIt is an RYA advanced dinghy module coaching speed in two-person boats: hiking, optional trapeze work, sail trim and spinnaker skills integrated into faster sailing.
It targets sailors who want the boat to feel tuned, not just upright.
Better Sailing Level 3 or Stage 4 standard with confident tacks and gybes.
Leave a comment when you book with your usual boat class so the centre matches you to suitable craft.
Roughly two days or sixteen hours. Some centres compress into a windy weekend when forecasts cooperate.
Muscle soreness on day two is common. Stretch before you launch.
Only if the centre's boats are rigged for it and conditions suit. Many syllabi include trapeze where equipment allows.
Tell your instructor if you are nervous on the wire; progression steps exist.
No written test. Assessment is practical throughout the sessions.
Instructors look for smoother boathandling and better speed, not podium finishes.
Fitted wetsuit or agile waterproofs, grippy boots, gloves and water. Energy snacks help afternoon focus.
Centres provide boats, harnesses and buoyancy aids. Bring a change of clothes.
Join club handicap racing, take Start Racing or hire faster boats with more confidence.
Pair with Sailing with Spinnakers if downwind work needs dedicated time.
Centre-specific, especially for trapeze boats. Teen squads often take this module together.
Ask about weight ranges so hike and trapeze drills are safe for lighter sailors.
No. Training boats are provided. Club sailors may ask to use their own class by arrangement.
Leave a comment when you book if you want to sail your own double-hander.
Performance Sailing balances upwind hike, trapeze and overall speed. Sailing with Spinnakers specialises in downwind kite work.
Many racers do both modules in either order depending on club fleet needs.
adventuro lists RYA centres with performance fleets on coasts and inland lakes.
Filter by location and read which boat classes each school uses before you pay.
From £ 450
Somerset and Dorset, United Kingdom
From £ 232
East Anglia, United Kingdom
From £ 595
Somerset and Dorset, United Kingdom