YCC 2025 YCC Sailing Courses and Tests

It is NOT necessary to take a course to obtain a key. If you know sailing, the Thursday practices, participation in the internal regattas and leisure outings with other club members will lead you the keys you desire. See chapters 5 and 7 of the club rules to make an informed decision about courses and keys.

Courses

The YCC practical and theory courses are delivered by experienced members on a voluntary basis. These courses cover various levels, from beginners' to advanced sailing. Although they can prepare you for taking the test towards obtaining an official sailing license, the YCC does not deliver such licenses. Besides, taking a YCC course is not necessary to get a key (i.e. the right to book a boat in an autonomous way and be a skipper).

For newcomers to sailing, it takes more than the 5-8 classes of a course to be ready for a test. Take any opportunity you can to practice!

Places in the practical courses are assigned through a lottery open to YCC members only. As it may take up to 10 working days to process your YCC enrolment request, do not submit it the day before the lottery closes. However, the Level 0 course is an introduction to sailing and is open to all members without restriction. You can register by writing to Anastazja Sedzicka.

The 2025 lottery will open on Tuesday February 18 and close on Monday March 17 at midday. Results will be announced Monday March 17 in the afternoon. If you don't get a place then, don't be disappointed: each year, a number of places are reassigned to members on the waiting list after lottery winners withdraw from the courses.

Keelboats courses run from late April to late June; dinghy and catamaran courses run from mid-late May to late June. The courses are taught in French and English.

Courses are not refundable once they have started, unless you are prevented to attend for medical reasons. In this case, we'll refund the courses in proportion of the remaining lessons, after deduction of 30 CHF for administrative fees.

Yet, if you have to drop the course you won in the lottery and paid, we'll always try to find a solution by offering your place to the first person on the waiting list.

There is no right of replacement of the lessons you did not attend.

You are welcome to offer a drink to your teacher after the course.

Tests and licenses

To skipper our boats, you must have a key. See chapters 6 and 7 of our rules for a detailed presentation. There is a specific test for each key. You do not need to take a course to request a test and get a key.

After all outings, make sure your skipper writes down your name in the electronic logbook, as we request a minimum number of outings before testing you for a key. Outings on boats not belonging to the YCC do not count towards a key.

Holding an official license may be legally needed to sail our bigger boats. The exact requirements depend on your country of residence and the country that issued the license you may have. See chapter 6 of our rules for details. Holding an official license does not exempt you from passing the YCC internal tests.

Read carefully the pages dedicated to the various tests.

After you have passed your test, your license will be awarded once you have performed three helper's sessions. These can be a contribution to the maintenance, cleaning, moving of the boats, helping with the organization of a club activity, helping in an administrative task or participation in a surveillance session on the Q-boat. Helping in a regatta can in some cases count as a double session.

We encourage you taking these steps as early as possible in the sailing season, even before any test appointment.

Practical Courses Offered in 2025

Course Name Level  Available Places Course Fee Description
Level-Zero 0 As many as needed Free for members First sailing experience, dinghy rigging, Knots and equipment. Perfect way to start, meet club members and start sailing.
Dinghy 1 TBC 170 CHF The best way to get cold and wet. Dinghies are unstable and fast. Avoid them if you like comfort. Wetsuit mandatory!
Yngling 1 TBC 170 CHF Ynglings are small keelboats, stable and secure. They allow discovering sailing without getting (too much) wet.
Competent Crew 1 TBC 170 CHF Introduction to the large keelboats and the role of the crew members.
Advanced Catamaran 2 TBC 170 CHF Catamarans are the fastest among YCC boats and provide lots of sensations. This is a level 2 course.
Surprise, J/80, J/70 2 TBC 170 CHF Thorough discovery of our most coveted boats, which require an official sailing license to be a skipper.
Spinnaker 2 TBC 170 CHF Learn to trim a spi, gybe under spi and be Nr. 1 during a regatta. This course uses symmetrical as well as asymmetrical spinnakers.
Cabin Keelboat 2 TBC 170 CHF This course in given on our GibSea, the old lady of our fleet, with inboard engine.
Advanced Cabin Keelboat 3 TBC 170 CHF For seasoned sailors who want to know thoroughly our flagship boat with its running backstays. Some experience on yachts with inboard engines is highly desirable.

Except for the Level 0 course, all figures for places are given under condition that the relevant number of teachers is available.

You can also have a look at the following links, for interesting reading and recommended books:

Theory Classes

Title Date - Venue Convenor Content Delivery Mode
Welcome to YCC
video record		 TBC Paul Smith and al. Learn about the club offering, functioning and what is expected from members. On site and remotely.
Course Informations (2024).
Introduction to Sailing – part 1
video record		 TBC Sebastian Lopienski How a boat is built, why does it move, basic terminology, sailing courses, safety, practicing knots... On site and remotely.
Course Informations (2024).
Introduction to Sailing – part 2
video record		 TBC Sebastian Lopienski Why and how to adjust sails, using the spinnaker, trapeze work; manoeuvres: tacking, gybing, man overboard, leaving and entering the port, priority rules etc. On site and remotely.
Course Informations (2024).
Sailing rules on Swiss lakes TBC Michel Chevallier What are the main legal rules (priority, weather warning...) on Swiss lakes? On site and remotely.
Introduction à la voile 10 avril, 18h30 Michel Cornevin Pourquoi un voilier avance-t-il ? Peut-on naviguer contre le vent ? Les noeuds... et beaucoup d'autres choses dans ce cours en français. Sur site uniquement
Sailing in tidal waters TBC Torsten Layda Learn managing the tides in coastal sailing. On site and remotely
Intro to regatta rules TBC Michal Kwiatek An introduction to the regatta rules by an umpire acting in the SSL regattas. On site and remotely
Yngling midseason theory course TBC Jean Vasic You've been sailing for a few weeks now, so let's review your practical basis with a more theoretical angle. TBC

Test Rules and Requirements

The table below lists the coordinators for the specific sailing courses and tests:

License Boats Test Coordinators
Dinghy RS500, RS400, Melges 15, Laser Stefan Biereigel
Advanced Dinghy 29er Stefan Biereigel
Advanced Catamaran Hobie Tiger, SL16, Nacra15 Gonzalo Penacoba
Yngling Yngling Silvia Costantini
Competent Crew Surprise, GibSea, J70 and J80 Marco Silari
Surprise, J/80, J/70 Surprise, J80, J70 Torsten Layda
Spinnaker Surprise, J80, J70 Mario Campanelli
Cabin Keelboat GibSea Gijs de Rijk
Advanced Cabin Keelboat Dynamic 3000 Torsten Layda
Q-Boat, RIB Boston Whaler, Bombard, RIB Marcel Arditi
Theory Boats requiring a Swiss official license.
This test, internal to the club and similar to the Swiss official theory test, may be needed according to your situation. See chapter 6 of the YCC rules for details.		 Michel Chevallier

License Expiration and Renewal

A YCC member who has left the club for 4 or more consecutive years will be asked to reactivate his/her keys, as they are frozen at the end of the 4th year of inactivity.

To reactivate a key:

  1. Write to the committee member in charge of courses and test coordination asking to reactivate one or more keys.
  2. The test coordinator will decide on the number and type of refresher outings that are needed to reinstate the key(s).
  3. Following the report by the skippers on the refresher outings the test coordinator will take the decision on reinstating the relevant key(s).

Tests and Coordinators

Link to create a new test report (for examiners only).

For further questions please email the coordinator of the YCC courses: Michel Chevallier

Geneva Sailing School CNV Courses Offered by CNV and Geneva Sailing School

The Club Nautique de Versoix (CNV) is offering special conditions to the YCC members taking its dinghy courses:

The link to the course registration is https://cnv.ch/index.php?page=shop. To benefit from the YCC prices, please register to the course and send a mail to the CNV secretary stating that you are a YCC member, putting Michel Chevallier YCC course coordinator in CC so that he can confirm your affiliation to YCC.

Our partner school, the Geneva Sailing School, conveniently located quai du Mont-Blanc next to the Bains des Pâquis, is offering a 10% discount to the YCC members and their family taking its keelboat courses. The school is offering single and group courses on its Beneteau First Class 7.5 and its Surprise. This document gives you all the details and a code that will identify you as YCC when registering online for the courses.

Last updated January 2025 by MCH