YCC Level2: Cabin Keelboat (GibSea) Course
Eligibility
Any active YCC member who:
- holds an Yngling licence, and
- holds another YCC licence;
- has been offered a place to the course via the lottery;
- has successfully enrolled for the course.
Contents of the Course
The Gib Sea Course prepares for the GibSea Test.
Once you have passed this test and fulfill the Swiss requirements for sailing a boat with more than 15 m2 of sail,
you are entitled to use the YCC GibSea as skipper.
The course consists of:
- 2 surveillance sessions on the Q boat;
- 6 practical classes on the GibSea;
- 5 practice sessions on Thursday evenings;
- optional participation in a regatta;
- help in maintenance of the boats, if requested.
Participants in the Gib Sea Course are already deemed to:
- understand basic sailing terminology;
- have recent practical sailing experience;
- be able to make the basic knots;
- know the priority regulations on the lake as summarised inthe booklet Naviguez sur les eaux suisses !;
- know the YCC rules.
Surveillance
Please check the YCC Apps in order to fix dates for your surveillance sessions.
Practical Classes
These sailing outings take place under the responsibility of your teacher.
You will usually be sailing on the Gib Sea 264,
but occasionally also other boats may be used.
During these outings, you should acquire the following skills:
- rigging and unrigging the boat;
- manoeuvring the centreboard;
- use of the navigation lights;
- manoeuvring in the harbour by engine without colliding with obstacles in the channels and other boats;
- choosing sails appropriate for the expected wind conditions;
- taking a reef in the main and changing the foresail while sailing;
- taking the helm;
- control of heeling by using the sheets;
- sailing at close haul, at broad reach and running with proper sail trim in each course;
- going-about (tacking);
- performing a gybe;
- stopping the boat within a few metres of a given place;
- stopping the boat within 1m of a buoy, both under sail and engine;
- recovering crew from the water with a man-overboard manoeuvre, using a heave to method;
- anchoring;
- mooring the boat, also in an unknown harbour;
- returning into the harbour by engine and by sail.
Use of the spinnaker is not part of this course, but you should feel free to ask your teacher to demonstrate this technique.
You will, as a rule, have one practical class per week between 18:00 and 20:30.
The courses will normally take place on Mondays or Wednesday.
Maintenance
Taking part in maintenance is helpful to better understand the functioning of the boats.
If you wish to take part in maintenance, contact the committee member in charge of maintenance of this boat.
Last modified, February 2026 by GdR.