RYA DAY SKIPPER Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the RYA DAY SKIPPER exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 RYA DAY SKIPPER Exam Format at a Glance
📚 RYA DAY SKIPPER Topics to Study (29)
✍️ Sample RYA DAY SKIPPER Questions & Answers
1. What does 'leeway' mean for a sailing yacht?
Leeway is the angular difference between the direction the boat is pointing (heading) and the direction it is actually moving through the water (course made good through water), caused by the wind's sideways force.
2. When planning a coastal passage, why is it important to identify 'bolt holes' along the route?
Bolt holes are alternative harbours or sheltered anchorages along the passage route where the vessel can seek refuge if weather conditions deteriorate, equipment fails, or crew become ill.
3. What lights must a power-driven vessel of less than 50m show when underway at night?
A power-driven vessel under 50m requires one forward masthead light (225°), red and green sidelights (112.5° each), and a white sternlight (135°).
4. The Rule of Twelfths is used to estimate the rise or fall of the tide. In the 3rd hour of a 6-hour tide cycle, what fraction of the range rises?
The Rule of Twelfths: hour 1 = 1/12, hour 2 = 2/12, hour 3 = 3/12, hour 4 = 3/12, hour 5 = 2/12, hour 6 = 1/12. The 3rd hour contributes the largest share.
5. On a chart, a blue circle with 'PA' next to a depth sounding means:
PA stands for Position Approximate, indicating that the sounding or feature has been placed on the chart with limited positional accuracy.
6. At a secondary port, the time difference on HW is listed as −0h 15min. Standard port HW is 1200. What is the secondary port HW time?
Secondary port HW = 1200 − 15 minutes = 1145. The negative sign means the secondary port HW occurs before the standard port HW.
🎯 Free RYA DAY SKIPPER Practice Tests
📖 RYA DAY SKIPPER Guides & Articles
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- A timed, full-length RYA Day Skipper mock exam — 60 questions in 75 minutes with a 80% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
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- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
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- Free RYA Day Skipper practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- rya.org.uk — Eligibility, test delivery, time limit · verified Oct 2026