Med based Yachtmaster Prep week & exam

[ICTM]

Can anyone recommend a South of France/Med based school that offers the above course, preferably February or March this year ? Not for me but a sailing friend who is not a forum member, he has tried emailing several he has found via internet searches but has not had any response.....(needs to be tidal)
PM with any to avoid at all costs would also be much appreciated !! Thanks very much.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Several schools in a Palma are possible. I’ve done work for them so it would be inappropriate for me to comment or commend further. Antibes offers another couple of possibilities. None of the above are bad options IMHO.

 

[Stemar]

Med-based and tidal don't really go together. I believe Gibraltar has enough of a tide to count on the qualification, but Brittany or Bristol would come as a bit of surprise afterwards!

 

[Richard10002]

Without hesitation:

main - RU Sailing

Rusailing Sail Training Academy - Day Classes (Lagos) - 2020 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos) - Lagos, Portugal | TripAdvisor - Tripadvisor

Lagos on the Algarve.

Did my Yachtmaster prep and exam on my own boat in 2006. Lovely people. Amazing attention to detail, teaching skills, and patience. Kept in touch via Facebook ever since, and see numerous good reviews and comments.

If you do yachtmaster in the Med, you dont get the tidal qualification, so not really worth doing IMHO

 

[john_morris_uk]

If you’ve more than half your qualifying miles in tidal waters, you do get your full YM - even if examined in the Med’. You’ll find you’re quizzed considerably more deeply on your knowledge and understanding of tides and navigation within tidal waters though. When I’m examining candidates in non-tidal waters I expect them to be pretty proficient in all aspects of tidal calculations and EP’s and Course to Steer plotting and calculating etc. They have to persuade me it’s all second nature to them...

Caveat: I speak personally and not on behalf of all examiners...

 

[Richard10002]

If you’ve more than half your qualifying miles in tidal waters, you do get your full YM - even if examined in the Med’. You’ll find you’re quizzed considerably more deeply on your knowledge and understanding of tides and navigation within tidal waters though. When I’m examining candidates in non-tidal waters I expect them to be pretty proficient in all aspects of tidal calculations and EP’s and Course to Steer plotting and calculating etc. They have to persuade me it’s all second nature to them...

Caveat: I speak personally and not on behalf of all examiners...

Thanks for the clarification.

Perhaps I should modify what I say to, it being better IMHO to do the prep course in a tidal area, as you get the benefit of an instructor, and the situation, during the days immediately preceding the exam. In addition, from what you've said, you may not be quizzed quite so deeply on tides and tidal navigation.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thanks for the clarification.

Perhaps I should modify what I say to, it being better IMHO to do the prep course in a tidal area, as you get the benefit of an instructor, and the situation, during the days immediately preceding the exam. In addition, from what you've said, you may not be quizzed quite so deeply on tides and tidal navigation.

Hmm... not necessarily quizzed less stringently. I’d rather say that you’re definitely going to get quizzed in non-tidal waters.

In any exam you observe and ask questions. When a slightly strange answer comes back, or the candidate does something strange, you start probing.

For example. if I ask a simple question about IRPCS and the candidate starts to prevaricate or obviously not know, you let them off the first one or two and put it down to nerves. After a while you start probing their knowledge a bit deeper.

Same with tides...

 

[Kevin26]

+1 .R U Sailing Lagos, Portugal. Very professional and well run from start to finish , instructors who really listen and explain any difficulties you may encounter.