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Guest
Guest
The home page of the RYA website with a photo of James Stevens, their Training Manager, links to an article where the RYA shows concern for a an American commercial organisation that has been licensed by the MCA to offer a range of international yachtmaster courses. The RYA believe this will be detrimental to what is already on offer, thus causing confusion all round and the possible increase in the cost of watersports.
Having tracked down www.yachtmaster.com, a very large website, you cannot blame the MCA for allowing this organisation from offering courses that, on the face of it are more internationally orientated than what is on offer at present. With respect to the RYA, as I am a holder of the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competance, these American courses are aimed, in the main, at those persons that have to have commercial qualifications.
I do not believe that this is open competition for the RYA and the qualifications that are on offer, but more to do with tightening International Maritime Organisation's control of the sea and underlining the importance to have a set of qualifications as a standard, as more and more smaller vessels are being used for commercial purposes. The Port State Authority, in this case the United Kingdom and its Dominions that can fly the Red Ensign, have the legal obligation to follow the Conventions that it signs up to. For the UK, it is the responsibility of the MCA to ensure that international standards are followed in the Home Nation.
The RYA will continue to represent our watersport interests, and I am sure that the two organisations can work together for the benefit of us all, as long as our safety at sea is ensured.
No doubt this debate is going to go on for a very long time.
Having tracked down www.yachtmaster.com, a very large website, you cannot blame the MCA for allowing this organisation from offering courses that, on the face of it are more internationally orientated than what is on offer at present. With respect to the RYA, as I am a holder of the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competance, these American courses are aimed, in the main, at those persons that have to have commercial qualifications.
I do not believe that this is open competition for the RYA and the qualifications that are on offer, but more to do with tightening International Maritime Organisation's control of the sea and underlining the importance to have a set of qualifications as a standard, as more and more smaller vessels are being used for commercial purposes. The Port State Authority, in this case the United Kingdom and its Dominions that can fly the Red Ensign, have the legal obligation to follow the Conventions that it signs up to. For the UK, it is the responsibility of the MCA to ensure that international standards are followed in the Home Nation.
The RYA will continue to represent our watersport interests, and I am sure that the two organisations can work together for the benefit of us all, as long as our safety at sea is ensured.
No doubt this debate is going to go on for a very long time.