In our 'Ask the Expert' series Rob answers your questions. First up is Simon from London who would like to become a Dinghy 
Instructor.
Q I want to gain my Dinghy Instructor certificate. I am 21 and have sailed all my life, participated in numerous national racing events and am a competent sailor. Is it necessary for me to complete the Pre-entry assessment?
A We are very fortunate to have an excellent sailing scheme in the UK and clubs up and down the country provide some excellent sail training and racing programmes. However the majority of us tend to focus our personal sailing in specific areas or classes which doesn’t necessarily practice the breadth of skills required to be a good, all round instructor, able to demonstrate all the skills from the RYA syllabus – when was the last time a laser squad sailor had the ability
to practice man overboard drill or a 29er practiced sailing without a centreboard?
A successful RYA Dinghy Instructor should be able to effectively and confidently demonstrate all the maneuvers in a manner that would give their students confidence to have a go themselves with a good chance of success. The Pre-entry standard isn’t a requirement to be the world’s best sailor and though a good club sailor will be well above the required level in many aspects the assessment ensures that aren’t any gaps in the skill set and that candidates are ready to progress onto the training course with the best chance of success
If you would like to read more about our RYA Instructor courses find the information here.
You can contact Rob with any of your questions at – [email protected]
