Powerboat development days, sometimes called mile-builders or skill-development sessions, are a popular way to help you gain real-world experience beyond the formal RYA qualifications. While RYA Powerboat Level 2 and Intermediate Powerboat courses provide the core skills and certification, development days give students the chance to consolidate those skills in a wider range of conditions, locations and practical scenarios that are not always possible to cover during a standard course.

These sessions are aimed at anyone who has already completed RYA Powerboat Level 2 or higher and wants to build confidence before taking on more responsibility afloat or perhaps going further afield. Typical participants include newly qualified helms, existing boat owners, future instructors and students preparing for commercial endorsements or advanced courses such as RYA Intermediate or Advanced Powerboat. Training is usually delivered in small groups (typically 2 people maximum) under the guidance of an experienced RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor, allowing for personalised coaching and plenty of helm time.

During a development day, students can focus on any area they wish but this could include practicing close-quarters manoeuvring, navigation exercises, planing-speed handling, coastal passages  and real-time decision-making in changing weather or tidal conditions. The key benefit of the training is experience: students get to apply what they’ve learned in a supportive but realistic environment, improving seamanship, confidence and judgement. This makes them safer, more capable powerboat drivers and better prepared for future qualifications or independent boating.