Already hold a foundational skipper license (ISSA Inshore, RYA / IYT / ASA Day Skipper, Skipper 30)? Take your command skills to the highest level. 3 intensive days of open-ocean sailing, advanced navigation, watch management and a continuous 120-nautical-mile passage aboard our premier fleet in Cyprus.
What You Will Master
The prestigious ISSA Offshore Skipper certification is designed for certified sailors (ages 18+) aiming to extend their sailing range up to 120 nautical miles offshore, day and night, commanding vessels up to 24 meters in length. The curriculum is 100% practical:
120-NM continuous passage: real-world deep-sea scenarios, instrument and digital navigation, and night watch keeping.
Crew leadership & command: real-time decision making, passage planning and heavy-weather tactics.
Full operational readiness: international passage documentation, operational checklists and practical life-raft deployment drills.
Formal Entry Requirements (Mandatory)
Designed strictly for qualified, experienced sailors, ages 18+:
1. Valid basic license: ISSA Inshore, RYA / IYT / ASA Day Skipper, or local equivalent.
2. Logged miles: minimum 1,000 NM verified in your personal Logbook.
3. Skipper experience: proven experience acting as skipper in command.
4. Geographic diversity: documented sea time across at least 3 distinct sea regions (day & night passages).
5. Credentials: valid First Aid certificate and SRC/VHF radio license.
Optional add-on: VHF / SRC marine radio course. Holding a valid marine radio operator license is mandatory for Offshore certification. If you do not hold one, complete it with us: group format (4–12 students) — €120 course + €110 exam/certificate; private format (up to 4 students) — €480 course + €110 exam/certificate per participant.
| Feature | Dragonfly 40 (Trimaran) | Karina X (Monohull) |
|---|---|---|
| Hull type | Three hulls (trimaran) | Single hull (monohull) |
| Propulsion | Silent electric motor, zero emissions | Classic diesel engine |
| Navigation system | Digital cockpit — 4 screens, radar, AIS | Full standard navigation instruments |
| Sail plan | Code Zero and asymmetric spinnaker | Classic sail wardrobe |
| Sailing feel | Fast, sporty, exceptionally stable | Traditional, calm, comfortable |
| Crew size | Up to 4 students | Up to 4 students |
| Lodging | On board (mandatory on the 120-NM passage) | On board (mandatory on the 120-NM passage) |
| Best suited to | Sailors who want cutting-edge marine tech | Sailors who want proven classic seamanship |
Course Cost (identical on both vessels)
Group rate (4 students): €1,500 per participant
Small group rate (up to 3 students): €1,740 per participant
Private course (min. 2 students): €5,000 total
ISSA exam & certificate fee: €320 per participant
Operational note: Vardi Vela Cyprus reserves the right to assign or substitute training vessels within the school fleet based on technical maintenance, weather conditions or maritime safety considerations, while fully maintaining the course syllabus and certification standards.
Designed for sailors who already hold a skipper licence (Inshore Sail) and want to extend their sailing range and deepen their understanding of yachts in open water. Suitable from age 18 and up.
Three days — a passage with overnight accommodation on board, during which trainees take command alongside the instructor (the destination varies with weather conditions).
A sailing yacht with an auxiliary engine, up to 24 metres in length.
An ISSA international offshore skipper licence (Offshore Sail) — extending the inshore licence to significantly greater sailing ranges.
The licence permits sailing up to 120 nautical miles from the coast, day and night. If you do not yet hold an SRC/VHF marine radio licence you will complete it during the voyage, as a mandatory condition for certification. It meets the requirements of the ICC standard (International Certificate of Competence), established under Resolution No. 40 of the UNECE Inland Transport Committee and officially recognised in some 22 countries, most of them in Europe. In practice the licence is also accepted by yacht charter companies, marinas and port authorities across the Mediterranean basin (including Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Italy and Spain), in the Caribbean and in South-East Asia. Read more in our article What is a skipper license.
The Offshore course takes your range from the 20 nautical miles of an Inshore licence out to 120. It is built around a long passage where you sleep on board and are genuinely in command of the boat.
Yes. The course is intended for holders of an Inshore Sailing Yacht Skipper licence, or an equivalent licence of the same level (Skipper 30, IYT / RYA / ASA Day Skipper), who have logged at least 1,000 nautical miles as skipper in their logbook.
Three days, with up to four students and an instructor on board. A private course is also available.
You will complete it during the voyage, as part of the course. Holding it is a mandatory condition for certification.
