International Yacht Training Worldwide (IYT Worldwide) is an independent sailing and boating training organization which provides education and training standards for professional and recreational boaters and yachtsmen and women. It was originally based entirely in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; it is now a British Columbia, Canada Corporation based in Kelowna. Its qualifications are similar to those of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) at the recreational level, but IYT Worldwide also offers additional courses at the professional level. It is regulated by a number of Maritime Administrations and has an ISO Quality Management System to independently monitor and control all of its training standards.
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History
IYT Worldwide was founded by Mark Fry and Chris Taylor in 1998 as a credible alternative to the RYA with the purpose of providing training for crews of superyachts by offering professional yachtsmen and women the opportunity to train for their career outside the UK, a first for the professional yachting fraternity. IYT Worldwide was then approved and its courses recognized by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA),in October 1999 and is now recognized as a world leader due to its multiple (20 plus) international recognitions covering the majority of its courses. IYT has trained over 14,000 candidates in the last 12 years.
Global spread
Initially recognized for its professional courses it has successfully developed recreational boating and other watersports courses delivered through licensed training schools. There are currently 104 partner schools around the world in 25 different countries. (These include the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, Turkey, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Russia, Croatia, Lebanon, Thailand, Caribbean, France, Poland, Dubai, Egypt, Gibraltar, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Latvia, Israel, Montenegro).
There is now a strong international membership in some Commonwealth countries such as Canada, and Australia, and membership is growing rapidly in the United States and across Europe, Russia, Asia, Middle East and North Africa
Membership
There are basically 2 membership levels, those partner schools offering recreational courses and those offering professional yachting courses such as STCW, Basic Safety Training.
Two levels of qualification may be obtained from IYT Worldwide training providers:
Level 1 • Recreational boating courses from ‘Introduction to Boating’ through ‘Recreational Yachtmaster Coastal, Yachmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean’ ( Modules 1 to 21 in the IYT Passport booklet) • VHF Radio Operators Certificate • Small Powerboat & RIB Master (includes VHF certification) • Superyacht Deck Crew (includes Small Powerboat & RIB Master and VHF) • Superyacht Interior Crew • International Certificate of Competency (ICC) • Personal Watercraft Operations
Level 2 • Master of Yacht Training (MOY) – Mate 200 Ton/Coastal, Master of Yacht 200 Ton Limited and Master of Yacht 200 Ton Unlimited • STCW ‘95 Basic Training – (Standard of Training and Certification for Watchkeepers) 4 Modules over 5 days – required by the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) for employment on commercially operated yachts carrying passengers. • Diveboat Master Level 1 and Level 2 (includes General Engineering Knowledge)
International Certificate of Competence - ICC
International Certificate of Competence Also referred to as International Certificate of Competency, may be required to operate a vessel in EU waters, both coastal and internal. It is a certificate which is similar to an International Drivers License.
An International Certificate of Competence (ICC) is a certificate which may be issued to anyone who has successfully completed certain national boating licenses or met the ICC Standards of Knowledge and practical competencies. Almost all member states within the European Union have accepted the IYT World ICC.
Although only guaranteed to be accepted in countries that have adopted the relevant UN Resolution 40, the ICC is a useful document to carry and will generally be accepted where proof of competence is required.
In general terms an ICC is required for the inland waterways of Europe and for inland and coastal waters of Mediterranean countries. For the coastal waters of Northern Europe the ICC is generally not required, however to all of these generalisations there are exceptions.