RYA Yachtmaster of the Year 2026 Announced - Tom Stierle

Tom Stierle presented with prestigious award by Mike Golding OBE at Southampton International Boat Show

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has announced Tom Stierle as the recipient of the RYA Yachtmaster of the Year 2025 award, recognising his outstanding sailing skill, knowledge and seamanship.

Tom, a 56-year-old surgeon from Switzerland, was presented with the award by renowned British yachtsman Mike Golding OBE during a RYA ceremony at this year's Southampton International Boat Show on Friday 18th September.

Selected from thousands of sailors who achieve the internationally respected RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence each year, the award is presented annually to the most exceptional candidate. Nominations are put forward by the RYA's worldwide team of Yachtmaster Examiners, with the winner receiving the coveted RYA Yachtmaster Trophy.

Tom's Sailing Journey

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, and now living near Basel, Switzerland, Tom first learned to sail on the River Rhine and Swiss lakes before developing a passion for offshore sailing by joining friends and family as a skipper in the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea.

Alongside a demanding career as a general and trauma surgeon, he has spent many years progressing through the RYA training scheme, undertaking courses across Scotland, Wales and the Solent.

Commenting on his progression Tom said "I greatly enjoy learning new things while sailing, both in practice and in theory, taking real satisfaction in meeting challenges. Perhaps this is also a parallel to my profession as a surgeon."

Tom's Yachtmaster journey gained momentum during a three-month sabbatical, during which he dedicated himself to preparing for what is known by some as 'one of the world's toughest sailing qualifications. For six weeks, he worked as a humanitarian surgeon aboard a hospital ship while studying and training for the examination in his spare time.

"In the end, I knew every pilotage in the Solent by heart." he recalled.

However, as sailing so often presents unexpected challenges, his examination included a demanding overnight passage around the Isle of Wight, requiring him to navigate tidal gates and pass through the Needles at sunrise to take advantage of favourable tides and winds.

Since passing his Yachtmaster examination, Tom has continued to build on his achievements. Last autumn, he completed a Yachtmaster Ocean qualifying passage from Madeira to Gibraltar in unusually challenging weather conditions before successfully passing his Yachtmaster Ocean oral examination earlier this year. Looking ahead Tom is planning cruises in the Mediterranean and to the North Cape and has set his sights on an another significant challenge: taking part as crew in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Richard Falk, RYA Director of Training and Qualifications, said: "The Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is recognised around the world as a benchmark of sailing excellence and professional seamanship. Each year, our examiners nominate candidates who have demonstrated exceptional skill, judgement and competence under examination conditions."

"Tom stood out not only for his sailing ability and technical knowledge, but also for the commitment and determination he has shown throughout his sailing journey. On behalf of the RYA, I am delighted to congratulate him on becoming our Yachtmaster of the Year 2025."

Commenting on receiving the award, Tom said: "Winning the Yachtmaster of the Year award came entirely unexpectedly and is truly a great honour. It encourages me to find a way to continue pursuing my passion for sailing and perhaps to discover a path that will allow me to combine my profession more closely with my love of the sea in the future I can't wait to see what's to come in the future."

Learn more about becoming a Yachtmaster or careers on the water

The RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is described as the 'ultimate aim of aspiring skippers'.

Unlike other qualifications in the RYA cruising programme, there is no single, formal training course to become an RYA Yachtmaster. Instead, provided the skipper has sufficient experience, certification and seatime, they can put themselves forward for an exam to test their skills and knowledge. This would normally involve undertaking a number of RYA Training courses as part of the development process, before then cementing that learning through further practical on-water experience.

You can find out more about online becoming a Yachtmaster on the RYA website.

If you are interested about learning Yachtmaster scholarships or about general careers on the water, you can also check out the RYA careers page.