Top award for Chorley sailing guru 

Dave Woodhead recives a OB Commitment Award

Dave Woodhead, from Chorley Lancs, who runs the RYA OnBoard grassroots sailing programme in Cumbria, was recently the proud recipient of an OnBoard Award for exceptional commitment.

Dave was one of just three OnBoard Development Officers from across the country to be selected for the Award, which he received at the Annual OnBoard dinner in Southampton last week.  

OnBoard is an RYA programme to introduce youngsters to sailing and windsurfing.  

Catherine Ferguson, the RYA’s OnBoard Operations Officer said, “Dave has achieved an incredible amount this year including organising OnBoard Festivals at Derwentwater and Windermere, which gave sailing and windsurfing opportunities to adults as well as to the youngsters. He has put a lot of  great ideas into making the Cumbria OnBoard partnership work and thoroughly deserves this award.”

 Dave has also worked on ways to help the youngsters find a path to progressing further in sailing after they first get the sailing bug through OnBoard. He arranged for the 2 top sailors from each Cumbria OnBoard club to attend the Bassenthwaite Junior Travellers series event in July – Dave organised six boats for them, and was there to look after them on and off the water.    

Receiving his Award, Dave said: “I am over the moon to have been presented with this award this evening. I find it extremely rewarding and gratifying to watch kids start at the beginning and then progress in a sport that they gain so much from.”  

RYA CEO Sarah Treseder joined Riki Hooker from RS Sailing to present the 2011 RS Sailing RYA OnBoard Awards. Award sponsors RS Sailing kindly donated specially commissioned trophies for the ceremony.  

Riki said: “The RS OnBoard Awards truly highlight the exceptional effort of the whole OnBoard team. We are delighted to be a part of this programme.”  

Run by the RYA, OnBoard is a grass roots programme which introduces sailing and windsurfing to young people aged 8 to 18, through schools, youth groups and training centres.   Cumbria has four OnBoard centres at Derwent Water Marina, Lakes Leisure Windermere, Low Wood Watersports and Bassenthwaite Sailing Club.  

Over a ten year period OnBoard aims to introduce a minimum of 500,000 children to sailing and windsurfing in the UK, converting over 10% of them into regular participants. So far it’s nicely on track.  

 For more information about how to get involved in sailing visit the RYA’s website www.rya.org.uk or the OnBoard website www.ruob.co.uk