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Chief Instructor Amanda Van Santen

“I am immensely honoured to have been a RYA Chief Instructor. It has been an amazing journey, working with the most dedicated people, who have a passion for the sport and helping others.”
 

RYA say goodbye to long-established colleague Amanda Van Santen 

 

Amanda has been a part of the RYA for 17 years and in her current role of leading both the dinghy and windsurfing schemes for almost 12 years. She is well known and well respected across the club and training centre network.

Achievements

During her time at the RYA, Amanda has made a significant impact by introducing a number of new initiatives and developing existing courses. Listed below are just a handful of her successes:

  • Development of the RYA Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award pathway. This partnership was introduced to inspire and enable more young people aged 14-25 to participate in sailing, windsurfing and powerboating whilst working towards their DofE.
  • Introduction of RYA Training in China and subsequently its delivery in Mandarin. This initiative has made sailing in China more mainstream and accessible to the wider population. The two national governing bodies have entered a memorandum of understanding to increase the availability of RYA training.
  • Instigator of RYA Wing Scheme. Four progressive courses; Learn to Wingsurf, Improve your Wingsurfing, First Flights and Sustained Flights.
  • Introducing foiling courses into the National Sailing and Windsurfing schemes having recognised a need for foiling to become more accessible to mainstream sailing.
  • Reinstatement of sailing and windsurfing to GCSE and A-level PE. The RYA campaigned for the reinstatement working closely with AQA to develop the specified criteria for assessment which is in effect.

An opportunity

As a result of Amanda’s departure, an outstanding opportunity has arisen for an experienced RYA Instructor Trainer to take on the exciting challenge of managing the RYA’s dinghy, windsurfing, keel boat and multihull schemes. 

The purpose of the role is to manage, administer, develop and promote the RYA windsurfing, dinghy, keelboat and multihull schemes in order to maximise participation in the sport and maintain high standards of training and safety. There is scope to get stuck in to the role and take it to higher heights.

Interested? Find out more

From Amanda

“The challenges this role brings, make it a truly unique job in the industry. For me, it is now time to hand over the baton, enabling me to concentrate on my family.

Leaving this role, has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made - it is pretty rare to wake up everyday and enjoy going to work. For that, I am incredibly grateful for those I work with and the wider RYA.  

Those that know me well, will know I am not one for sitting still and whilst I will be taking time to be with my family, I hope to remain in the industry as well as working in Soft Tissue Therapy and Nutrition. This means I will continue to work in the sports and recreational industry, whilst hopefully staying connected to the RYA and assisting however I can…or perhaps I should say - if they’ll let me!”

On behalf of the whole RYA, we wish Amanda all the best for all future endeavours.