Also this month

Race Officials Academy

The Race Officials Academy provides an environment to create equitable opportunities for development and promotion of young Race Officials. In turn, striving to increase the number of under 35's to officiate at World Class and International Events.

The Academy provides cross-discipline learning for those of you aspiring to participate in delivering a major event. Through structured training, we encourage you to fast track towards gaining a National qualification within 3 to 4 years.

Prioritising the importance of fun, we aspire to deliver a supportive network through peer group mentoring, coupled with a social atmosphere on and off the water.

Every journey through the Academy will be unique to you whether you're an active sailor or a keen Race Official, the opportunities offered will help you personally focus and excel along your desired path.

Your first year in the Academy will endure training courses for all five qualifications at regional level. If you already hold a regional qualification you will instead aim to attend the national courses for these disciplines.

Whilst times remain uncertain with COVID-19, courses will still be run over 1-2 days, but they may be virtual. As well as the annual Induction weekend at the end of November and the Dinghy Show in March, the Academy would assume your attendance at different events suited to your skill and interests. These will be from club events and RYA events across the country, expecting participation at a minimum of four weekends through the year.

Relevant courses will be offered to you continuing through the approximated five years you will be at the Academy. The Academy offers mentors to personally assist you as you progress. They aim to assist and support you on your unique journey, helping you draw up your training plan to achieve your goals of the specific disciplines.

Networking with the existing members of the Academy also provides great opportunity for sharing and support, as they express keen interest in welcoming others to the programme (and the WhatsApp group)!

To apply to join the RYA Race Officials Academy, you need to be aged between 18-35 years old as of 1st September 2020 and applications opened on the 17th August and will close on Friday the 18th September 2020.

Final selection will be notified by 1st October 2020

If you are chosen to join the RYA Race Officials Academy, your induction weekend will take place at Portland House in Weymouth provisionally on the 27/29th November 2020.

If you have any questions please give Jacqui Roberts, RYA Race Officials Development Officer a call office: 02380 604161 mobile: 07766 136610 or send her an email Jacqui.roberts@rya.org.uk

The Green Blue to host Anchoring and Mooring with Care webinar

Join Kate Fortnam, The Green Blue's Campaign Manager, on Monday 28 September for a free webinar to discuss how boaters can work with nature to protect our vital seagrass beds.

Kate Fortnam will be co-presenting at the: Anchoring and Mooring with Care: How to Protect our Boating Environment, webinar with Loveday Trinick, Education Officer at the Ocean Conservation Trust. The webinar will explore the role of seagrass as a marine habitat and why it is so important to our sea's ecosystem. The presentation will also be covering the effects of anchoring and moorings on sea beds with examples of anchoring best practice that boaters can adopt to minimise impacts on habitats.

The webinar is part of the four year EU LIFE funded project, known as the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project. The aim of the project is to improve the condition of five key at-risk seagrass bed habitats in the South of England and to reduce the negative impact of recreational boating activities, such as mooring and anchoring.

The webinar will last approximately 30 minutes with an opportunity for the audience to ask questions at the end. Find out more and book your place