RYA CONNECTED CONFERENCES

Supporting leaders and inspiring the future of our affiliate network

The annual RYA Connected Conferences 2025 are a fantastic opportunity for affiliates to come together in person, hear from their peers and guest speakers, share ideas and pick up practical advice to help their organisation and our sport to thrive.

Whether you’re currently involved in the leadership or governance - or aspire to be in the future - you can harness the power of our community to gain new insights and inspiration to take back to your club, class or other affiliate.

Why attend?

This is your opportunity to:

• Lead with confidence in a changing landscape
• Build relationships with other leaders and experts across the RYA community
• Take away practical tools and expert insights to support your organisation

Designed for – and by - you

These conferences have been built upon the feedback you’ve shared. You’ve told us that recruiting and retaining volunteers is a key challenge, and that you’re worried about the growing pressure and burden of regulations that impact your organisation, so we will focus on these areas.

And we know from the feedback from last year’s events how much you value hearing from other affiliates and having time to share with one another, so we’ve increased the amount of time allocated to this.

Equally we know that these events are a good opportunity to connect with the RYA team, so regional staff and volunteers will be available for you to meet with, as well as staff from HQ specialising in legal and governance, funding, safeguarding, Sailability, RYA Training and sustainability. We also know that some of you want help with affiliation and the RYA Portal so we will also have an expert on hand to cover this with you 1-1.

Where and when are they?

All Connected events are FREE to attend for RYA Affiliates.

Please come to whichever conference is easiest for you – and do bring a car full of volunteers with you. There’s so much information and advice to tap into it’s a great idea to divide and conquer to make the most of the event.

Find out more below, share the details and book your place today.

What to expect

Morning Plenary

Start the day with a shared vision and energising insights from the RYA team, special guest speakers from the RNLI and RYA affiliates who will their successes and challenges with you.

Power of Community Forums

This is your chance to meet with your peers in small, targeted groups according to your area of focus and share ideas, successes and challenges in areas including:

• Club Racing – share strategies and innovations in race delivery
• Training – connect with other Principals and Chief Instructors
• Sailability, OnBoard, or Welfare Officers – meet and connect with your peers to build stronger, more inclusive communities

Learning from Others Presentations

These sessions feature case studies and expert-led insights on topics that matter to you:

• Technical experts will share best practice on flexible training delivery, employment
• Clubs, class associations and Sailability groups will present on volunteer recruitment, retention, and building more welcoming spaces for members
• You’ll hear directly from those who’ve made change happen — and take away ideas you can apply

Afternoon Workshops

A deep-dive into a topic that matters most to you and your organisation. Leave with a clear understanding on how you can address a challenge or grab an opportunity available to your club or organisation

• Volunteer recruitment & succession planning
• Governance and oversight to protect your volunteers & your organisation
• Senior Instructor development and support pathways
• Developing a strong volunteer culture
• Creating spaces where women and girls thrive in volunteer & leadership roles

These are longer sessions but there will be time for a break and to grab a coffee.

Final Plenary

We’ll close the day by reconnecting, considering our next steps, and sharing upcoming opportunities for you.

Whether you're steering a club through growth, navigating change, or simply looking to refresh your approach — this day is for you.

RYA Cymru Wales’ Big Weekend will be held 11-12 October 2025.