About Us

RYA East Regional Team

The RYA East Regional team is here to support you, your club or centre. We are a team of volunteers, staff, and contractors who work closely together to provide a network of support to grow activity and membership across the region. Together, the team provides:

• Liaison between the region's Clubs and the RYA
• Co-ordination and encouragement of RYA National Training Schemes
• Representation of the wider interests of sailing, windsurfing, cruising, inland waterways and powerboating within the region.

About the Regional Committee

The East Region Committee is an integrated team composed of three groups who work together for the benefit of the Region:

• 12 Local Associations who each elect a volunteer at their AGM to represent their association on the East Region Committee
• Specialist Appointment Volunteers: Regional Planning Environment Coordinator, Regional Race Management Coordinator, Regional Rules Adviser, Training Fleet Manager
• Regional Staff: Regional Development Officer, Regional Communicator, High Performance Manager, Disability Development Officer

Area Associations Represented:

• Association of Nene River Clubs
• Association of Southend Clubs
• Bedfordshire and Cambridge Area Association
• Blackwater and Colne Area Sailing Association
• Crouch Area Yachting Federation
• Great Ouse Boating Association
• Harwich Area Sailing Association
• Herts and West Essex Inland Waterways
• National Schools Sailing Association
• Royal Naval Sailing Association
• Norfolk and Suffolk Boating Association
• North West Norfolk Sailing Association

Representation

Various members sit on a variety of organisations, including some Harbour Authorities, the Broads Authority Committee, Cam Conservators, the MCA Marine Safety Committee and Anglian Water. Representatives are also on the Lowestoft and Upper Orwell Crossing proposals.

RYA Staff

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER: Robbie Bell – Robbie.bell@rya.org.uk

Robbie’s role is to work across the RYA East Region supporting clubs and training centres developing activity and membership. He manages a team of Sailing Development Officers who are in turn responsible for the delivery of key initiatives ranging from the OnBoard programme through to funding advice for clubs and supported open days. Robbie organises the annual Affiliated Club Conference and a range of instructor development opportunities including the Instructor Training Day and regional courses, and is responsible for ensuring RYA recognised training centre Inspections are completed during the year. Robbie sails an RS700 at Snettisham Beach Sailing Club and travels to events when he can. Robbie always enjoys visiting clubs throughout the region and getting afloat.

SAILING DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS (who work under Robbie Bell):

Holly Hancock – holly.hancock@rya.org.uk

Holly is responsible for supporting Clubs in the East Region on funding projects, and organising schools’ engagement for OnBoard. Holly is passionate about getting young people (in particular) into sailing and enjoying the sport. She also supports Clubs throughout Norfolk and North Suffolk with general development. Holly sails a variety of boats from the Broads Reedling Class through to a Laser dinghy, and spends much of her spare time volunteering at her local Club where she is a Senior Instructor.

Jen Miller – jen.miller@rya.org.uk

Jen has been a Coach since 2011, and has been sailing all her life. She is currently leading on the Female Participation and Try Sailing projects in the East, and would like to see more women become role models for others and opportunities for female sailing broadened at a club level. This is something she is very passionate about. Having been born into a sailing family, rather unusually it was Jen’s mother who sailed, and whom inspired her love and enthusiasm for the sport, and now Jen wants to pass this enthusiasm on to others.

HIGH PERFORMANCE MANAGER: Paul Wren – paul.wren@rya.org.uk or 07909 994 642

Paul works to create opportunities for young dinghy sailors and windsurfers to move into racing. He helps sailors identified as having potential to hone their skills in the RYA East Zone squads and plays a key role in feeding sailors into the RYA’s World Class racing programmes.
Paul works closely with Junior Class Associations’ Regional Reps to establish comprehensive and local winter and spring Open race training, and facilitates and manages an annual coach recruitment and development strategy in partnership with the RYA.
Through the BYS Recognised club program Paul assists those clubs who wish to make a recognised commitment to introducing more young people to racing whilst also supporting their ongoing club development.

DISABILITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER: Jane Ellison – ddo.east@rya.org.uk

REGIONAL COMMUNICATOR: Holly Hancock – holly.hancock@rya.org.uk

Volunteers (Officers)

CHAIR – Alice Davies - 07534 388249, chair.EA@rya.org.uk

VICE CHAIR – Sara Hopkinson - 01473 780510, 07711 717046, sara@pinmillcruising.co.uk

SECRETARY/TREASURER – Tim Wood - 01206 826411

Specialist Appointment holders

RULES/DISPUTES ADVISER – Graham Louth -  01223 246145

EAST REGIONAL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR (ERPEC) – Bob Calver

RACE MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR – Peter Saxton

TRAINING FLEETS MANAGER - Jen Miller 07874 039052