Nominations for the RYA Northern Ireland Annual Awards are now open.
Last year, the Annual Awards were held at Riddel Hall in Belfast on 19 April, where members from all across the Northern Irish sailing community came together to celebrate the achievements and contributions of one another.
Sailing is a hugely diverse sport and the RYANI Annual Awards have a wide range of categories. The 2024 winners showcased this diversity, in what was a fantastic year for sailing in Northern Ireland.
Volunteer of The Year- Ellie Young/Marty Ansfield
Ellie Young spearheaded a "Women on the Water"" initiative within Queens University Sailing Club, aiming to bolster female participation in the sport. The campaign exceeded expectations, raising over £6000 in funds and helped contribute to a 50% rise in female membership of the club. Ellie also established regular sailing sessions twice a week, every Wednesday and Saturday, catering to sailors of all skill levels.
Marty and his wife Jenny were the core instigators and drivers of Lough Erne Yacht Club’s Sailability programme. Users that Marty successfully introduced to sailing include cancer and stroke survivors and individuals with mental and extreme physical disabilities. Marty also undertook a 24-hour sail in 2023, raising eight thousand five hundred pounds and inspiring others through his determination to battle against his own disabilities.
If you would like to make a nomination for this award, click here.
Young Volunteer of The Year- Isabel Nixon/Emily Dixon
Isabel stepped up to take on the role of Junior Vice-Commodore at Donaghadee Sailing Club when sailing at the club resumed after the Covid-19 pandemic. She provided valuable assistance to the Junior Commodore Emily Dickson, helping organise and run the Junior Regatta and social events as well as contributing to the creation of the Instagram account. This contributed to encouraging young sailors to participate in the club again. Throughout the summer of 2023, Isabel was part of the team providing on the water safety cover and support for RYA On Board sessions on Friday evenings. She helmed most Wednesday evenings for the club's Women on Water sessions despite most of her crew being twenty plus years older, and she took an active part in club racing as helm or crew.
Emily took the lead of the Donaghadee Sailing Club's Junior Committee, becoming Junior Commodore. She took initiative and co-ordinated the organisation of events such as the Junior Regatta and social events, She also volunteered at RYA On-Board Bright Night Sailing and was RYA Dinghy Instructor throughout last the summer of 2023. Emily initiated and created a club Instagram account to promote junior events and provide recognition for the Junior Committee.
If you would like to make a nomination for this award, click here.
Club Race Coach of The Year- Joseph Karazum
Joseph’s contributions to the race training programme in 2023 were instrumental in elevating its performance as formulated a comprehensive training plan, catering to all members, ranging from novice racers to the first team. Under his guidance, Queen's University Sailing Club first team successfully transitioned from IUSA silver fleet in 2022 to the IUSA gold fleet in 2023.
If you would like to make a nomination for this award, click here.
Instructor of The Year- Luke McIlwaine
Luke’s contribution to Newcastle Yacht Club has been invaluable. In 2023 he led their ‘Introduction to Dinghy Sailing’ sessions for potential new members. Over the summer he helped some of the club’s youngest sailors transition into Toppers for the first time. Luke helped the club rebuild after Covid-19 and encouraged NYC members to travel to sessions outside of the club. Luke has worked hard to build connections outside of NYC and has played a big role in organising RYANI Topper training at the club.
If you would like to make a nomination for this award, click here.
Chair’s Award- County Antrim Volunteers/Billy Krohner/Gordon Kane
The Chair’s Award is given to an individual or group who have made a significant contribution to sailing or boating, but their efforts do not fall into another award category.
County Antrim Volunteers- Between 2023-2024, County Antrim Yacht Club volunteers worked together and to deliver for the overall development of the club. These developments included replacing the club boiler, helping maintain club facilities, supporting with the delivery of PBL2 or Safety courses and mark laying for other clubs at events such as the Topper World Championships.
Billy Krohner- Billy was was a member of the committee of Strangford Lough Yacht Club for 20 years and Treasurer of the club from 2010 to 2023. Billy kept an eye out for suitable grants and was successful in gaining grant money for 10 Toppers and 6 Bahia’s to be used for junior sailing at SLYC. He provided wise counsel to successive committees and commodores at a time when it is difficult to attract volunteers and has played a significant role in the growth of sailing at the club.
Gordon Kane- Gordon is an ex-commodore of EABC (2011-13) and rejoined the Committee as an officer in November 2023 with a view to becoming Yard Manager and leading the Yard Subcommittee. Additionally, Gordon has played a critical role as Event Manager for numerous national events, classes including Toppers, Optimists, Lasers and GPs. In 2023 he masterminded the event organisation for the returning Optimist Ulster Championships and GP14 Ulster Championships.
If you would like to make a nomination for this award, click here.
Club Project of The Year- East Down Yacht Club
East Down Yacht Club (Leisure 17 Class)- The introduction of the Leisure 17 to EDYC in 1973 continued has helped inspire diversity among new and seasoned sailors. Many of these sailors have become dedicated volunteers within the club and branched out into roles like RYA powerboat instructors, RYA sailing coaches, and RYA Officials. Over the past five decades, the Leisure 17 community at East Down has fostered a supportive environment for sailors across Strangford Lough, organising training activities and events - including regattas and cruises. It is due to this level of hard work, as well as the desire for improvement within EDYC, that the club is numbering a fleet of twenty-five Leisure 17 boats.
If you would like to make a nomination for this award, click here.
Race Official of The Year- County Antrim Yacht Club Ladies Race Official Team
County Antrim Yacht Club faced a junior membership engagement decline in 2021, due to demographics and the challenges as a result of the pandemic. The club then chose to focus on Rediscover Sailing sessions, while organising off the water social activities, which boosted participation. This spurred parents to become involved with volunteering, developing a stronger sailing community. The club prioritises running events which fosters a team spirit and engagement with the local community and the wider sailing community.
If you would like to make a nomination for this award, click here.
If you have any questions about the RYANI Annual Awards, please contact mary.martin@rya.org.uk