RYA Northern Ireland Hall of Fame: Bob Harper MBE

Bob Harper MBE becomes the latest member of the RYA Northern Ireland Hall of Fame following induction at 50th Anniversary ceremony
28 Oct 24
hall of fame bob

Bob Harper MBE has become the latest inductee to the RYA Northern Ireland Hall of Fame after accepting the accolade at the RYA Northern Ireland 50th Anniversary Dinner in Belfast on 18 October.

Bob is an extremely accomplished sailor and was an Ocean Youth Trust NI Operator and Skipper during the 1980’s where he introduced 100’s of people to the sport of sailing for the very first time.   He then sold his home with his wife Christine and together they sailed around the world over a period of five years.

During this time, the story of their travels was sent back to Northern Ireland and recounted in a regular column in the Belfast Newsletter, which ultimately formed the basis of Bob’s book, Letters To The Boatyard.

Bob is perhaps best known for his work with Sailability, as in 2003, he was heavily involved in the launch of Belfast Lough Sailability and then subsequently Foyle Lough Sailability. He was a key player in the growth of Sailability in Northern Ireland and was appointed RYA Northern Ireland Sailability co-ordinator in 2007.

Under his tenure, three dedicated Sailability clubs were established, along with five accredited centres. They continue to bring the joy of sailing to disabled and disadvantaged people right across Northern Ireland. This level of dedication was recognised at the King’s Birthday honours list in 2022 when Bob received an MBE for services to sailing for people with disabilities in Northern Ireland. 

Bob now joins a small and very exclusive club of individuals who have all made an impact in different areas of our sport.

Decisions on who is inducted into the RYA Northern Ireland Hall of Fame are made collectively by the RYA NI Chair, RYA NI Vice Chair, RYA NI Chair of the Performance Committee, Chair of Development Committee, the CEO and one independent member/Chair.

The current Hall of Fame is as follows:

  • Maeve Bell OBE
  • Bill O’Hara OBE
  • James Nixon
  • Curly Morris
  • Peter Kennedy
  • Bob Harper MBE
  • Ron Hutchison
  • Brian Black
  • Mike Hendra MBE