12 June 2026
CEO & Chair Update: A Busy First Half of the Year
Welcome to our quarterly update from CEO Greg Yarnall and Chair Gavin Watson. The last few months have been an exciting and productive period for sailing in Northern Ireland, and as we head into the heart of the summer season, here are some of the highlights from across our community.
On the water and in the community
In March we brought together 35 instructors and coaches at Carrickfergus Sailing Club for our Regional Training Day, with experts from across the UK helping our workforce prepare for the season ahead.
Carrickfergus was also home to the inaugural Women on Water (WOW) Festival, where more than 30 women experienced sailing for the first time. A fantastic success and a real statement of intent for growing diversity in our sport.
Our first ever RYA NI Business Club event welcomed 22 business leaders and stakeholders, a significant step in connecting the business and sailing sectors here in Northern Ireland.
Celebrating our people
Huge congratulations to Geraldine Duggan of Belfast Lough Sailability, inducted into the NI Sailing Hall of Fame in recognition of her pioneering work and dedication.
On the world stage, our NI Sailing Team members continue to shine. LA2028 Olympic campaigners Erin and Ellen kicked off their season in style with a brilliant 7th place overall at the Hyères Grand Slam, alongside strong results across the wider team.
Investing in the future
We're delighted to have secured approximately £86k in PEACE PLUS funding, which will introduce young people to sailing and connect coastal communities across the region.
We've also welcomed two new faces to the team: Jordan Conway joins as Development Officer (maternity cover) and Catherine Burns as Executive Assistant.
Governance and strategy
Behind the scenes, the Board has been working hard on the long-term health of our sport. Recent decisions include approval of the 2026-27 budget, agreement on a new sub-committee structure for better transparency, revision of four organisational policies, investment of reserves, and steady progress against our Navigating the Future strategy.
Here's to a brilliant summer on the water.