Scottish Club Chat | Winter 2025

As winter settles in, many of us are reflecting on a fantastic year of sailing and planning ahead for 2026.

This winter the National Lottery celebrated it's 31st birthday! Over the past three decades, lottery funding has played a vital role in supporting grassroots sport across the UK, and sailing in Scotland is no exception. National Lottery funding helps RYA Scotland deliver programs that strengthen our clubs, develop coaches, and create opportunities for everyone to get on the water. A big thanks to the National Lottery #becauseofyou.

Busy planning for 2026? The RYA Scotland team are set to continue a 2025-26 series of online Connect Forum Calls, with the next call scheduled for the 28th of January. Join us for a discussion around the benefits of RYA Affiliation, as well as support with navigating the process. To make sure as many within the community can get involved as possible, we’ll be running two online sessions - so make sure to book your free spot at 12:00 or 19:00. See you there!

You may have seen some great content on social media recently from sports content creator Lorna Husband, who set herself the challenge of trying a new sport every week in 2025. We were thrilled to see her get afloat at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club, sharing her experience and encouraging others to give sailing a go. Her posts have been a brilliant way to showcase the accessibility and fun of our sport - even in winter!

RYA Scotland has been soaking up recognition for Scottish Sailors this awards season, with several key players in the community scooping major awards:

• Margaret Tait – Scottish Women in Sport Pioneer in Sport Award
• Andy Brown – Athlete of the Year at the Scottish Sports Awards
• Ann Roy – Technical Official of the Year at the Scottish Sports Awards
• Maggie Adamson – Shetland’s Sportsperson of the Year

Have we missed anyone? If you know of a sailor who’s been celebrated in your locality – drop us a line via communications@ryascotland.org.uk . These achievements highlight the talent and dedication within our community - congratulations to all!

With inclusion at the heart of our work, and we were proud to celebrate Scottish Disability Sport Week across our channels recently, recapping our recent Disability Awareness Training at Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club, as well as our evolving approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) through the formation of an EDI working group.

And we’ve had plenty to celebrate when it comes to inclusion, with Murray MacDonald and Rory McKinna, claiming victory across their respective classes at the World Sailing Inclusion Championships - a fantastic achievement, congratulations to both!

Looking to upskill in 2026? For any Aspiring Senior Instructors who are looking to take the next step in their instructing journey, the RYA Scotland Coach Education team have got a packed calendar of webinars, prep weekends, plus Safety Boat and Senior Instructor courses coming up. Hit the links for booking information!

We want to stay connected over the colder months! If your club has news, achievements, or stories to share, we’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line to communications@ryascotland.org.uk to let us know what’s on the go.

For now, all the best from RYA Scotland’s Sport Development Team.