RYA Cymru Wales blog - Reflections 2025

As we come to the end of another busy and inspiring year for RYA Cymru Wales, it feels remarkable to reflect on how much has been achieved across Welsh sailing in 2025. Though it seems only three months have passed since I was writing the December 2024 blog, as this year has truly flown by. Yet within that time, our community has delivered focused and intentional progress that has brought real, positive, and lasting change to our sport and to the people who make it thrive across Wales.

From grassroots initiatives to international representation, we have shown resilience, innovation, and a shared commitment to making sailing and boating in Wales inclusive, adventurous, and future‑focused. This spirit of collective achievement is what defines us, and it is with pride and gratitude that I look back on the milestones of 2025.

Leading through our values

Our values have been central to our work this year and have shaped every initiative, decision, and achievement.

🌊 Adventurous & Brave – We embraced change with confidence, from governance reforms to new strategic initiatives. With a strong fleet of performance boats and the successful launch of Merched y Môr – Women of the Sea to support female participation and welfare, we are widening opportunities for our valued community every year. Being brave has meant challenging ourselves, asking hard questions, and being willing to innovate.

🤝 Inclusive & Safe – We strengthened safeguarding and created clearer access pathways, ensuring Welsh sailing remains a welcoming and protective environment for all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

🔗 Relevant & Connected – Our relationships with clubs, volunteers, partners, and the wider RYA family remain central to our work. This year’s BIG Weekend at Plas Menai brought together over  150 sailors, coaches, and volunteers for training, networking, and celebration, and remains a highlight of our year.

Striving for Excellence — Inside and Outside the Boardroom

Throughout 2025, the Board has continued to push for excellence in everything we do. We have strengthened governance, improved transparency, enhanced financial oversight, and made strategic decisions that ensure RYA Cymru Wales remains robust and forward‑looking.

Excellence has guided not only our governance but also the way we support clubs, sailors, coaches, instructors, and volunteers. From improving operational processes to enhancing safeguarding and widening participation pathways, we’ve stayed committed to raising standards across the whole organisation.

I was honoured to be shortlisted for the Sports Governance Academy’s Outstanding Governance Contribution Award at the 2025 SGA Awards. As both the youngest and first female Chair in RYA history, I am proud of what this represents, but this recognition belongs to all of us. It reflects the collective strength and dedication within RYA Cymru Wales to strive for excellence inside and outside of the boardroom.

Sarah, our Performance Manager, and I were also honoured to be selected from leaders across the Welsh sport sector to be part of the Sport Wales’ Leading with Impact programme. This reflects our joint commitment to continual learning and drive to turn influence into real impact, contributing to lasting change across the sporting sector in Wales.

A standout year for performance sailing

This is only a snapshot of what our Welsh sailors have achieved this year:

• Megan Gowers & Harry Bennell (Port Dinorwic SC) – Bronze & Junior title at the RS Feva European Championships
• Freddie MacLaverty (Red Wharf Bay SWC) – ILCA 6 U19 National Champion
• Jac Bailey & Ben Sinfield (Port Dinorwic SC) – 29er National Champions
• Merle Nieuwland (Cardiff Bay YC) & Sabine Potter – 420 National Champions
• Freddie MacLaverty, Jac Bailey, Ben Sinfield, and Merle Nieuwland – Selected to represent GBR at the Youth Sailing World Championships

This marks the first time in our history that four Welsh sailors have been selected to represent GBR at the Youth Sailing World Championships. This achievement is unprecedented in Welsh sailing and stands as a powerful testament to the strength of our youth pathways and the dedication of our community. A reminder that our community fosters belonging, team spirit, and a can-do performance attitude. Teamed with Sarah’s expertise as Performance Manager and with the support of the whole RYA Cymru Wales team and coaches, we are continuing our proud performance heritage for sailing in Wales.

Building accessible & inclusive pathways

This year, we named four Pathway Clubs:

• Port Dinorwic SC (North)
• Neyland YC (West)
• Llandegfedd SC (South)
• Cardiff Bay YC (South)

These centres provide regional, accessible, high quality coaching for aspiring young sailors.

We also delivered:

• 12 Dragon Series regional regattas
•  2 Welsh youth/junior championships, plus our OnBoard Festival was all set to go but for high windsComprehensive winter training for the Welsh National Sailing Team Squads
• A Big Day Out in Pembrokeshire – offering a chance to stretch and refresh skills on the water, try something new or work towards an RYA qualification

Thanks to the generous support of a Sport Wales / Welsh Government Capital Grant we have become the first RYA Home Country with plans to establish a Foiling Academy, with the addition of two new WASZP dinghies. With 50% of Olympic classes now foiling, alongside SailGP and the America’s Cup, this investment ensures that we stay at the leading edge of our sport’s future.

Looking ahead to 2026

As we move into 2026, our focus remains clear and ambitious.

I am incredibly proud of what we have all achieved together this year, and grateful for the relentless dedication you have all shown to ensure that our community is fun, safe, connected, and inclusive.

Whether you are enjoying our waters, teaching new skills, coaching the next generation, or volunteering, your contribution is at the core of everything we do. I wholeheartedly know that what we are collectively achieving is beyond remarkable, it is bendigedig.

I cannot thank our exceptional staff, inspirational coaches, committed affiliated clubs, professional training centres, dedicated volunteers, and Board enough for your continued efforts and drive to ensure that our sport and community continues, with momentum, to thrive across Wales.

Sailing and boating in Wales would not be the success it is without your invaluable contributions. Together, we are not only strengthening the sailing and boating community here in Wales, we are continuing a proud and lasting legacy that welcomes, empowers, and inspires.

Diolch am fod yn rhan o’r daith hon gyda ni ac am eich cefnogaeth barhaus.

🎄 Hoffwn gymryd y cyfle i ddymuno i chi a’r holl bobl sy’n annwyl i chi, boed yn bell neu’n agos, Nadolig Llawen iawn.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us and for your continued support.

🎄 May I take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones, whether they be near or far, a very Merry Christmas.

Gweld chi ar y dwr.

See you on the water.

Siân.

Photo (c) Will Horne / Eternal Frame Media