Develop your skills and activities afloat with Welsh Sailing

It’s getting really busy now as we approach the new season, and it’s the ideal time for clubs and centres to take a look at how your members, staff and volunteers might want to develop their skills.

Gaining knowhow, qualifications or simply having a confidence boost for getting on the water can make a massive difference in helping all of us to remain enthused and engaged in our sport.

As ever at this time of year, we’ve been pulling together an array of opportunities to help both individuals and our Affiliated organisations access training and courses.

Read on for all the latest opportunities and if your club, centre or class is interested in running a course, or has a need for one, please do get in touch with me as we’re always keen to support your aspirations for developing knowledge and activities.

It all adds up to enabling more people to get afloat, more often with our Welsh sailing and boating community – Together on our Waters!

Big Days Out

We’ve listened and responded to requests from those who attended our BIG Weekend in North Wales in October 2025 and created a great selection of opportunities for you this spring in South & West Wales.

Join us at Cardiff Bay YC on Saturday and/or Sunday 14-15 March 2026, when we’ll be running a whole variety of subsidised sessions and courses both ashore and afloat.

Please do sign up ASAP to secure your place as some of these are already proving popular – and we also need to know the numbers to make these sessions viable. Book your place at the links below. With so much to choose from we have something for all levels from novice to instructor!

• RYA Start Yachting – gain basic understanding of yacht handling with this two-day course, including ropework, rules of the road, man overboard recovery, clothing and equipment, emergency equipment and precautions, meteorology.
• Yacht Cruising Skills & Drills – a bespoke day afloat tailored for those who may be looking to complete the RYA Competent Crew or Day Skipper courses, or who wish to refresh instructor skills.
• RYA Helmsman - a two-day course ideal for new owners including boat handling in a marina, helmsmanship, boat prep, safety, basic engine maintenance, rules of the road, securing to a buoy and berthing alongside.
• Motor Cruising Skills & Drills - a day afloat building knowledge and tailored to meet the needs of taking part, whether you are new to motor boating and wanting to learn a little more, or keen to upskill to RYA Day Skipper Practical or Cruising Instructor!
• RYA Regional Race Officer – if you enjoy supporting racing at your club or events, take your first step on the ladder of becoming a qualified RYA race officer!
• RYA Safety Boat - develop essential skills for supporting dinghies, windsurfers or canoes, including rescue techniques and elements of race management.
• RYA Senior Instructor Development Day – for dinghy instructors wanting to take their qualification to the next level, and for existing SIs looking to develop their skills and knowledge.

Visit our Welsh Sailing BIG Days Out for all the information you need!

Remember, we will also have our BIG Weekend at Plas Menai in North Wales, 10–11 October 2026, offering an equally fantastic range of opportunities to upskill or try something new. Not been before? Check out our 2025 Big Weekend review to be inspired and in the meantime, SAVE THE DATE!

Race Coaching

Would you like to become an effective race coach with the skills to create a positive learning environment and inspire your sailors?  Book now for our RYA Race Coach Level 2 course on Saturday & Sunday 25-26 April 2026 at Neyland YC.

If you are already an RYA Race Coach Level 2 or 3, we also have a FREE development at Port Dinorwic SC in North Wales on Sunday 17 May 2026. Join trainer Alan Williams and fellow race coaches for an enjoyable day on the water to gain new insights for coaching, safety management and briefings. Sign up for our Race Coach Development Day.

Take off with foiling

With our plans for a Welsh Sailing Foiling Academy, we have two WASZPs thanks to a Sport Wales / Welsh Government Capital Grant, and we’re now looking to create a team of foiling instructors and coaches!

For those who are already flying with foiling, or keen to take their first flight, we have a range of opportunities for you to expand your skills:

• RYA Dinghy Instructor Foiling Endorsement -25-26 April at Cardiff Bay YC. 
• RYA Race Coach Foiling Endorsement – Saturday 16 May at Cardiff Bay YC for existing RCL2/3 coaches to gain the skills to run foiling-specific training
• Foiling First Flights & Development Days – £40 at Tata Steel SC – for would-be foilers and aspiring coaches / instructors looking to work towards a foiling endorsement - book for Saturday 14 March or Sunday 15 March.

Instructor Development

RYA Dinghy Instructor Course: Would you like to become an instructor or do you know someone who might like to gain this qualification? There are two places left on our five-day RYA Dinghy Instructor course at Neyland Yacht Club, Monday 30 March to Friday 03 April – book your place for RYA Dinghy Instructor.

Powerboat Instructor Development Day: We have a one-day session on Wednesday 1 April at Cardiff Bay YC with Sam Chisholm, which aims to solve some of the issues experienced by RYA Powerboat Instructors and update knowledge. Last year the morning was spent afloat in small groups, sharing ideas about session delivery; the afternoon was then spent in the classroom with discussions around knowledge base and the question of "Pass/Fail/Something else". This day costs just £10 - book for our Powerboat Instructor Development Day.

OnBoard Development Day: If you’re an instructor or coach who supports youth and junior activities at your club or centre, this enjoyable OnBoard Development Day will provide fresh inspiration and ideas for the season ahead. Join RYA OnBoard Manager Hannah Cockle for the day on Thursday 2 April at Cardiff Bay YC - £10 - book for our OnBoard Development Day.

And finally…

If you’re an instructor, race coach or a volunteer who supports activities on the water, please sign up sooner rather than later for the opportunities that are of interest, and remember to share the details with your club, centre or class.

We are incredibly grateful to all those who give their time to train as instructors or develop their skills to support activities at their clubs and centres. And to our partners along the way - including Cardiff Bay YC, Tata Steel SC, Neyland YC, Plas Menai and Swansea Watersports - who enable us to provide such a comprehensive and wide ranging programme of training and courses for you.

Remember you can keep up to date with all the latest news and announcements by following RYA Cymru Wales on Facebook and Instagram. You may also want to stay connected by joining our RYA CW WhatsApp community.

I look forward to seeing you at our BIG Days Out and on the water in Wales!

Hester Walker
Club Development Officer / Swyddog Datblygu Clwb