RYA Cymru Wales blog – summer reflections

As we reach the midway point of the year, and as promised in my December blog, it’s time for James and I to update you and reflect on the last six months, which has been a period of continued growth and evolution.

In this update we will:

• share with you the progress that we have made on our strategy Gyda’n Gilydd ar ein Dyfroedd : Together on our Waters;
• summarise the key points from the four Board meetings held between January and June 2025; and
• illustrate our core values in action through the work of both the Board and our operational team.

Our values are intrinsic to our shared heritage and continue to serve as the compass guiding our decision-making, shaping our culture, and fostering meaningful and sincere relationships within both our valued operational team and our bedegedig community.

Operational Team Update

Our operational team has entered a new chapter. We have bid farewell to Ceri Yeomans who rendered two decades of distinguished service in support of Welsh sailing and our wider community. Her contributions have been invaluable and she will be remembered with sincere gratitude, enduring respect and appreciation.

Hatty Morsley has joined the operational team as Pathway and Events Officer and we have extended the contract to ensure that we continue to provide invaluable support and oversee the inspection system across our Recognised Training Centres (RTCs), a responsibility that is delivered by Ed Curtis and Nic Wymer.

We have also refined elements of our operational approach and we are now benefiting from dedicated finance and administrative support, provided to us as part of our membership with the Welsh Sports Association.

Croeso

All of our values intentionally sit under the welcoming embrace of Croeso. It is imperative that our foundation as RYA Cymru Wales is and remains, welcoming.

A number of important work strands have been progressed by the Board in our recent meetings, reflecting our strategic priorities and values in action. These include:

• The introduction and tracking of the enhanced Affiliate process in Wales with dedicated support from our Club Development Officer, Hester Walker. The recommended elements of affiliation are essential and are designed to help clubs and their members thrive, ensuring strong foundations for growth, sustainability, and engagement.

• Continuing to transform our approach to inclusion within Pathway and Performance activities, led by Performance Manager Sarah McGovern. This action-learning work has piloted several new initiatives, drawing on best practice across the wider sport sector. With support from Sport Wales and guidance from several expert advisors, we are evolving our strategy to build a more inclusive and equitable performance environment.

• Delivering meaningful support at events, including the deployment of welfare volunteers and a dedicated welfare boat named Croeso. Enhanced support measures have included focused improvements to coach education, the provision of accessible period products, and the introduction of a “Wishy Washy” station allowing wetsuits to be rinsed and refreshed on-site during our events. Together, these practical steps benefit all of our sailors attending RYA Cymru Wales events and reflect our ongoing commitment to wellbeing, inclusion, and excellence.
  
  
• Collaborating with Sarah McGovern to develop and launch the Merched Y Môr / Women of the Sea programme, aimed at inspiring greater female participation in sailing and boating across Wales. The initiative celebrates women’s involvement at all levels of the sport and community, with a particular focus on empowering volunteers and fostering inclusive opportunities throughout our sailing and boating

• Listening with intent: Listening is essential and across all our work. We listen, learn, and welcome your thoughtful insights. This commitment is genuine and extends to even our youngest sailors, who share their feedback in delightfully creative ways: by adding stickers to charts, dropping notes into feedback boxes, or placing rubber ducks in jars. Every voice matters, and every perspective helps us grow.

Adventurous and Brave

We all know that our sport and community hold the transformative power to inspire growth and achieve exceptional outcomes, driven in part by our individual and collective courage, to step beyond our comfort zones. To truly embrace all that sailing and boating offers, we must continue to embody bravery and our spirit of adventure. Both qualities are just as vital in the boardroom as they are on the water.

Choosing to do what is right, often means embracing what is difficult. At RYA Cymru Wales, the courage and dedication to be adventurous and brave has been a defining part of our journey - not just in how we operate, but in how we have grown together as a team and as an organisation.

At recent Board meetings we have considered:

Sector Resilience: Across the wider sporting landscape, organisations continue to face significant challenges around sustainability and resilience, driven by persistent pressures on resources and funding. Navigating this evolving environment requires innovative thinking, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to have an enduring impact. The Board is actively leading initiatives to strengthen our long-term viability while ensuring that our efforts positively contribute to the wider sporting ecosystem in both Wales and the UK.

This evolving landscape has prompted a transformational shift in both our team structure and operational strategy. We have continued to embrace new approaches to resource sharing and efficiency, we have initiated innovative projects to secure future support, and we have begun exploring collaborative opportunities with other sports and organisations to strengthen our collective impact.

Welsh Sailing Pathway Clubs Programme: We are proud to have launched our Welsh Sailing Pathway Clubs initiative, designed to bring high-quality performance training and development closer to home for aspiring sailors across Wales. As a cornerstone of our strategic objectives, this programme plays a vital role in advancing our commitment to making sailing more accessible and sustainable for the next generation.

Picture: Neyland YC (above) along with Cardiff Bay YC, Llandegfedd SC and Port Dinorwic SC have been named RYA Cymru Wales Pathway Clubs

We are passionate about pioneering more effective and innovative ways of working—and being true to our values.

We also all embrace bravery and adventure, not just in principle, but also in practice!

The team recently embraced a new challenge together by going winging on the Menai Straits - an experience that was marked by plenty of splashes, a fair share of fatigue, and countless restarts from square one! It proved to be a true test of resilience and humility, but above all, it was fun. The team supported one another (especially when it came to getting out of the water!) and walked away stronger, bonded, and enriched by the shared experience of pushing their limits.

Sian (pictured top of the blog) also braved the countless backward flips and splashes when she went winging for the first time with Windswept Watersports as part of the RYA Cymru Wales Big Day out in Pembrokeshire, and did not want the session to end!

Picture: RYA CW’s Hatty Morsley, James Stewart and Sarah McGovern give winging a go

Inclusive and Safe

At RYA Cymru Wales being inclusive and safe lies at the core of everything we do. Fostering a safe, clean, and inclusive sporting environment remains a top priority.

We are proud to have dedicated Board members leading in Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, and Inclusion - ensuring these values are embedded into every part of our organisation and are actively considered and discussed during Board meetings. To further strengthen our commitment and ensure continuity, Deputy Board members have also been appointed to the Safeguarding and Anti-Doping lead roles, adding an extra layer of resilience to this vital work. Through regular review and continuous improvement, we remain committed to upholding the highest standards and creating a welcoming space for everyone in our sailing and boating community.

At recent Board meetings we have considered:

• Learning Through Reflection and Partnership: Our ongoing collaboration with the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) has provided valuable opportunities to reflect and improve. As a learning organisation, we are committed to continuous reflection, adaption and growth. We actively review and challenge our practices, drawing insight from key reports such as the Whyte Review into British Gymnastics and the Swim England report. These reflections have offered considerable assurance to the Board, but driven by continuous learning, we have also identified some areas for growth. This reflects our commitment to progressing our safeguarding standards and ensuring we have a positive and safe culture across our sport and community.

• Strengthening Oversight and Accountability: Recent changes to the reporting and review processes set out by Sport Wales and the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) mark an important shift in sector standards. These updates are designed to enhance transparency, improve safeguarding outcomes, and ensure consistent oversight across sports organisations in Wales. At RYA Cymru Wales, we are actively reviewing and aligning our internal practices to meet these new expectations—continuing our commitment to robust governance and providing a safe sporting environment.

• Learning from Experience and Safety Insights: We believe that growth stems not only from success but also from challenge and reflection. We have assessed our activity across major events, to extract meaningful lessons that guide the evolution of our practices. These reviews help strengthen our planning, reinforce our safety protocols, and cultivate a culture of proactive learning—ensuring we continue to deliver safe, engaging, and enriching experiences across our sport and community.

• Supporting Inclusive Participation: We are proud to support inclusive access to sailing. We have recently agreed to loan a Hawk 20 keelboat to the Royal Welsh Yacht Club. The Hawk 20 will be used as part of a Sailability initiative aimed at removing barriers to participation and enabling more people to experience the joy and freedom of being on the water.

• Strengthening Welfare, Integrity, and Inclusion: We are pleased to confirm that we have continued to strengthen our commitment to a safe, inclusive, and responsible sporting environment. We have advanced our Welfare and Safeguarding efforts, delivered our refreshed Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), and have implemented our annual Anti-Doping strategy. These initiatives reflect our dedication to upholding the highest standards across all areas of our sport and community and ensure that sailing and boating in Wales remains safe, clean, and welcoming for everyone.

• Empowering Women and Girls in Sailing: We continue to lead the way in championing opportunities for women and girls within our sport and community in Wales. We're proud to have agreed and supported the launch of Merched Y Môr - a new initiative designed by Sarah McGovern which is aimed at inspiring participation and visibility across all levels of sailing in Wales. Sarah McGovern has also had a well-deserved appointment to the RYA Female Futures Group, reinforcing our joint commitment to driving positive change and influencing the future of sailing at both a regional and national level. Da iawn Sarah. Well done, Sarah.

Relevant and Connected

We understand as a Board that hard work alone doesn’t guarantee impact. To make a real difference, we must stay focused, listen to our community, and ensure that we are connected, current, and relevant. Our recent efforts reflect this commitment and include:

Showing Connection in Action

The Board approved six further RYA Cymru Wales Impact Awards in the first half of 2025, that have been awarded to Rob Ingram (Cardiff Bay Yacht Club), Stephen Wood (Cardigan Bay Watersports), Richard Owens (Pembrokeshire Performance Sailing Academy), Miyah Periam (Windswept Watersports), Keira Edwards (Neyland Yacht Club) and Aston Grindrod (Swansea Watersports). We also continue to put our Impact Awards in the spotlight by sharing each story via our digital channels and local media, with our most recent news release highlighting the work of SEAS Sailability founders Richard Horowitz & Jon Gamon.

Our Impact Awards offer a meaningful opportunity for us to honour individuals who go above and beyond for our sport and community across Wales. These stories of dedication, leadership, and positive influence not only recognise outstanding contributions - they also serve to inspire others by showcasing the difference one person or organisation can make in their club, community, and across the sailing landscape here in Wales.  

Influencing Policy for a Stronger Future

In response to the Welsh Government’s proposed Tourism Levy legislation, the Board took a proactive role in shaping the conversation on behalf of our community. We worked in close partnership with the RYA and British Marine, to ensure that a coordinated and robust set of submissions were presented to the Senedd - effectively representing the collective voice of our sailing and boating community here in Wales and also safeguarding the interests of our stakeholders.

Shaping the Future of Sport

A small delegation of leaders from Sport Wales and national governing bodies - including RYA Cymru Wales - were recently invited to take part in UK Sport’s Future of Sport review. This forward-looking initiative explores the broader pressures facing all sports and considers what these evolving challenges might mean for sustainability, participation, and innovation in the years ahead. Our involvement in this review reflects our commitment to staying engaged in sector-wide dialogue and helping shape a resilient and inclusive future for sport in Wales and beyond.

Rooted in the Sailing and Boating Community

Across both the Board and operational team, grassroots involvement in boating is more than just a passion - it’s part of who we are. From enjoying days on the water to volunteering at events and supporting local clubs, we share the same love of the sport as the community we serve. We are committed to staying visible and accessible - whether online or through regular in-person visits to foster strong connections and to ensure that we continue to reflect the voices and experiences of our sailing and boating community.

Picture: Impact Award recipients Richard Horovitz & Jon Gamon of SEAS

Strategic Board Highlights

Alongside the breadth of work already shared, there have been a number of key discussion points and decisions that have shaped our Board meetings this year, including:

• Reviewing cyber security risks in response to recent attacks on other organisations;
• Approving the establishment and early direction of the newly reintegrated Development Sub Committee;
• Considering the Sport Wales pre-election manifesto points;
• Endorsing our Operational Plan and finalising the Sport Wales partnership submission;
• Approving a refreshed Governance Improvement Plan setting out what we will achieve as a Board this year;
• Reviewing and confirming the Budget, Medium Term Financial Strategy, and reserves position; and
• Approving our updated Trans and Non-binary Eligibility Policy.

These decisions reflect our continued focus on resilience, inclusion, strategic planning, and sector leadership as we move forward together.

Together on our Waters

Evolving together on and off the Water: As part of our commitment to serving the Welsh sailing and boating community we are continuing to reshape the Board, with new committees and individuals who are dedicated to connecting with our valued community in order to ensure we stay connected, understand your needs, share challenges and successes, and of course best practice.

Anchored in Shared Values: Please do re visit our strategy - Gyda’n Gilydd ar ein Dyfroedd - Together on our Waters - as it reflects what we stand and strive for together at RYA Cymru Wales. It outlines our commitment to building a connected, inspired, and inclusive sailing and boating community - one that encourages people of all backgrounds and abilities to get on the water, stay on the water, and give back to the sport and community we all love.

Please join us at this year’s AGM, which will be held at Plas Menai during our Big Weekend (11–12 October). Whether you’re looking to grow your skills, pursue an RYA qualification, or simply enjoy trying something new on the water, there’ll be something for everyone at the Big Weekend. Keep an eye out for booking details coming soon. In the meantime, find inspiration in our 2024 Big Weekend Wrap Up Report - and be sure to save the date!

And finally, looking ahead

Diolch am fod yn rhan o’r daith hon gyda ni. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Whether you're out on the water, teaching new skills, coaching the next generation, volunteering, or sharing your love of the sport and community - your valued contribution is at the core of everything we do and we are all incredibly proud to support you.

As we chart our course through the rest of the year, we're driven by a shared commitment to connection, creativity, and community. Together, we are not only strengthening the sailing and boating community in Wales, we are also continuing a proud and lasting legacy that welcomes, empowers, and inspires.

Here's to new adventures, meaningful impact, and making waves - together.

All of us at RYA Cymru Wales extend our warmest wishes to you all as you embrace the joy of being on the water this summer. May your time afloat be filled with inspiration and adventure!

Please keep up with all our initiatives, opportunities, and inspiring stories by following us online. Whether it’s upcoming events, community highlights, or ways to get involved - we share it all through our digital channels: Facebook, X and Instagram.

Gweld chi ar y dwr!  Sian.        See you on the water! Sian

Yr eiddoch yn gywir James.     Yours Aye James.

Sian and James, RYA Cymru Wales