Together on our Waters at the BIG Weekend

Although the wind gods didn’t join us for our BIG Weekend 2025, it was brilliant to see so many delegates making the most of our activities afloat and ashore.

Once again it was a memorable couple of days at Plas Menai with participants from across Wales and beyond coming along to stretch and refresh their skills, work towards RYA qualifications, or simply try something new with likeminded people.

A massive thank you to our hosts Plas Menai and to all of the instructors and trainers who delivered sessions for us, including Ceri Davies and the team at Swansea Watersports who brought along two RIBs for our powerboat activities.

It was hectic coordinating it all and we lost some instructors due to illness in the run up but the team at RYA headquarters along trainers and coaches from across Wales and even further afield came to the rescue to enable us to deliver all our planned sessions.

The goodwill from the sailing community to help us make it all happen was hugely appreciated. It’s just incredible how everyone pulls together and we just couldn’t do it without you, bravo!

There were so many smiles and lots of satisfied delegates and deliverers alike. Despite being mentally exhausted by the agility required to coordinate everything, I enjoyed knowing that we’ve inspired newbies and re-energised our membership.

Activities for all

More than 80 people took part in BIG Weekend activities, including a 5km sociable AquaPaddle for SUPs/kayaks on the Menai Strait which attracted a further 24, taking the total number of participants over the two days to more than a hundred.

is definitely something your club or centre might want to consider hosting as a community event and as a way of raising awareness about your own activities.

As Brett Scillitoe, AquaPaddle founder/trustee, summed up: “AquaPaddle at the Big Weekend was a fantastic success, with over 30 paddlers enjoying a safe and fun session on the water. The event proved how simple it is to host an AquaPaddle at any sailing venue, bringing the local paddling community together with minimal setup. We’ve had brilliant feedback and can’t wait to do it again next year.”

Our other activities at the BIG Weekend ranged from introductory sessions for keelboating and winging to professional development for trainers and instructor endorsements, plus knowledge and networking shorebased activities for representatives from clubs and centres. These included:

Qualifications: Half a dozen delegates completed an RYA Safety Boat course, 12 people gain RYA First Aid certificates and two achieved RYA Keelboat Level 3.

Racing formats: A group trialled #rockupandrace formats which although hampered by a lack of wind, did lead to good discussions for those taking part.

Yacht sailing: A dozen delegates enjoyed our introduction to keelboat sailing and day cruising sessions; these were in demand and among the first to be sold out.

Winging: Ashore on the Saturday with practical tips, then a chance to get afloat on the Sunday in a light breeze, which also allowed for some multihull sailing.

Learning the lessons: An engaging session with a focus on risk management and the importance of sharing best practices.

Radar and digital navigation: including knowledge refresher, tips and techniques for teaching, and incoming changes for the industry.

Dinghy skills: although there was not enough wind to sign off pre-entry for would-be instructors, it did provide valuable insights into next steps towards qualifying.

Powerboat: Skills assessments completed for those wanting to become RYA Powerboat Instructors, plus intermediate skills including a passage out towards Puffin Island.

Despite it being a bit cloudy all weekend and not as much wind as we would have liked, I’m optimistic that everybody took something away with them from this fantastic array of activities, whether for their club or centre or to achieve something for themselves.

When asked to describe the BIG Weekend, I’d say it’s not corporate, and it’s not a festival, but it is an extremely relaxed and welcoming environment, where people feel reassured and comfortable to try new things or develop their skills.

We hope it is an event where people feel they belong to a community that is supportive and encouraging and we’ve already set the date for next year, when the BIG Weekend will take place at Plas Menai on 10-11 October 2026 – SAVE THE DATE!

In the meantime, please do give us your feedback from the BIG Weekend 2025 to help us shape the next edition, and remember you can keep up to date with all the latest opportunities for clubs, centres and instructors by following @RYACymruWales on Facebook and Instagram and by bookmarking our Home Country RYA Cymru Wales news hub.