RYA Cymru Wales blog – February 2024

It’s been a busy time for us all at RYA Cymru Wales as we’re planning for our Regional Training Days to inspire everyone for the season ahead.

As ever they’re for instructors and volunteers, in fact anyone who supports activities on the water at your club or centre, with opportunities to upskill and learn new things.

Our first stop for our Regional Training Days will be Swansea on Saturday 23 March, when we’re looking forward to a focus on powerboating, motorboat and yacht cruising, including RYA Competent Crew, Day Skipper and Cruising Instructor skills.

For powerboaters we’ll have a shorebased navigation session, and on-water skills and drills to develop boathandling. Then in the afternoon, the two groups will come together for a trip down The Gower peninsula for a coffee or ice cream!

Rounding off the day, we have two really good talks lined up for the evening: one from the coastguard and another from British powerboat sailor and adventurer Alan Priddy, whose experiences have included a record-setting crossing the Atlantic in a RIB.

Powerboaters wanting to continue on Sunday will then have the chance to learn about search and rescue patterns, and use radar on the water, which are likely to be popular.

Bookings are LIVE for our Swansea dates - register now for your place.

Dinghy sailing & board sports

We’re then off to Bala Sailing Club for our next Regional Training Day on Saturday 20 April to consolidate dinghy sailing skills – including a chance to try spinnaker boats and cats – and board sports such as windsurfing, winging and paddleboarding. It will be lot of fun!

For would-be dinghy instructors the day is an opportunity to look at the skills needed to pass an RYA Pre-Assessment. And there will be an option to complete and RYA Safety Boat course.

Whichever venue, date or sessions you choose, there’ll be lots of activity on the water with  likeminded people. Come along to our Regional Training Days to develop your knowledge and practical skills, try new things and meet people from other clubs and centres.

These will be great days out for networking, sharing ideas and discovering what you might want to do next for your own involvement in the sport, or to implement back home to encourage others to enjoy our waters and make the most of the fantastic opportunities we have in Wales.

Bookings will be opening soon for Bala but in the meantime, SAVE THE DATE and we’ll look forward to seeing you either there or in Swansea! Remember you can keep up to date with all the latest news and announcements by following @RYACymruWales on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Until next time, Sam.