RYA Award for Royal Institutes first female president

Cynthia Robinson, the newly elected and first female President of the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN), has received the prestigious RYA National Award in recognition of her commitment to the institute.

The RYA Volunteer Awards recognise and say ‘thank you’ to volunteers who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport with recipients nominated by their sailing clubs, class associations and members of the boating community.

Traditionally the awards are presented to all the winners by HRH The Princess Royal, President of the RYA, at a ceremony in London, but as this was be cancelled due to the pandemic Cynthia was presented by Sarah Treseder OBE, the RYA’s CEO, at Royal Thames Yacht Club.

In nominating Cynthia the RIN said of her:

Cynthia has infectious enthusiasm for maritime navigation, and her experience on, above and under the water has made her a wonderful ambassador as a Trustee and Council Member of the Royal Institute of Navigation. Her knowledge and her service to the Small Craft Group, made an enormous contribution to the lnstitute.

Cynthia became a Yachtmaster Examiner in 1994. She has conducted around 200 Yachtmaster exams and delivered as many RYA practical training courses as her weekends and holidays have permitted. She was elected to the RYA Board of Directors in 1999 and for a second term in 2004, when she was also elected to the RIN Board of Trustees and awarded the Fellowship of the Institute.

Cynthia was key to instigating the Institute’s Royal Charter, and has been outstanding in promoting the art, science and practice of navigation, making a significant impact on the RYA and boating. After retiring in 2018 and receiving an OBE for her work, Cynthia pursued her dream of ocean sailing, while remaining an active RYA instructor and examiner.

Sarah said of the presentation: “It was a particularly auspicious day as Cynthia also had confirmation of being elected the first ever female President of the Royal Institute of Navigation.

“We had an extremely pleasant hour as Cynthia updated me on her plans at RIN, developments in the field of electronic navigation, and her half-completed world sailing tour which was curtailed due to Covid. It was a special occasion for someone who has contributed so much to our sport and the wider maritime world.”

Cynthia, who lives in London, said of her award: “I welcome every opportunity to contribute to the excellent work of the RIN and the RYA and feel honoured that my personal contribution to these two august bodies is being celebrated through a National Award. It is always a great pleasure to support boat users to develop their skills and build their confidence to use both traditional and state-of-the-art navigation techniques".

Sarah added: “This year more than ever before we have seen our volunteers come together and work tirelessly to ensure members can continue to sail. The generosity and dedication of each of the RYA Volunteer Award recipients is simply outstanding and it’s a pleasure to be able to recognise the winners through this award”.

Find out more about the RYA Volunteer Awards  and the Royal Institute of Navigation