Building skills at the Sailia BIG Weekend

More than 80 delegates signed up to take part in the Salia BIG Weekend 2026 in Wales to stretch or refresh their skills, try something new or begin their journey towards becoming an instructor.

The annual RYA Cymru Wales event was hosted by Plas Menai National Watersports Centre (10-11 October), sponsored by online booking platform Salia, and supported by Swansea Watersports.

With a wealth of opportunities both ashore and afloat, there was something for everyone from watersports enthusiasts and club volunteers to marine industry professionals keen to update and develop their knowledge.

Mixed conditions brought wind and rain on the Saturday – with the Northern Lights making for a memorable evening – then Sunday saw the sunshine breaking through and the wind filling in to enable another packed schedule of activities.

Organiser Hester Walker, RYA Club Development Officer for RYA Cymru Wales, said: “It was rewarding to see so many people getting involved in so many different ways over one or both days. This year’s Salia BIG Weekend attracted people from across Wales and just beyond the borders, including returnees and new faces, with beginner through to advanced sessions and RYA courses.

“The team of instructors who delivered activities were fantastic and it was also great to have onboard our head office colleagues Rachel Andrews, RYA Chief Instructor, Power, and Scott Murray, RYA Safe Sport Education Officer, who also came along to support our Salia BIG Weekend delegates.

“With everything from paddleboarding and powerboating to dinghy, keelboat, winging, windsurfing and sea rowing we really did have it all! A big thank you to our sponsor Salia, host venue Plas Menai and our brilliant partners for the weekend, Swansea Watersports. We couldn’t have done it without you!”

Winning statistics

Many participants tried a new watersport, developed their knowledge and skills, gained a qualification or achieved important next steps towards becoming an instructor, including:

• 6 newly qualified RYA Safety Boat drivers
• 11 gained an RYA First Aid certificate
• 6 aspiring RYA Dinghy Instructors ticked off their Pre-Assessment
• 3 power boaters passed their instructor Pre-Assessment
• 3 sailors gained dinghy coastal skills and 3 acquired spinnaker skills
• 6 powerboaters learned how to plot and navigate a route from table to tide, 6 gained search and rescue expertise and 4 took part in a rescue and recovery session
• 14 participants gave wingsurfing or wingfoiling a go or progressed their skills
• 12 sailors took off with dinghy foiling
• 24 commercial skippers, instructors and principals attended a talk to learn from incidents and prosecutions in the marine industry
• 6 race instructors/coaches benefitted from CPD
• 8 enjoyed cruising on the Menai Strait including with Merched Y Mor
• 3 enjoyed a keelboat day sail and 2 ticked off their Keelboat Instructor Pre-Assessment
• 4 tackled AquaPaddle and 2 experienced Celtic Longboat Rowing with the Royal Welsh Yacht Club.

Positive vibes

Participants ranged in age from 13 to 75 and feedback included a heartfelt thanks from many who were inspired to have fun developing their personal experience and confidence on the water or gain qualifications to take back to their home clubs and venues.

Bernie Hailwood, an instructor from Wirral Watersports Centre, who is also a member of West Kirby Sailing Club and a volunteer with 4th Heswall Sea Scouts, said: “I had a great time - learned things, consolidated skills, enjoyed meeting people and loved being at Plas Menai.” Bernie came away buzzing from the Rescue Skills session and also enjoyed the Tickover Challenge and Search and Rescue exercises, adding: “The skills I learned in the powerboat were invaluable. Your choice of sessions is always good. Being outdoors, on or near the water is great. Well done to all the organisers, it's a great event and was really enjoyable. Thank you all.”

Sam Barnes, who is a Celtic Long Boat Rower with Conwy Yacht Club, kayaker with Dyffryn Conwy Paddlers and a member of Llanfairfachen Sailing Club, did the RYA Safety Boat course at the BIG Weekend and said: “It was an inexpensive way to get a qualification that I would have otherwise, potentially, struggled to afford! This will help my sailing club out hugely and I hope will create a stronger impetus within the club to gain qualifications to be ever safer on the water.”

Stuart Guy from Shotwick Lake Sailing in North East Wales ticked off the pre-entry assessment towards his goal of becoming an RYA Powerboat Instructor and said: “The Big Weekend is a great opportunity to broaden my watersports horizons. As I was recently appointed as Training Principal for my local sailing club, I found it valuable to meet with RYA Cymru personnel and various Plas Menai instructors.

“A massive 'thank you' to everyone involved in the organisation of the Big Weekend - I can appreciate the amount of hard work that has gone into making it such as success. My thanks also to the Swansea Water Sports and all the other instructors who generously gave their time in support of the Big Weekend. I will certainly be spreading the word amongst my water sport friends and recommending they come along to the Big Weekend 2027." 

Next year

Look out for the return of the Sailia BIG Weekend in North Wales next autumn and in the meantime for our BIG Days Out in South Wales in Spring 2027, when RYA Cymru Wales will again be offering a breadth of opportunities for getting afloat to develop skills and gain qualifications on the water.

Remember to keep up to date with all the latest updates by following @RYACymruWales on Instagram and Facebook.