Steve's blog July 2024
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Just add water
Firstly congratulations to all the clubs on Welsh Harp on getting their water back and celebrating this with Brent regatta (photo above, credit Joy Walter). This was the end of a seven-month hiatus during which the Welsh Harp Reservoir was drained in order that essential maintenance could be carried out.
Club census
Can I encourage clubs to respond please to the annual RYA club census if you haven't already. The information clubs provide helps us to monitor progress and shape our bids for further resourcing - which allows us to both continue to support clubs and promote boating activities to a wider audience.
Understanding your customer
Knowing your customer is vital in order for your club/centre to grow. Market Segmentation is a process that builds a profile of potential customers, allowing you to better understand who your different customer types are, and where they are located. Find out more
Discover Sailing
Discover Sailing has seen events run or planned at around 20 clubs and centres in our region. We welcome stories and photos about your club's Discover Sailing session(s) and will promote them on the RYA web site and social media. In particular we'd like to hear how and why clubs ran the event, how you publicised it, and what the outcomes were, so we can share best practice. This will help other clubs and encourage them to participate in future. Please e-mail us
Photo Discover Sailing at Tamesis Club, credit Chris Wade
Workforce Development
Our regional Workforce Development Programme to address concerns about the shortage of instructors and personal development is up and running. I encourage clubs to read more about it and contact your area Workforce Development Coordinator to help progress the programme in your area.
Views from the Chair…..
Our Regional Team Chair Roger Belton writes:
It has been wonderful to recognise a couple of significant celebrations for clubs in the region. Downs SC celebrated their 75th anniversary and Hampton SC their 80th. Congratulations and felicitations to all involved at both clubs on these very special achievements. There may be other clubs with significant anniversaries, please let us know if there are clubs in your area celebrating their heritage and longevity.
Photo Merlins at Hampton
For many dinghy sailing clubs and class associations the 50s and 60s were a time of huge expansion of interest in dinghy homebuilds and dinghy racing, with a vibrant sailing community run by enthusiastic volunteers. A number of clubs now employ professional staff in a variety of roles, but the bedrock remains our outstanding volunteers who, through their tireless efforts, make things happen.
The RYA, like many organisations, runs a scheme to recognise deserving volunteers in our affiliated clubs, but many may feel left out. I find that saying a simple "thank you" at the right moment goes a long way to ensure that volunteers feel that their contribution is appreciated and valued. This might be to the race committee when passing through the finish line, to kitchen volunteers serving a tea, or at the end of a committee meeting. The most important things are recognition of service and sincerity in delivery, even for smallest of contributions. Our clubs are vitally dependent upon the efforts of our volunteers, what can you do to help reward, build and strengthen our biggest asset?
Our tremendous sailing heritage has played has played a big part in our past Olympic sailing successes. I look forward to cheering on our team as they compete in Paris 2024 and wish them every success. However, the Racing Pathway first developed by Jim Saltonstall and inherent to the medal haul has been in place for many years and is now evolving.
The RYA Director of Racing, Nick Scott, is leading the Racing Pathway Evolution and is running a series of webinars open to all, with a catch-up link for any sessions missed. The details and impact on clubs and classes, particularly for Junior sailors, are being worked out, but we can certainly predict that a significant burden will fall back into the hands of the very many capable volunteers. All the more reason to nurture these very special people and ensure that we have fun sailing together.
Photo ILCA start credit Paul Wyeth RYA
Share your stories
We're always looking for stories to pop on our web site and send to your local media, and snippets (two or three sentences) to promote your events or show what you've been doing on our social media, with photos (landscape format) and links. Or why not send us a short video (15-100 seconds, landscape format) done in one take on your 'phone to share on our social media. All should have some RYA/regional connection. Other clubs can enjoy your achievements and benefit from your experience. Send us your story