Two new safety boats for Welsh Sailing thanks to major grant

Two brand new VSR powerboats have been added to the Welsh Sailing / Hwylio Cymru fleet as part of a major grant to support training and racing.

A Welsh Government Capital Grant, supported by Sport Wales, provided £64,615 alongside £30,000 from RYA Cymru Wales for two key initiatives:

• Two WASZPs to support the development of a Welsh Sailing Foiling Academy that will provide exciting new performance pathway opportunities.
• Two VSR RIBs with road trailers to support Welsh Sailing’s Performance Pathway, including training and racing out of the Welsh National Sailing Academy at Plas Heli, Pwllheli, and major national and international championships.

The WASZPs were launched in Autumn 2025 and have been providing ‘first flights’ sessions for sailors wanting to try foiling. They have also been supporting workforce development to enable Welsh coaches to run foiling-specific training.

With the VSRs having been built and delivered from the manufacturers in Slovenia, these were able to be launched for the first time at the RYA Eric Twiname Junior Championships at Rutland Water (2-4 May 2026).

Supporting a team of nearly 40 young Welsh sailors at the event, Sarah McGovern, Chief Operation Officer for RYA Cymru Wales, said: "These new RIBs are a fantastic addition to our fleet and will play a vital role in the provision of coaching and a safe environment for our squads, racing events and major championships.

“A massive thank you to the Welsh Government and Sport Wales for enabling us to look to the future to keep up with our fast changing sport, and supporting our ambition to provide world class programmes for our aspiring sailors.”

Inclusive and safe

The VSRs join Welsh Sailing’s existing three safety boats and are part of a replacement plan to ensure the fleet stays up to date. The oldest RIB will now be sold to help support a local club / centre in Wales

Proven internationally to be a renowned racing and training safety boat, the 5.3 metre VSR RIBs have bigger engines and capacity to carry safety crew, manage challenging sea states, and keep up with the faster skiff and foiling classes.

The two initiatives funded by the Welsh Government Capital Grant supported by Sport Wales align with RYA Cymru Wales Strategic Plan - Gyda’n Gilydd ar ein Dyfroedd: Together on our Waters - which aims to create a connected, inspired and inclusive Welsh sailing and boating community.

RYA Cymru Wales aims to ensure its activities afloat are welcoming and accessible for all and support the strategy’s core values of:

• Adventurous & Brave
• Inclusive & Safe
• Relevant & Connected 

Both the WASZPs and VSR RIBS enable Welsh Sailing / Hwylio Cymru to keep up with the sport as it evolves and make its top levels accessible by providing diverse, inclusive and safe opportunities for aspiring young sailors to develop their skills.

Sarah added: “We feel very lucky in Wales that we are able to help subsidise the cost of equipment, making the sport more inclusive. Talent is often missed because of financial barriers and we don't want equipment to be one of them. Our main aim is for individuals to stay in the sport of sailing for life.”

Keep up with all the news about our performance programmes and Welsh Sailing Foiling Academy – including coach development and WASZPing days – by following @RYACymruWales on Facebook  and Instagram.