Royal Yachting Association - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for certain watersports in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Activities it covers include:

Sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
Windsurfing
Motor cruising
Sportsboats
Personal watercraft
Powerboat racing
Powerboating
Power boating describes activities performed in a motorized boat. Generally, a power boat has a high power-to-weight ratio and a hull design that allows for easy planing, which allows for higher speed and improved handling. Also, the shape of the actual boat is usually very streamlined, which...

The RYA is one of the founding members of the International Sailing Federation

International Sailing Federation

The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....

the World Governing Body for the sport of sailing and serves as the Member National Authority.

History

The Yacht Racing Association was founded in November, 1875, by Frank Willan

Frank Willan (rower)

Frank Willan was an English rower and Militia officer who rowed for Oxford in four winning Boat Race crews and umpired the race between 1889 and 1902...

and others. Its initial purpose was to standardise the rules of measurement to different racing yachts, so that boats of different classes could compete fairly against each other. The rules governing the measurement are called the Portsmouth yardstick

Portsmouth yardstick

The Portsmouth Yardstick or Portsmouth handicap scheme is a system of handicapping used primarily in small-boat yacht racing.The handicap is applied to the time taken to sail any course, and the corrected time can be used to compare widely different sailboats on even terms. Portsmouth Numbers are...

.

Membership at the time cost two guinea

Guinea (British coin)

The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...

s and was available to “former and present owners of racing yachts of and above 10 tonnes. Thames measurement and such other gentlemen as the committee may elect”.

Though efforts for membership availability to dinghies and other small craft were made in 1888, it wasn’t until 1921 that the YRA incorporated the independent Sailing Boat Association and the Boat Racing Association into its body.

In 1953 the YRA became the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

The RYA set up a committee to govern its training activities in 1967. Seventy-two schools applied for RYA recognition in 1968. The British military took on board the RYA training scheme one year later, while the Yachtmaster Qualifications Panel was set up in 1971.

The RYA had its first involvement in the organisation of Olympic sailing

Sailing at the Summer Olympics

Sailing has been one of the Olympic sports since the Games of the I Olympiad, held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Despite being scheduled in the first Olympic program, the races were canceled due to severe weather conditions...

in 1908 during the London Games

1908 Summer Olympics

The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...

. Racing took place off the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

in yachts. During the 1980s the RYA became the national body for windsurfing.

RYA goals and policies

To increase participation in RYA driven activities.
Increase boating numbers and time spent boating.
To promote safety and bring the awareness to individuals and companies.
To represent recreational boating rights and responsibilities.
Establish the RYA as the upholder of boaters’ rights.
To work with British and international organisations.
To raise the standards of which their interests spread (see first paragraph), in the UK.
To rank high, globally, and succeed at international competitions.

RYA committees

Operations Committee (OC)

Responsible for policy and administration.

Honours and Awards

Considers nominations for RYA honours and awards.

Central Finance Committee (CFC)

Responsible for finances, financial policy, and subscriptions. Also responsible for administrative and general functions including membership services, information technology, and stock and despatch.

RYA Tribunal

Deals with discipline within the sport and RYA.

Constitution Committee

Advises RYA council on terms of reference and constitution of RYA council and RYA committees.

Certifying Authority Committee

Formally required under the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s of the RYA as a certification authority for small commercial vessels.

Cruising Committee (CC)

Responsible for policy, advice and services; relating to motor and sail cruising.

Legal & Government Affairs Committee (LGAC)

Manages legal issues, RYA’s views to government and public bodies, and provision of relevant information and advice to members and affiliated clubs and classes. Supporting committees/sub-committees: Planning and Environmental; Inland Navigations; Moorings and Marinas.

Marketing Committee (MC)

Responsible for RYA marketing activity including public relations and media relations, membership marketing, RYA publications and the RYA Dinghy Sailing Show.

Powerboat Racing Committee (PBRC)

Supporting committees/sub-committees: Appeals Board; Jet Sport Racing; Circuit Racing; Offshore Racing; Powerboat Records.

Racing Committee (RC)

Oversees RYA responsibilities for sail racing in the UK, and the management of Team GBR.

Sport Development Committee (SDC)

Responsible for RYA policy, advice and services relating to Sport Development issues. Main goal is to develop the RYA Sport Development strategy.

Technical Committee (TEC)

Responsible for RYA policy, advice and services relating to handicapping and technical issues.

Training Committee (TC)

Responsible for policy, advice and services relating to training and safety issues for the management of the RYA Yachtmaster

Yachtmaster

A Yachtmaster qualification is a certificate of competence of the ability to handle either a sailing boat or motor boat in certain prescribed conditions...

scheme and further training courses/qualifications.

Windsurfing Committee (WC)

Responsible for RYA policy, advice and services relating to windsurfing issues.

Racing supporting committees/sub-committees:

Racing Review Board; International Group; Racing Rules; Race Coaching/Training; Handicap Group; Judging and Umpiring; Race Management; Match Racing; Offshore Racing; Team Racing; Single/Short-Han Sailing; Olympic Steering Group; Paralympic Steering Group; Youth Steering Group; Portsmouth Yardstick Advisory Group; RYA & RORC Sportsboat Rule Management Group.

External links

Organisational sites

Regional sites

Other sites

RYA Champion Club TV - video based race training

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History

RYA goals and policies

RYA committees

See also

External links