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Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland
RYA Northern Ireland's Jackie Patton and Margie Crawford with members of the Youth Forum
A group of young sailors recently came together to mark another successful year of the RYA Northern Ireland Youth Forum. The celebration event took place at Carrickfergus Sailing Club with guests representing RYA clubs across Northern Ireland in attendance. The…
The RYA Youth Sailing National Championships returned to Pwllheli, North Wales, over the Easter break as the 2022 champions were crowned across seven youth fleets. Last hosting the premier youth sailing regatta in 2016, Plas Heli welcomed 280 youngsters from…
RYA NI Performance Manager Andrew Baker with NI prizewinners at the RYA Youth Nationals
Northern girls shone at the RYA Youth Nationals last week with Ellen Barbour of County Antrim Yacht Club at Whitehead and East Antrim BC at Larne making her mark in the Women’s ILCA/Laser 6 fleet with a convincing third overall.…
Ken Curry
Ken Curry, secretary of Foyle Sailability, has been appointed as RYA Northern Ireland’s sailability coordinator for the reguon. Curry took up the post this month and says he is looking forward to helping people with disabilities to get out on…
Ian Walker
Ian Walker MBE will be stepping down from his position as RYA racing director this summer, the organisation has confirmed. Walker joined the RYA in the autumn of 2017 and, in his dual role as performance director, he oversaw the…
Erin McIlwaine (left) and Lauren McDowell  in their 29erdinghy at the RYA Youth Nationals in Pwllheli
The 190-strong fleet at the RYA Youth Nationals hosted by Pwllheli Sailing Club in North Wales this week should be a good run-up to the Irish Youth Sailing Nationals next week at Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough where around…
The launch of the Ireland on the Water Expo at EIKON in Lisburn
RYA Northern Ireland has welcomed the announcement that Ireland’s first ever international watersport expo will be held at the EIKON exhibition centre in Lisburn next March. Ireland on the Water Expo will take place on 4-5 March 2023 and is…
British Keelboat League - Visiting stunning locations across the UK, a fleet of ready-to-go keelboats at each event will make it easy for sailors to simply #RockUpAndRace
The British Keelboat League (BKL) is urging teams to get their entries in for 2022 following the launch of a new format designed to make the series bigger and better than ever. In an exciting innovation for this year’s BKL,…
Women on Water at Strangford Lough Yacht Club in 2019
RYA Northern Ireland is looking for the next location to host its popular Women on Water (WOW) Festival. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the WOW initiative began in 2016, allowing over 500 women to get on the water with 12…
Canoeing at Quoile Yacht Club
The latest in the RYA’s Spotlight series puts the focus on Quoile Yacht Club as the Northern Ireland club tries to broaden its appeal beyond traditional events like its Spring Series. “As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, events around…
The late Fred Ternan of Lough Erne
The boating community and those who treasured the maritime heritage of County Fermanagh’s Lough Erne learned with shock last weekend of the sudden death of Fred Ternan. Fred was a true son of Fermanagh. He was born on Inniscoonra Island…
RYANI Strategic Review
RYA Northern Ireland’s four-year strategy from 2017 to 2021 had helped give direction to the organisation, particularly following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through which it was extended. Consultation with clubs, centres and groups for a renewed strategy started in 2020…
RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show 2022
Thousands of sailing and watersports fanatics from across the UK came together at Farnborough International this past weekend (26-27 February) for the new-look RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, presented by Suzuki. “It was a new beginning for the show, and…
Budworth Sailing Club in Cheshire hosted the RYA/BUSA Women’s Team Racing Nationals
Eleven teams found weather windows to drive to Budworth SC in Cheshire for the RYA/BUSA Women’s Team Racing Nationals - and were rewarded with a weekend of great sailing. Saturday saw a true Manchester style of weather conditions from light…
The RYA’s iconic “battle of the regions” pits young sailors from across the country against each other, representing their RYA Region or Home Country.
The Eric Twiname Junior Championships is back after a two-year absence – and entries are now open. The RYA’s iconic “battle of the regions” pits young sailors from across the country against each other, representing their RYA Region or Home…
Richard Honeyford
RYA Northern Ireland’s chief operating officer has announced he will take up a new post with the NI Sports Forum as their executive manager. Richard Honeyford, who has worked with RYA Northern Ireland for more than 15 years, will take…

About the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Northern Ireland 

  • The RYA is the national body for dinghy, yacht and motor cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing and personal watercraft and a leading representative for inland waterways cruising.
  • The RYA is recognised by Government, the media and opinion formers as the representative body and voice for the activities that it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 112,000 personal members.
  • The RYA has more than 1,500 affiliated clubs and classes, which represent some 350,000 boaters throughout the UK. It is estimated that 4 million people in the UK take part in boating activity annually.
  • The RYA also sets and maintains recognised standards for training for both leisure and commercial boating through a network of more than 2,400 RYA Recognised Training Centres across 58 countries. More than 250,000 people per year complete RYA training courses.
  • The RYA is responsible for one of the UK’s most successful Olympic medal-winning sports. Our coaching and development schemes actively support 800 of our country’s top sailors, from talented juniors to Olympic and World champions.
  • The RYA is committed to promoting all forms of boating and making them accessible to everyone. For more information please visit www.rya.org.uk.
  • The Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland (RYA NI) acts for the RYA in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Chairman of RYA NI is invited to join the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) Policy Review Committee.
  • You can find the RYA Northern Ireland at Sketrick House, GE8, Jubilee Road, Newtownards, BT23 4YH.
  • RYA NI is a company limited by guarantee – Registration number NI 51945
  • Contact RYA NI: Tel: 02891 827154 email: [email protected]