Displaying items by tag: Sir Michael Arthur

21st March 2023

Sir Michael Arthur Set to Take the Helm as New RYA Chair

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has announced the appointment of Professor Sir Michael Arthur, an experienced racing and cruising sailor and accomplished British academic, as the new chair of its board.

Sir Michael, a member of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, will take over the position of chair from Chris Preston after the RYA’s 2023 AGM in November, following a handover period that will start this summer.

Sir Michael has been a member of the RYA for more than 30 years and has been sailing in one form or another since his teens, having learned to sail at a gravel pit north of London.

This has included Laser and Fireball dinghy racing at club level, windsurfing for leisure and in more recent years keelboat sailing, with some racing in the Solent and cruising throughout Europe.

Sir Michael was the 10th provost and president of University College London (UCL) between 2013 and 2021. Prior to that he was chair of the Russell Group of UK universities and the vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds between 2004 and 2013.

His previous roles both at executive level and as chair of a wide range of diverse organisations mean he brings a wealth of leadership experience and skills to the RYA board.

Throughout his executive career, Sir Michael has advocated equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). His personal contribution to EDI has been to set a very clear tone about improved performance by having the courage to do things differently.

Welcoming his successor to the board, Chris Preston said: “I’m immensely proud and honoured to have served as the RYA’s chair over the past five years. The association has been challenged in many areas, particularly during the pandemic, but the staff and volunteers have done a wonderful job in ensuring our sport is safe and accessible without unnecessary regulation, and the performance of the British Sailing Team has been inspiring.

“Michael will bring new drive and experience to the board as the RYA embarks on its exciting next chapter and commences the countdown to celebrating the 150th anniversary in 2025. UK boating has recently seen a huge increase in new participants and I am confident the association will benefit from his experience and commitment to inclusion, safeguarding, safety and wellbeing in everything the RYA does.”

Commenting on his appointment, Sir Michael said: “The RYA is a membership organisation that exists to represent and serve its membership and to advocate for recreational and competitive boating, whilst also providing high standards of governance.

“It’s guided by a clear set of values — to be open and inclusive, impactful, responsible and influential — all of which are reflected in my own leadership career. It is these factors that motivated me to apply for the position of chair and to contribute to the future of the RYA.

“Like many sports governing bodies, the RYA has been through a challenging period due to the Covid pandemic and many other external factors. The RYA transition plan for 2021-2023 was absolutely the right response and I was pleased to see an emphasis on re-establishing revenues, as strong finances will be essential for the next period.

“I’m looking forward to working with the RYA team to make a significant contribution to the future of this important organisation and helping to deliver the new strategy, which will be launched in the spring.”

The RYA will also look to select a non-executive director later this year, with RYA members having the casting vote.

Published in RYA Northern Ireland

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

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