A name change after celebrating 50th birthday: RYA Cymru-Wales

RS Feva sailing in Wales © Adrian Owens

One of the most successful sports governing bodies in Wales has got a new name and look – just after celebrating their 50th birthday.

RYA Cymru-Wales is the new name for the Welsh Yachting Association, the body which has been the Royal Yachting Association's Council for Wales, recognised by the Welsh Government and Sport Wales, for more than half a century.

RYA Cymru-Wales will continue to play the central role in developing and growing boating for all ages in Wales, as well as developing talented young sailors as they continue to represent Great Britain in major regattas around the world including the Olympics.

"This is an exciting time for us, I think the new name will help make our role clearer to many clubs and individuals involved in the different disciplines that make up the sport in Wales," explained Steven Morgan, Chief Executive of RYA Cymru Wales.

"We have been considering our branding for some time to make clear the strategic link with the RYA brand across the UK, which is why member clubs have voted to make the change now.

"There are a variety of good reasons for changing the name after more than 50 years of successful development.

"It allows the wider UK audiences to understand the activities and values we have as part of the overall RYA brand.

"It allows more commercial opportunities, including sponsorship and grant giving bodies, through the closer association with such a credible national governing body.

"It will also allow us to have a stronger voice as part of a strong UK organisation, while also maintaining our own voice.

"We will still be independent and recognised as the national governing body for the sport in Wales by Sport Wales, Welsh Government and UK Sport.

"We will continue to manage our own affairs and staff, we will develop our own programmes and activities alongside the established RYA programmes.

"We will still passionately promote and protect the interests of Welsh boaters. "Last year we launched our vision that Wales will become one of the best places in the world to be a sailor, this will only help us achieve the challenging targets we have set ourselves."

Sailing is a healthy and inclusive family orientated sport that allows for lifelong participation regardless of ability or disability. RYA Cymru-Wales participation initiatives deliver over 10,000 first experiences at community based clubs and commercial training centres across Wales.

There are 85 clubs and centres affiliated to the Welsh Yachting Association with a total membership of over 22,000; there are over 3,100 RYA individual members based in marinas, clubs, etc. around the coast and on our inland venues.

Marine tourism is a major contributor to the Welsh economy, worth £282 million pounds a year which makes it one of the most important leisure activities in Wales supporting more than 7,000 full-time jobs, according to the British Marine Foundation.

Sailing is one of the sports in which Wales is most successful at national and international levels – from Olympic silver medallist Hannah Mills, world champion paralympian Stephen Thomas, to the numbers of Welsh sailors in the British sailing Team at senior level and all the way through the Youth and Junior Squads. 50% of the British Sailing Team at the new EUROSAF Youth Championships came from Wales. Welsh sailors won 4 gold medals for Team GBR at the event.

A 350 berth marina contributes around £3 million to the local economy per annum. There are currently 17 marinas in Wales offering a total of 4,839 berths.

Surveys show sailing is one of the top participation sports in Wales, alongside cycling. Over 215,000 people in Wales participated in some form of boating activity in 2013 which is over 9% of the population - this has doubled in the space of just 5 years.

Wales hosts many National, International and World sailing championships attracting thousands of spectators and participants every year.

The new Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre at Pwllheli (an £8.3 million development) is due to open 2015 – one of only four major sailing events centres in the UK attracting major national and international events.

The "Extreme 40's" in 2014 and the "Volvo Ocean Stop-over" in 2018 are seen to offer increased opportunity to raise the profile of the sport and the wider Marine Leisure in Wales and increase the economic benefit to Wales and support the case that Wales is one of the best places in the world to be a sailor.

To find out more about the work of RYA Cymru-Wales, and how our staff can help your club grow and develop please visit www.ryacymruwales.org.uk