RYA's first ever 'Digital Day' a great success

RYA's first ever 'Digital Day' a great success © RYA

RYA's first ever 'Digital Day' a great success © RYA

Monday 15 September marked the RYA's first ever 'Digital Day' at the PSP Southampton Boat Show and it has been heralded a great success by RYA staff, instructors and visitors alike.

The idea behind Digital Day was to provide show visitors and instructors the opportunity to visit the RYA stand and find out more about all things digital available from the RYA. From the extensive range of eBooks and how they can aid instructor training and student learning, to latest technologies and digital advancements such as the online chart plotter or SafeTrx app.

"Digital Day provided us with the perfect opportunity to spread the word about all the digital technologies the RYA has to offer and allow us to visit many of our instructors who are exhibiting at the show and talk to them about the benefits of digital enhancements", commented Steen Ingerslev, RYA Publications Manager.

Of particular interest to visitors were the new electronic chart plotter which replaces the current CD-ROM provided as part of the shore-based courses training pack and the Training Almanac eBook (E-TAN), which in their new digital formats make them easier to use, update and keep relevant for students and instructors.

One of the great new features that many visitors commented upon was the interactive tidal curve feature in the Training Almanac eBook. It allows users to work through tidal curves in a digital format and makes for a useful training aid for instructors.

"We had lots of visitors to the stand who were aware of the digital technology available from the RYA but wanted to get a bit more information and ask a few more questions before making the move to introduce new digital elements in to their training and instructing.

"We also received loads of positive feedback on the technology we currently supplied and some fantastic ideas on how we could further develop our digital offering as an instructor resource", continued Steen.

Paul Scaife, a shore-based instructor from York commented: "I decided to visit the show a day early so that I could come along to Digital Day.

"It has been very fruitful and I've had some interesting discussions with the team on the stand. It's great that I can come along and chat face-to-face with the RYA's digital experts and get all the information I need and share my ideas; something you don't always have the opportunity to do."

Following the success at Southampton Boat Show the RYA will be looking to take Digital Day to future events such as the London Boat Show and the national instructor conference.

"There will always be a need for updates and advancements to share with students and instructors as digital technology becomes a bigger part of our working and social lives", concluded Steen.

To find out more about RYA eBooks visit www.rya.org.uk/shop/Pages/eBooks.aspx

For more information about RYA Training courses visit www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/Pages/default.aspx and for more information about the RYA SafeTrx app visit www.rya.org.uk/joinrenew/benefitsnew/boating/Pages/RYASafeTrxApp.aspx

For more information about the PSP Southampton Boat Show 2014 visit www.southamptonboatshow.com