RYA Northern Ireland Marks Successful Year At 2019 AGM

2nd November 2019

Afloat.ie Team

Jackie Patton was re-elected as RYANI chair Credit: Clipper Ventures

RYA Northern Ireland is celebrating the achievements of a successful year, following its AGM on Monday 28 October.

During the event, Jackie Patton was re-elected as chair and elected directors were appointed.

Susan McKnight was appointed as vice chair, David Williams as treasurer, James Ogg as chair of the Development Committee, Peter Kennedy as chair of Performance Committee, and Andy Corkill and Roy Totten were also welcomed.

Patton paid a special thanks to three board members who have stepped down: PJ Gault, Paul Bunting and Geraldine Duggan.

It was an action-packed year for the governing body, with many successes and highlights for Northern Ireland throughout 2018/19.

High performance sailors had a thrilling year with Liam Glynn from Ballyholme Yacht Club securing a third at the U21 World Laser Championships in 2018.

Newcastle Yacht Club’s Erin McIlwaine also made huge strides when she clinched first place at the Female Topper Worlds in 2018.

Meanwhile, Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle, who are in the midst of their Olympic campaign, finished 17th in the 49er European Championships.

RYANI had a busy and fruitful year working with clubs to develop initiatives and membership opportunities.

The governing body was awarded an Inclusive Sport Award by Disability Sport NI, ran a successful Sea Bangor initiative, and club membership increased by 450 to 9,474 members. RYA’s membership also increased by over 6%.

Significant investment was made to allow clubs to develop their offering and to help boost sailing and boating right across Northern Ireland.

Over £8,000 was invested into 16 Focus Clubs which allowed the clubs to run Push the Boat Out, Bright Night Sailing and Women on Water events.

The investment paid off and through Push the Boat Out, clubs gained 90 new members. Three of the clubs were also able to run a school programme, which saw 70 young people taking to the water to try sailing and boating.

Throughout the year five new windsurf instructors were qualified, five sailing clubs were recognised as Sailability Foundation Sites and six clubs achieved Pathway Club status.

RYANI’s chief operating officer Richard Honeyford said: “It has been a very busy but extremely successful and rewarding year for RYANI. We have watched our sailors compete at a high performance level and achieve many of their goals and we have also been proud to support our clubs, helping them to find new ways to improve their offering and attract new members.

“The success of the last year will spur us on as we undertake another exciting year of sailing and boating in Northern Ireland.”

Published in RYA Northern Ireland

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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]