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RYA Northern Ireland Refreshes It Strategic Plan ’Navigating the Future’

10th February 2026
A woman in a blue jacket and woolly hat sailing an ILCA dinghy under an overcast sky
Originally launched in March 2023 following extensive consultation with stakeholders across NI, the strategy has now reached its halfway point and the refresh aims to reflect what has been learned so far

RYA Northern Ireland has refreshed its five-year strategic plan, Navigating the Future, which is intended to guide the development of sailing, windsurfing and boating across Northern Ireland.

Originally launched in March 2023 following extensive consultation with stakeholders across the region, the strategy has now reached its halfway point and the refresh aims to reflect what has been learned so far.

The refreshed strategy introduces a number of key updates:

  • Streamlined goals, with a clearer focus on priorities
  • New progress indicators, improving how impact is tracked and communicated
  • A clearer summary of progress achieved so far
  • Improving diversity remains a priority and is now embedded across all strategic aims

While the structure has been refined, RYANI says the purpose of Navigating the Future remains unchanged. Read the complete strategy on the RYA website HERE.

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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]