RAISING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS


This was a strong year for racing. The outstanding result at the Tokyo 2020 Test Event in August 2019 saw British sailors return home with six medals in total and nine class fi nishes in the top ten. This in turn led to 12 athletes earning selection for Team GB with three more sailors completing the line-up in early 2020.


Olympic racing returned to Weymouth and Portland National


Sailing Academy with the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships all held at the venue. Its world-class facilities also played host to the RYA Youth National Championships, which was the largest in the event’s history.


Over 1,500 children competed in eight Regional Junior Championships regattas throughout the RYA’s zones and home nations.


In the world of yacht and keelboat racing, a new tranche of talented young sailors was selected for the British Keelboat Academy which in turn will continue to support the British Keelboat League.


The RYA Race Offi cials Academy saw 24 male and female 18-35 year-olds work towards race offi cial qualifi cations during its fi rst full year. The planned Regional Race Offi cial Conferences were cancelled due to Covid-19, but were quickly adapted to informative webinars and successfully delivered to 250 race offi cials across the UK.


The technical department continues to liaise closely with the MCA and has supported them in drafting revisions to the SCV Codes of Practice.


The decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to the Covid-19 outbreak was of course devastating but completely understandable in these challenging times. The team and its support staff are now focussed on the Games in 2021.


LOOKING TO THE FUTURE


As we go to press with this Annual Report, our primary concern remains the well-being of our members, affi liated clubs and classes, recognised training centres, instructors, staff and volunteers as we continue to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. These are unique and uncertain times, however the RYA is extremely fortunate to be entering this period in a robust fi nancial position with a team


who are passionate about supporting our members, affi liates and recognised training centres through these diffi cult times.


In light of the current uncertainty we have taken the decision to defer the publication of our next four-year strategy until March 2022. This will better enable us to meet the strategic challenges ahead as well as allow us the appropriate time to consult with stakeholders. A transitional plan will be published for 2021-2022.


The British Sailing Team is focused on the run up to the rearranged Tokyo Olympic Games, which will now take place from 23 July to 8 August next year. As such, we have welcomed the guidance from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which sets out how elite athletes in England can return to training.


Our plans to reinvigorate junior racing by placing more emphasis on regional and club racing will see the current system of U16 national and zone squads replaced with Regional Training Groups from the autumn. These groups will promote inclusive and accessible training across the English regions with the ultimate goal of encouraging more young sailors to take up and stay in the sport.


Our focus on ensuring that boaters get the best possible outcome from Brexit will also continue over the coming months. As we face increasing pressure from competing commercial, environmental and leisure interests, it’s more important than ever that the RYA ensures that the implications for recreational boating are fully recognised by politicians and government offi cials.


It promises to be an unprecedented and challenging year ahead. I am, however, confi dent that it will also prove to be a rewarding one, as we roll out our new organisation-wide sustainability strategy and countdown to the launch of our new digital platform. All of this is made possible by the ongoing support of our staff, volunteers, partners and, most importantly, our members. It is our combined voice, with over 112,000 members, that ensures our boating interests are consistently represented and widely considered.


Thank you for your continued support.


Sarah Treseder OBE Chief Executive


For the purposes of The Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors’ Report) Regulations 2014 the Chief Executive’s Report satisfi es the requirements of the “Strategic Report” and was approved by the Board as such on 24th June 2020.


10 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020


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