DINGY TRAIL
is something that the RYA has helped to strengthen in clubs enormously. In the past I believe people took it for granted that you could just access the water. There’s a better understanding now – RYA programmes such as Onboard have helped support clubs to share boating with more people in their communities. These initiatives have been successful because the clubs aren’t just recipients – they’re active partners. The RYA’s partnerships allow clubs to join in debates about boating that they might have had trouble accessing on their own. I hope that clubs see that being a member
of the RYA really adds value to what they do; we’re a sympathetic ear that also has the ability to make some aspects of running a club more manageable, and are also here to inspire through the programmes available.We fundamentally want to encourage people who like being part of the boating environment. If you can give those people the confidence to build on their interest and enthusiasm then I think you’ve more or less cracked it.
What is your message to volunteers
who give their time to support boating? The nice thing is that every now and again I get to meet some of these dedicated people
“You’ll never have a local community club without the support of volunteers”
22
rya.org.uk AUTUMN 2025
Above: The more remote islands around Western Scotland are the Princess’ favoured cruising grounds.
Below: The
Princess believes the RYA volunteer awards are important for celebrating those dedicated to helping others, such as the Turners, 2022’s Family Award winners.
at the volunteer awards, and recognise what they’ve been doing. If you were to tot up all the years they’ve been involved, it would be pretty remarkable. The awards are important as they offer recognition on a wider scale, so people understand how the time they’ve given has made a difference – to generations of sailors in some cases. When I do get to visit clubs, I find the range of what they can offer is so impressive. You’re never going to have a sport or a local community club without volunteers.
You support many other seafaring associations. What about boating
appeals to you? I think we can forget we’re an island, so boating connects us to our island heritage. There are
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