Measuring our success How do we know that we’ve been successful?
Many of our members will now be familiar with our Together on Water strategy. What began as a vision for making boating more inclusive and accessible has become the foundation for how we approach everything we do as an organisation.
The six outcomes that underpin the strategy – inclusion, inspiration, engagement, influence, connections and sustainability – provide a clear framework for measuring the difference we make, allowing us to understand the real impact our work has on members, affiliates and the wider boating community.
Inclusion An environment where everyone feels welcome, safe and valued.
Working hard to remove barriers
Here’s how we’ve been working to make boating more open and accessible to people of all backgrounds:
• Additional Sport England funding secured in 2025 is supporting the RYA’s ongoing work to broaden access to talent development opportunities for young people from under-represented communities. This investment reinforces our commitment to creating more inclusive pathways and increasing representation within the sport.
• Five inspiring clubs were awarded British Sailing Pathway status as part of our new Para Pathways Club scheme. This scheme provides accessible and enjoyable training and racing for para sailors, giving them the opportunity to succeed at a high level. Huge congratulations to Newhaven & Seaford Sailing Club, Notts County Sailing Club, Rutland Sailability & Rutland Sailing Club, Whitefriars Sailing Club and Frensham Pond Sailability for their dedication to this work. We hope to see many more clubs apply to become part of the Para Pathway Club in 2026.
• Around 340,000 people in the UK are registered blind or partially sighted, but we don’t think that should be a barrier to getting out on the water. As part of our See Sailing Your Way initiative, we ran three successful pilot projects with Blind Sailing UK in 2025 to help blind and partially sighted boaters get on deck. Given the success of the pilot projects and the enthusiasm we saw, we’re planning to roll out additional training for coaches, instructors, and volunteers at scale so more visually impaired sailors can experience the same joy.
• We launched a new careers programme as part of the ongoing New Horizons Project in Bristol. This new initiative helps young people from diverse backgrounds gain the skills, qualifications and confidence needed to pursue jobs in the marine sector. This is a natural evolution of the work New Horizons (delivered in partnership with Bristol Maritime and Young Bristol) has been doing in introducing hundreds of young people to sailing and water sports. 11 participants aged 18 – 25 are currently undertaking the structured pathway. It’s exciting to hear that many of the candidates have already secured job interviews and begun conversations with employers such as the Harbour Authority.
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RYA Annual Strategic Report 2026
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