Get started in watersports with the RYA

The pandemic may have sunk most people’s plans for travel and family time over the past year, but as we’ve all come to terms with finding a ‘new normal’, it has created new levels of interest and investment in watersports… and a fresh understanding that they’re an ideal way to be outdoors, exercise and meet up – in a socially- distanced way, when required – with others.

In spring 2020, as the first lockdown was beginning to bite, sales of boats, boards and other watercraft slowed. The mood changed, however, once the lockdown restrictions eased: people began to look for new hobbies, holiday ideas and safe ways to be outdoors, and buying something just because it looked like ‘fun’ became both an investment and reward… after so much time following government guidelines, we all felt we ‘deserved’ a treat or two.

Fast forward to 2021 (because who wants to remember the last winter?) and with travel for sport and recreation, plus sailing events and shore-side activities permitted from March 29, then club changing rooms open from April 12, everyone’s out on the water. That mid-April date was also when overnight stays in ‘self-contained accommodation’ were allowed again, meaning that sailing yacht and motor boat owners could – within a household group – make more than a day trip to their vessels, and start to support the marinas, chandleries, bars and restaurants that bring such vibrancy to our coastal areas.

Coronavirus-wise, we’re not out of the water yet, of course, and caution is still advised in so many of the things we once did without a second thought. The advice, then, to everyone taking to the water – even the most experienced – is to know your limits, have a plan, consider the potential impact you could have on others and ensure that you do not place any unnecessary strain on the RNLI, Independent Lifeboats or other emergency services.

All this is even more essential if you’re dipping

your toes into the watersports world for the first time – for all newcomers, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) should be a first port of call. It’s the national body for dinghy, yacht and motor cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing and personal watercraft, and offers a huge number of training options for those of all ages who wish to acquire both theory and practical knowledge.

You’ll find sailing clubs and sailing schools around the UK that are RYA-affiliated and therefore able to offer its recognised training courses. Aside from the certificates you’ll receive on successful completion of a course – and, in some cases, an exam – you’ll gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be safe on the water, and to get the maximum enjoyment out of your boat, board or other watercraft.

On the coastline, lakes and waterways across the UK there are around 2,000 RYA-affiliated clubs and centres offering opportunities for people of all ages to get afloat, with many of these based on the East Coast. You’ll find a warm welcome for all plus, this summer, some are running #DiscoverSailing sessions inviting newcomers to ‘have a go’ either for free, or at very little cost.

Robbie Bell, the RYA Regional Development Officer for the East says: “With this summer’s predicted staycation trend there’s never been a better time to get on the water. Being active and outside in the fresh air has great benefits for both physical and mental health, and with the variety of coasts, rivers and inland waterways throughout the region there is something for everyone.”

If you’re interested in getting afloat locally this summer, get in touch with your nearest sailing venue and find out what they have to offer by visiting www.rya.org.uk/wheresmynearest. A list of coastal watersports clubs in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, London and North Kent starts on p93.