YOUR RYA
We want to hear from you
Whether you want to say something about the magazine, share a good, bad or funny experience or have a tale of a good deed out on the water, please get in touch
Email the.editor@rya.org.uk
STAR LETTER
Preparation pays
Having just returned from a six-week sailing voyage across the Mediterranean without incident, I read your article on safe boating with great interest.
I was fortunate to be trained by a fully qualified RYA instructor. At the time, some of us thought he was overly cautious. Every day began with maintenance checks, weather forecasts were studied carefully, and if conditions were anything less than satisfactory, we simply did not sail.
Only later did I appreciate that his caution was not about limiting adventure – it was about making adventure possible. He taught me that if circumstances turned against us, the greatest asset was time: time to think, plan and act calmly.
Several years later, I had the privilege of sailing with him from France to Italy, on to Tunis, and back along the Italian Riviera. Those weeks remain among the happiest of my life. Through his patience, knowledge and commitment to safety, he gave me the confidence to fulfil a lifelong dream.
The sea offers extraordinary beauty and freedom. Thanks to his guidance, I have been able to enjoy both safely – and for that I will always be grateful.
John Mckenzie
PRIZE
John wins an HX210E from Standard Horizon – a great piece of kit when you’re out on the water. Not only is it a handheld VHF radio, it also includes an FM radio, which means you can listen to your favourite stations too. It’s waterproof, floats, and has a strobe light that immediately activates if dropped overboard. standardhorizon.co.uk
Better late than never
I joined the British Army in 1967 with little thought of the sea. Yet within a few years, while stationed in Germany, I found myself at the British Kiel Yacht Club on the Baltic, stepping onboard a dinghy for the first time. In the early 70s, I completed my RYA Competent Crew course, and over the next 50 years, I sailed whenever life allowed – family charters, delivery trips, flotilla holidays – adding up to more than 10,000 nautical miles.
I always intended to take the Yachtmaster examination ‘one day’. Work, family and perhaps a quiet fear that I might not measure up meant that day kept slipping.
Then, in November 2025, at an age when many are hanging up their oilskins, I finally qualified as an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore with a commercial endorsement.
Through volunteering aboard Boleh, a restored 1949 Malay junk that is operated by the Boleh Trust for disabled and disadvantaged sailors, I have now logged more than 500 miles, which has enabled me to obtain a UK Seaman’s discharge book, opening up opportunities for professional crewing, skippering and yacht deliveries.
Every time I watch new sailors discover the pleasure of being under sail, I realise that the qualification was never a destination – it simply gave me the confidence to give something back – and to begin an unexpected new chapter.
Edwin Blenkinsopp
Where
in the world?
Share your memories of this place with
the.editor@rya.org.uk
Where in the World
(Summer 2026)
I believe the photo is of Bangor Marina, Northern Ireland. We live in South Wales but are regular visitors to Bangor and are members of Ballyholme Yacht Club, which is just a few minutes’ walk from the marina. The quality of the sailing in Bangor and the excellence of the ILCA fleet makes the long journey worthwhile.
Howard Massie
The crowded marina in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.
The crowded marina in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.
From our socials
Clear communication and simple techniques make all the difference. Tacking and gybing are core sailing skills.
Learn how to perform both manoeuvres smoothly, safely and with full crew control. Watch our full video on how to tack and gybe safely.
Like any manoeuvre, clear and concise instructions are key. Watching ‘moorings TV’ taught me that in the early days. The skipper who calmly told their crew what to do always came in cleanly to a marina/harbour berth compared to Mr/Mrs Angry who screamed instructions as it all went wrong.
Take the time to think it through and tell your crew what you need them to do.
Keiron Shatwell
RYA secures women’s windsurfing place for Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games! This is an exciting opportunity for one of Britain’s rising windsurfing talents to represent Team GB on the world stage.
Oli Woodcock, RYA Youth Racing Manager, said: ‘We are delighted to have secured a place in the Women’s Windsurfing event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Competing at a multi-sport event of this scale is a fantastic opportunity for young athletes and provides an important stepping stone on the performance pathway.’
Congratulations on securing this place - what great news for your youth windsurfing programme. What appeals to us most is how you describe it: a stepping stone on the performance pathway. Nearly every sailor or windsurfer who reaches a stage like this once started with a first, accessible experience on the water, and it is wonderful when young talents are given a clear target to work towards.
Zeilschool Pean
Looking for a new challenge or career direction? Whatever your incentive, a Yachtmaster Fast Track course is one way to get there.
Explore our 10 tips to get the most from a Fast Track course.
Brilliant. We love a YM prep and exam!
Neil Thomas Morris
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