Goodbye RYA

A

aod

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Well after 22 or 24 years membership I have finaly bitten the bullet, cancelled the direct debit and informed the RYA by letter that I will not be renewing my membership.

I guess I have got to that stage of thinking it's not cheap, I am not sure what it is they do anymore and what am I getting in return for my hard earned bucks.

I came to the conclusion not a lot.



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hmmm,

My last experience with RYA was there response to the actions their YM examiner required me to do in my 22 hour YM exam which I failed funnily enough some 18 months ago. One was springing of the shrouds of a much smaller yacht in order to clear a tight berth in foul conditions in Newton Ferris, another was to anchor off Cawsand for "a cup of tea" in force 5/6 onshore wind on a hard sand bottom that my anchor would not grip. I thought he was testing me but he really was serious. Next he called my experienced but like me getting on in years crew "weak & feeble" then as a final straw informing the boat owner (it was chartered) that I had damaged his boat on the pontoon. None of my crew knew when this happened nor was there any evidence to show the owner.
The crew, owner & I all wrote to RYA and they brushed it off as sour grapes.
I wasn't complaining about failing just the attitude of the examiner.

I will certainly not be taking it again nor giving any of my hard earned to RYA

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good on yer ... the monthly rya biffing .... and tail-end-charlie, JJ, will sum up for the defence

in MBY recently the editor thort his contributors had gone too far with their rya bashing and redressed the balance by mentioning the good work the rya were doing in keeping the gov's thieving hands off diesel fuel tax ... would this be true?

just in passing, the mby editorial and articles (there was one about Erskine Childers fictional adventures, Riddle of the Sands, on Dulcibella c1900) to be v. readable and refreshingly ascerbic, where required, when compared with ym and pbo less than scintillating offerings ...


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I gave up on the RYA years ago. In My Humble Opinion there are people who go sailing and there are organisations who seek to benefit from them, i.e. thee, me and the RYA. Unless you're into racing the RYA has nothing to offer. I know that the government seeks out their opinion on things like diesel duty and RCD's but only as long as large numbers of ordinary sailors continue to patronise them. If you all resigned then the government would seek out the opinion of more informed bodies, e.g. the CA (I'm not member either) or the RNLI.

What, in measurable, concrete terms is the RYA actively doing for the non-racing, non yacht-club member sailor or motorboater? The bloke/gal/couple who just likes to go boating? The YM and other qualifications are fine but aren't they self-funding? Appointing a "cruising officer" is only a good thing if he/she actually does something that we benefit from and is in touch with the "cruising community" at large, if such a thing can be defined. Otherwise we are both wasting our time. Cruising yotties are, by nature, a disorganised, anarchic bunch (see past forum posts if you want proof) but if the RYA wants to set itself up as a pro-boat parliamentary lobby group then I can see the point for us. If it wants to fund the sport, i.e. yacht racing, and to fund it by conning all sailors of every hue to give them money then they can get off at the next stop. I don't object to racing, I just don't contribute to it as a charity. Maybe they are just trying to be all things to all boaters.

Personally, I go sailing to get away from this sort of thing and look very dubiously on joining any organisation at all. But then I'm just an antisocial old git anyway.


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what exactly is the RYA suppose to do for RACING? It may organise DINGHY schemes but IMHO for YACHT racing they do very little (nothing). Most yachts in this country (and many others) race using the IRC rating run by the RORC (UK) and UNCLE (French).

sure the RYA 'represent' themselves and try to influence these groups but what do they actually do? Same as always. I gave up my membership of the RYA years ago and have no intention of renewing it.

As a 'training' organisation i can see they do good work but the DO NOT represent the majority of boaters just themselves. after all they have to jusify their jobs or do they?


<hr width=100% size=1>Temptress of Down
Southsea Marina
Hants
UK
 
I also cancelled my DD to them this year and joined the RNLI Offshore. I agree with whats been written previously. It is all racing. I feel like I am getting value for money with the RNLI because you can see for yourself the value of the service.

Peter.

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I think you will find that the RYA are the UK representatives on ISAF, as well as running the Olympic selection process. As for BigBoats - yes, RORC and UNCL developed and administer IRC and IRM, but the RYA run the Keelboat programme (with Volvo) that gets berths for talented youngsters on a selection of serious race boats. WHen I offered a berth or two they didnt seem that interested despite having a World Champion helm, multiple national championships winning main trim, and program that included Key West and Cowes.

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Re: okay so what do we do

right
so the rya does not work for us
so what do we do
we all want to see new people in the sport
we want to see a british team doing well in the world chsmpionships/olympics
we want a body that lobbies for the rights and benefits of sailors motorboaters and all users of the water
do we just abandon the rya and leave its falling membership make it irrelevant to government and the rest of the sailing community or do we get involved in the organisation and try it make it represent us????????


<hr width=100% size=1><font color=red>if guinness is good for you. i must be very very good</font color=red>
 
Work from INSIDE ?? nm

*

<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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When RCD etc. was coming in ...

I was involved as a Surveyor ..... unofficially of course as all will deny it !! based on my comments and suggestions at time !!!!

I was in talks with RYA etc. and was disapointed with their repsonses and desire to follow the YBDSA .......

It meant that various independents as I were left out in the cold. The Govt appeared to be folowing a road that may have been suggested by RYA - a road that I still object to.

I must cover myself here by saying that is personal opinion and should not imply or be construed as RYA / YBDSA policy etc. etc.



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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Certificates ....

Seems a bit of a joke ..... one certificate is virtually handed over for nothing, another is hard to get .... but both entitle you to cruise Europe etc.

Can someone explain ?? I know of a guy who is a bloody good boatman .... gets his MW 26 into / out of spots, sails better than most I know, can SAIL into / out of moorings etc. etc. Spent months brushing up for YM's ..... only to fail for piddly crap that wasn't even worth writing about IMHO ...... the guy was pretty upset and refused to acknowledge another RYA burgee !!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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Anybody fancy ?

Setting or starting up a real truly representative body of NORMAL average cruising people ....

CA seems to be higher levels !
RYA ?

Luthers bunch ......... ?


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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Re: Anybody fancy ?

Nigel, if your post is meant to imply the CA is elitist, it simply isn't. Sure there are cliques - there are in every organisation - but in general the CA is a very open organisation. You can easily approach any of the committees and probably just as easily serve on them, if you can be bothered to replace the people who are doing it now. There are people with every conceivable sized boat and entry to any of the sections is an email away. They offer cheap rooms in central London, a free lending library and you can just walk into the main office whenever it's open and talk to the admin staff. Can the RYA or any other national organisation match that?

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