RYA magazine

what they do for us

a few clues from their website

from the front page

Join the RYA

To protect the boating you
enjoy join the RYA and get:

15% off RYA books
The RYA Magazine
Discounts on chandlery, sailing holidays, insurance, and more...

not much to offer - although I do want them to defend the interests of boatists like me

If I am to be called a boater


and then through to this page

http://www.rya.org.uk/aboutus/Pages/default.aspx


The RYA is the national body for all forms of boating, including dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sports boats, powerboat racing, windsurfing, inland cruising and narrowboats, and personal watercraft.


they represent the interests os some of the most loved users of the water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYYMHp5KLq0

so nothing of interest to me on these pages and some of those they seek to support I would rather not see on the water - just a personal opinion mind

so here is the page about defending my rights

http://www.rya.org.uk/infoadvice/currentaffairs/Pages/default.aspx

incluuding a lovely video

and here are more details

http://www.rya.org.uk/infoadvice/currentaffairs/Pages/default.aspx


If I re-join


£45


here is another page of benefits

http://www.rya.org.uk/joinrenew/benefits/Pages/Benefits.asp

I am willing to be convinced of all this

but my big fear is that the RYA is attempting to represent too many boating interests many of which are of no interest to me and some of which actually detract from my peaceful enjoyment of the sea and the coastal fringes

I am all in favour of broad churches and all that....

my biggest fear is that the RYA might be in favour of more qualifications and more legislation. It loves qualifications and bits of paper and clearly makes a lot of money by being involved in approving training schools and organising courses

I fear that the RYA would benefit if training became compulsory.


Right now the only reason I can see for giving them my £45 is a general desire to have some-one keep the bureacrats at bay.. I am not sure they are the best people to doo that.

However, I am usually wrong.

Dylan
 
dunedin said:
- who designed, implemented ....the world leading Yachtmaster / DaySkipper etc training courses
Click to expand...

That was a combination of the Little Ship Club initiative and the Services offshore sailing certification/training initiatives. It was picked up and taken on by an ex-Royal Naval Instructor, who turned it into his 'retirement job' - and a good job he made of it, while he was there.

It has been taken on in recent years by 'down dumbers' who have little depth, but who certainly can 'talk the talk', and who confuse lots of pretty pictures with depth of experience and judgement.

- why do they have their range of area cruising advisors
Click to expand...

In the many years I taught the Shorebased Courses at my local FE College, each year forking out a rather healthy sum for 'Standards', we never once had a visit, or any useful input, from the RYA's Training Team. I know they frequently drove past..... That represents a lot of lunches!

When we tried to engage, we got a load of flannel.

And, in over 45 years of cruising and racing sailboats - not dinghy-toys - I've never once met an Area Cruising Advisor, or any RYA wonk who had anything useful to offer on Offshore Racing. As I recall, a couple of their gurus made a 'start' on a Fastnet Race a few years ago. That didn't last long, either.

Big girls' blouses, the lot of 'em, if you ask me. :rolleyes:
 
dylanwinter said:
I fear that the RYA would benefit if training became compulsory.
Click to expand...

No they wouldn't.
Driving tests are compulsory - and how may different driving schools are there?
All teaching the same stuff to get you to pass the DVLA driving test - not a test of dubious and inconsistent value set/judged by the driving school.

Once you get make people take an official, compulsory test the RYA tickets become meaningless.
Why do you think the RYA mantra is 'Education not legislation'?
To spare us the red tape?
My foot.
 
I found the Magazine a total waste of time and feel the membership is just being used to make profit from the advertisers. If one could renew an ICC from the people that do the SSR, then I feel most cruising folk would never have anything else to do with the rya and i'm sure it would be cheaper.
 
Whenever I got a magazine I used to hold it by the cover and shake it. Anything that falls out goes in the bin unread.

I would then close it and flick the pages. Any thick one (inserts) are ripped out and binned unread.

I got sick of doing this so now I just read on Zinio.
 
rya

When I first joined (in 1947) it was the Yacht Racing Ass'n, and one could get a 12' National certificated free if you were a member. Good value. No magazine to annoy you.
Now, I have become a Life Member, so I don't have to bother to blow my top about what they do or don't do.
I resent them piddling about withwater-jet bugs, I accept windsail, I accept motor yachts, and I am tolerant about inland waters.
I find the Journal to be an unfortunate mix of the patronising and blandness. They must not offend or upset anybody. And for an old b******d like me, the print is too small, and too much is printed on a coloured background.
I do feel that they run their qualifications and certificate issuance ,not as a service to members but as a blatant revenue raier.
I resent the way staff is for ever increasing.
I resent the over-emphasis on the solent.
I resent that the RYA is prepared to share the same bed with the boat-building aindustry. It led to the RCD, which Brussels says was the result of pressure from Britain.
Its Boat Show catering is ****.
Oh to the devil with it.
As the French say "A quoi ca sert?"
 
I thought I was being a miserable sod about the magazine, by calling it boring on another (diesel) thread, but reading some of these opinions, I wasn't too far out.

It's not about the magazine only, but the worth of the organisation as a whole - which to me is not very much.


It looks like the RYA has enjoyed my last ever £45

- Cruising Association looking good for a visit from me!
 
Last edited:
dylanwinter said:
my biggest fear is that the RYA might be in favour of more qualifications and more legislation. It loves qualifications and bits of paper and clearly makes a lot of money by being involved in approving training schools and organising courses

I fear that the RYA would benefit if training became compulsory.

Dylan
Click to expand...

Agree I stopped giving them money along time ago, I think am associate through my club for any benefits that gives me.

ICC Trick where it cheaper to be a member thing gets me.
Like the National Trust look at how cheap entrances is IF you pay for membership, if not we rip you off... Or your canal canoe club thing, similar idea in my mind.

Its bums on seats or "look how many members we have" we are important you must listed, the RYA as far as I am concerned has nothing to do with every day sailors.

The Studland bay thing who has done more BORG or the RYA?

I am sure I am going to get flamed for this one :o
 
Happydaze said:
I found the Magazine a total waste of time and feel the membership is just being used to make profit from the advertisers. If one could renew an ICC from the people that do the SSR, then I feel most cruising folk would never have anything else to do with the rya and i'm sure it would be cheaper.
Click to expand...

Have to agree, If I was an advertiser I would be seriously peeved that the content of the magazine was doing nothing to keep the interest of the reader, on second thoughts given the amount of advertising they might as well just do away with the articles.

Be interesting to know how many people just join every fifth year for the ICC
 
RYA - Value for money?

RYA stands for Royal YACHTING Association but yachting seems to be of marginal interest these days. Are surfboards yachts? I think not. How about jet skis? No, I don't think so.

Apart from a general sense that somehow the RYA is defending my sailing activity and ought to be supported it's difficult to see any benefit from membership.

We belong to both the RYA and the CA. Yes, the CA costs more and it's not without its own problems but it offers a wealth of practical help and advice for the cruising sailor. There's a vast network of local representatives with local knowledge able to advice and assist. There are specialist sections pulling together members with a common geographic interest and organising formal and informal get togethers. There is up-to-date cruising and pilotage notes for just about any port you're likely to visit and, providing you can get to its East London HQ, it's library contains one of the biggest collection of nautical books - including pilots and charts. The bar serves 'club' price drinks and the catering is not only good value but good quality. The CA also has 'cabin' accommodation at very attractive prices.

The RYA can't get anywhere near that in terms of tangible benefits.

Maybe the RYA should be renamed to better reflect its aquatic interests.

Any suggestions?
 
oldbilbo said:
That was a combination of the Little Ship Club initiative and the Services offshore sailing certification/training initiatives. It was picked up and taken on by an ex-Royal Naval Instructor, who turned it into his 'retirement job' - and a good job he made of it, while he was there.

It has been taken on in recent years by 'down dumbers' who have little depth, but who certainly can 'talk the talk', and who confuse lots of pretty pictures with depth of experience and judgement.



In the many years I taught the Shorebased Courses at my local FE College, each year forking out a rather healthy sum for 'Standards', we never once had a visit, or any useful input, from the RYA's Training Team. I know they frequently drove past..... That represents a lot of lunches!

When we tried to engage, we got a load of flannel.

And, in over 45 years of cruising and racing sailboats - not dinghy-toys - I've never once met an Area Cruising Advisor, or any RYA wonk who had anything useful to offer on Offshore Racing. As I recall, a couple of their gurus made a 'start' on a Fastnet Race a few years ago. That didn't last long, either.

Big girls' blouses, the lot of 'em, if you ask me. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Not sure Dinghy Level 1 & 2 were a "good job". I see many who have "graduated" from the courses who just can't sail. Newcomers need to crew for a few months to get the idea of where the wind comes from and then be taught to sail. This was rejected when the schemes were set up and this fundamental has never been incorporated.
 
Kurrawong_Kid said:
Not sure Dinghy Level 1 & 2 were a "good job". I see many who have "graduated" from the courses who just can't sail. Newcomers need to crew for a few months to get the idea of where the wind comes from and then be taught to sail. This was rejected when the schemes were set up and this fundamental has never been incorporated.
Click to expand...

So then Kid, are you saying that one should join a club & crew,then graduate to ones own boat :eek::eek::eek::eek:;)
 
Yacht Breeze said:
RYA stands for Royal YACHTING Association but yachting seems to be of marginal interest these days. Are surfboards yachts? I think not. How about jet skis? No, I don't think so.

Apart from a general sense that somehow the RYA is defending my sailing activity and ought to be supported it's difficult to see any benefit from membership.


Maybe the RYA should be renamed to better reflect its aquatic interests.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Watersports R Us ?
 
RYA Hijacked?

I see from the RYA's website that the three most popular member activities are: Yacht Cruising (36,597), Motor Boating (14,108) and Windsurfing (8,535). Their figures not mine and they rank cruising as the most popular[. That ratio of interests are not reflected in the magazine.

It also begs the question that out of a claimed membership of more than 102,000 what do the 43,500 unclassified members do? Surely they can't all be dinghy jockeys!

Here's the link to the RYA stats. http://www.rya.org.uk/aboutus/mediacentre/faqs/Pages/ryastatistics.aspx

So, come on RYA, explain a/ what the unaccounted for members do and secondly justify why so little space is given to cruising in the magazine in particular and the association in general.
 
Yacht Breeze said:
what do the 43,500 unclassified
Click to expand...

Could be all those "associate members" through sailing clubs. You know take money for nothing thing make sure all members are members twice to make it look like you are twice as big as you are?

I see them as march as part of my sailing as I see the MCA (or what ever they are called now), the less they have to do with it the better...
 
So because the RYA doesn't produce a magazine that is written entirely by, for and about people who sail your kind of boat from your harbour to the harbours that you go to, and who have exactly the same level of knowledge as you do, and have no ambitions of learning more, it is useless?

It terms of cash alone, its successful rearguard action against diesel duty increases probably saved most cruising yachtsmen more than the cost of their subscriptions, every year for about twenty years -- but of course we will never really know, because (thanks at least partly to the activities of the RYA) yachtsmen in this country are not subject to compulsory registration and licensing like those in some of our neighbours.

I wonder if all the windsurfers and gravel-pit dinghy sailors complain as bitterly about the RYA "wasting" money on expensive political lobbying to protect cruising sailors against being breathalised on our way from pub to boat or fined for not having ludicrous "safety" equipment, or penalised for not keeping written records of having tested their steering gear before leaving harbour, or informing the MCA when the battery in their hand-held radios goes flat or for infringing any of the other myriad pieces of crazy legislation against which the RYA has defended us for so long.

Or are they just grateful that the RYA is there to help clubs whose licences are threatened, or who need grants for shower blocks or slipways (even though the bar, shower, and slipway are all used by cruising sailors?

These anti-RYA threads always remind me of one particular clip from The Life of Brian.
 
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