Sara Sutcliffe appointed CEO of the RYA

Kukri

Well-known member
Joined
23 Jul 2008
Messages
15,568
Location
East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
Visit site
I just spotted a Tweet by Elaine Bunting reporting the appointment of Sara Sutcliffe as CEO of the RYA.

Sara Sutcliffe was until a few hours ago the CEO of Table Tennis England.

Elaine’s Tweet quotes the RYA’s Tweet announcing the appointment and comments:

“New CEO’s first stated aim is regarding the Olympic pathway. The org relies heavily on multimillion £ funding from UK Sport”


Here’s the RYA Press Release:

https://www.rya.org.uk/news/2021/10/28/sara-sutcliffe-new-chief-executive

Now, I can understand that the British Olympic sailing team is jolly important, but it has absolutely nothing to do with me.

If the RYA appoint a talented lawyer, administrator and lobbyist as their Chief Executive on the basis of what she will do for what she calls “the Olympic pathway”, that’s fine, but please could I have a national body for messing about in boats that represents the rest of us?
 
Last edited:

Kukri

Well-known member
Joined
23 Jul 2008
Messages
15,568
Location
East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
Visit site
Try the CA - thats where First Mate and I pay our annual sub:).

The RYA, despite their claims, have little interest in anything other than competitive sailing.

I do! Just got my annual reminder ?.

But the RYA along with the MCA regulate training and handle all certification.

Could not the RYA either shed the Olympic Sailing Team and hand that over to specialists OR hand over non-racing training and certification and representation to the CA?
 

Mark-1

Well-known member
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Messages
4,395
Visit site
To be fair the press release seems to present a fairly well rounded commitment to sailing of all kinds and it sounds like she sails herself.

Mind you, I think the RYA has been irrelevant to the non-racing component of my sailing throughout my life and I doubt that's going to change.
 

Bouba

Well-known member
Joined
6 Sep 2016
Messages
43,298
Location
SoF
Visit site
I just spotted a Tweet by Elaine Bunting reporting the appointment of Sara Sutcliffe as CEO of the RYA.

Sara Sutcliffe was until a few hours ago the CEO of Table Tennis England.

Elaine’s Tweet quotes the RYA’s Tweet announcing the appointment and comments:

“New CEO’s first stated aim is regarding the Olympic pathway. The org relies heavily on multimillion £ funding from UK Sport”


Here’s the RYA Press Release:

https://www.rya.org.uk/news/2021/10/28/sara-sutcliffe-new-chief-executive

Now, I can understand that the British Olympic sailing team is jolly important, but it has absolutely nothing to do with me.

If the RYA appoint a talented lawyer, administrator and lobbyist as their Chief Executive on the basis of what she will do for what she calls “the Olympic pathway”, that’s fine, but please could I have a national body for messing about in boats that represents the rest of us?
To be honest I agree with your sentiment. Despite it being a most famous expression, people can’t their head around the idea of just messing around in boats. You are expected to be doing something, fishing, diving, racing etc. I’m asked it all the time, what do you do on your boat ? If I answered, fishing, I’d be left alone because, just driving, confuses everyone
 

dgadee

Well-known member
Joined
13 Oct 2010
Messages
3,986
Visit site
I just spotted a Tweet by Elaine Bunting reporting the appointment of Sara Sutcliffe as CEO of the RYA.

Sara Sutcliffe was until a few hours ago the CEO of Table Tennis England.

Elaine’s Tweet quotes the RYA’s Tweet announcing the appointment and comments:

“New CEO’s first stated aim is regarding the Olympic pathway. The org relies heavily on multimillion £ funding from UK Sport”


Here’s the RYA Press Release:

https://www.rya.org.uk/news/2021/10/28/sara-sutcliffe-new-chief-executive

Now, I can understand that the British Olympic sailing team is jolly important, but it has absolutely nothing to do with me.

If the RYA appoint a talented lawyer, administrator and lobbyist as their Chief Executive on the basis of what she will do for what she calls “the Olympic pathway”, that’s fine, but please could I have a national body for messing about in boats that represents the rest of us?

It's mainly old boys messing about with boats these days. Don't really get the feeling she is interested in us. But I'd like to know how she will get younger (30s, 40s) sailors messing about, too.
 

Kukri

Well-known member
Joined
23 Jul 2008
Messages
15,568
Location
East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
Visit site
To be fair the press release seems to present a fairly well rounded commitment to sailing of all kinds and it sounds like she sails herself.

Mind you, I think the RYA has been irrelevant to the non-racing component of my sailing throughout my life and I doubt that's going to change.

“It would say that, wouldn’t it?”

I thought the yacht master scheme was pretty good, as a way of fending off government regulation, but that doesn’t seem to be the priority now.
 

Chae_73

Active member
Joined
18 Aug 2020
Messages
373
Location
London / Suffolk
Visit site
I joined the RYA and then didn't bother to renew after finding little of interest for a "messing about in boats" type.

Are there any discernible benefits to RYA membership for sailors who don't race? I did use their bill of sale when we bought our boat, but the sellers were proposing to use that anyway so that didn't actually provide a reason for me to join.

My current intention is not to bother with RYA and maybe join the CA as mentioned above, instead.
 

awol

Well-known member
Joined
4 Jan 2005
Messages
6,835
Location
Me - Edinburgh; Boat - in the west
Visit site
I am a member of a club affiliated to the RYA. AIUI it is necessary to be a member of the RYA or a club affiliated to it or another country's equivalent to take part in any racing under the RRS. This applies to all the Oppies, Toppers, ....... up through ocean racers and America's Cup. I understand that for "simply messing about in boats" the RYA seem to have little, if any, relevance but they have been instrumental in maintaining the lack of regulation that allows "simply messing" without any restrictions. As for Olympic sailing, I expect it to be phased out unless, like the America's Cup, it can be presented in short televisually exciting chunks.
 

flaming

Well-known member
Joined
24 Mar 2004
Messages
15,940
Visit site
What always amuses me is that the type of people I actually meet sailing, whether racing or rafted up in Yarmouth etc, are quite different from the sort of people that inhabit this forum.

I think that deciding that the RYA is not a good representative of the UK boating public based on the membership of this forum would be a little like deciding the FA wasn't really a good representative of the average crowd at Lords....

For the record I am not currently a member of the RYA. Being a member of things has never really been my style. However my dealings with the RYA, in both a professional capacity and in a "please help this boater" capacity have always been pretty satisfactory.
 

Skylark

Well-known member
Joined
4 Jun 2007
Messages
7,414
Location
Home: North West, Boat: The Clyde
Visit site
Does this announcement make me, an ordinary man who has messed about in boats all my life, wish to rejoin the RYA?
It isn’t often I don’t agree with the honourable member but on this, I’m afraid, I do ?

RYA and CA are different but complimentary.

I’ve just looked on the CA website and membership is “from only £137”. RYA is £47.

RYA covers the whole spectrum of floating water sports. On the world stage, UK sailing punches well above its weight and events like the Olympics are very high profile so I believe that credit to RYA is due.

In another post, you have referred to the YM scheme. What’s wrong with it? It probably isn’t perfect but I believe it to be in (relatively) safe hands. I don’t agree with all that RYA does and I often give feedback. I’m usually ignored but, hey, I’m not one in 17.4m so I’m used to it ?

My view of major changes within RYA is best summarised by “be careful what you wish for”. By all means lobby to tinker but it ain’t broke so doesn’t need fixing.

Would you like me to send you a rejoining form ?
 

Black Sheep

Well-known member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
1,988
Location
East coast, UK
Visit site
The "old boys" in pink trousers and blazers who are members of the RYS maybe.

Haha - fair point, though I don't know enough about the RYA to judge its truth or not.

Which is part of the point. I find it hard to understand the RYA or see their relevance.

I might have been a member for a year, 15-20 years ago? I can't recall. Maybe I was persuaded that I should join them because they represented the recreational boater, and defended us against government interference. They may have done so in the past, but I'm finding it hard to see where they're adding value now. They remind me of the AA - once a valuable organisation that provided real service to its members and the motorist generally, but now just another hard-headed commercial enterprise that's more interested in selling insurance to its customers. In the RYA's case, courses and qualifications.

I do see value in competitive sailing - it generates interest, and probably draws a more diverse community into sailing. But it seems to have become the primary focus, and us recreational boaters are left to get on with it. Which is fine - I'll continue to be a non-member, it makes little difference to me.

(I think I might be turning into a grumpy old git. I don't require feedback on that observation)
 

Mark-1

Well-known member
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Messages
4,395
Visit site
I think that deciding that the RYA is not a good representative of the UK boating public based on the membership of this forum would be a little like deciding the FA wasn't really a good representative of the average crowd at Lords....

I think a better analogy would be membership of the FA wouldn't be necessary for a few 10yos kicking a ball around in a park using jumpers for goalposts.
 

flaming

Well-known member
Joined
24 Mar 2004
Messages
15,940
Visit site
I think a better analogy would be membership of the FA wouldn't be necessary for a few 10yos kicking a ball around in a park using jumpers for goalposts.
No, because the RYA are necessary in terms of certificating instructors for 10 year olds in toppers etc. And ensuring that those instructors can handle their ribs, have first aid qualifications etc to make sure that kids are introduced to the water in the most positive, and safest, way possible.

I don't think we should forget that learning to sail is not like learning to play football, where you can just start kicking a ball. The job of ensuring a training pathway for juniors is safe and engaging is very important.

Everyone on this board thinks in terms of families sailing their yachts - and why they would be bothered about the RYA, but forgets the huge amount of junior "learn to sail" activities that take place every year under the RYA's supervision and responsibility.
 
Top