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The national governing body for boating and watercraft in the UK is the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). Activities such as sailing, windsurfing, motor cruising, powerboating and Personal watercraft are all covered by this body – formerly known as the Yacht Racing Association.

The RYA is one of the founding members of the International Sailing Federation: the World Governing Body for the sport of sailing. The International Sailing Federation also serves as the Member National Authority.

A history of the RYA

In the November of 1875, The Yacht Racing Association was founded with the original purpose of allowing different boats from a range of different classes to compete against each other, by setting baselines boundaries of measurements and capabilities.

Almost 90 years later, around 1953, the name was changed to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). And history was made.

Now the main focus of the Royal Yachting Association is to “promote and protect safe, successful and rewarding British boating”.

What is the role of the RYA?

As the national body for all forms of recreational and competitive boating, the RYA represents all types of racing such as dinghy and yacht racing, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing, and personal watercraft. Managed under the RYA, the British sailing team have won more sailing medals than any other.

With over 100,00 members, the Government recognises the RYA as the lead consultive body on watercraft and yachting. Some members are practising competitive sport, whilst most choose to practise and boat for pleasure on coastal and inland waters. There are more boat owners than ever – estimated to be around 500,00 – who choose to be members with the 1,500 RYA-affiliated clubs and classes.  

RYA training and committees

With an international system of over 2,500 RYA Recognised Training Centres, the organisation upholds the standards for boat training courses. An average of 150,000 people complete RYA training courses each year. The courses are the foundation of other training, such as the small craft training of lifeboat crews, police officers and the Royal Navy.

The RYA Council forms the senior policy-making body in boating matters, but delegation of the Association’s other responsibilities is given to several policy committees. The priority of these committees and sub-committees is to maintain the RYA policy in their areas.

Every day administration of each area is the duty of the RYA’s professional staff, and the departmental manager acts as the correspondent for their committee. The Association’s website holds further information about the many committees.

The RYA Training Scheme offers practical courses in dinghy sailing, windsurfing, yachting and more, as well as a variety of shore-based courses. The Association also publishes over 200 supporting titles for its activities.

There are:

- Over 2,500 recognised centres in over 47 countries

- 22,000 RYA instructors across the globe

- 15,000 staffs working on commercial crafts using RYA Certificates of Competence

- 155,000 people completing courses every year

- Over 300,000 expert publications added every year to the personal libraries of casual and professional boaters

- Over 100 professional and casual courses on water, in classroom and online

Measures for issuing certificates of competence on from the British Government through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), an agency of the Department of Transport, are up to the RYA.

The RYA Training Course includes:

- Basic navigation and seamanship course

- Competent Crew

- Day Skipper theory

- Day Skipper practical

- Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore theory

- Coastal Skipper practical followed by examination

- Yachtmaster offshore examination

- Qualifying passage

- Yachtmaster Ocean examination

- Followed by Coach, Trainer or Instructor courses

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