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Facilities Policy

Scope: Boating related facilities development across Scotland

Version: 1.1

Date of last update: 07/12/17

Authorisation: Management Committee

Authorisation Date: 11 December 2017

Please check with the RYA Scotland office to ensure you have the most up to date version of this document when using it.

Approved 11 December 2017 1

Table of ContentsIntroduction........................................................................................................................................3

Purpose..............................................................................................................................................3Strategic Context................................................................................................................................4

Our aspirations for facilities across Scotland.....................................................................................4What we will prioritise.........................................................................................................................5

Our current position and need for development.................................................................................6Our facilities structure....................................................................................................................6

Boating facilities for those with disabilities...................................................................................10Boating facilities beyond RYA Scotland...........................................................................................13

Slipways.......................................................................................................................................13Pontoons......................................................................................................................................13

Moorings......................................................................................................................................13Marinas........................................................................................................................................14

Harbours and dredging................................................................................................................14Actions.............................................................................................................................................14

Appendix 1.......................................................................................................................................16Minimum Facility Requirements...................................................................................................16

RYA Affiliated Clubs.........................................................................................................................16RYA Training Centres......................................................................................................................16

RYA Champion Clubs......................................................................................................................17Competition Venues.........................................................................................................................17

Class Academy, Club Championship and Traveller Series Venues............................................17UK Championship Venues...........................................................................................................18

World Sailing Championship Venues...........................................................................................19National Centre................................................................................................................................19

Pathway Classes..............................................................................................................................20


Introduction The Royal Yachting Association Scotland (RYA Scotland), is the governing body in Scotland for all forms of dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing, canal boats, and personal watercraft. We refer to these disciplines collectively as ‘boating’. Boating takes place wherever people take to the water in boats. This can be on purpose built facilities and reservoirs, inland waterways or canals, natural fresh water lochs, rivers, estuaries, coastal areas and on the open sea.

Our purpose is to promote and protect safe, successful and rewarding boating in Scotland. Between the staff and volunteers of RYA Scotland, we represent a community of about 70,000 people actively engaged in boating activity in Scotland, about 30,000 of whom are members of the 147 local clubs and associations affiliated to the RYA of which the vast majority are within Scotland’s coastal communities.

RYA Scotland is volunteer-led with up to 60 volunteers engaged in our committee structure at any one time.

All our activities are undertaken in the context of our Strategic Plan

We see these elements of our strategic plan as facets of our sport that are intrinsically interconnected and dependent on each other for the sport to thrive and for the organisation to serve the interests of our members and other stakeholders. Participation, Club and Volunteer development and Performance are dependent on high calibre facilities that grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of our sport for the future.

PurposeThe purpose of our facilities policy is to identify the priority areas of facility development that align with our Strategic Plan and which RYA Scotland believes will enable boating to flourish in Scotland.


RYA Scotland does not have the resources to invest in facility development directly. In this context this policy is intended to influence spending decisions towards those facilities which will achieve greatest impact over the long term and help to grow our sport.

This policy acknowledges that aspects of our sport have some very specialist requirements which can require investment beyond individual facilities and sometimes requires multiple partners or agencies to work together to ensure the facility is and remains suitable for boating activity.

This policy: provides a structure to guide and support facility investment by clubs, public agencies and

the private sector identifies the role different types of facilities play in the development of the sport encourages investors to engage with RYA Scotland when developing facilities supports RYA Scotland’s plans to grow participation, increase club and RYA membership

and facilitate our performance pathway.

Strategic ContextThis policy is developed in the context of:

Let’s Make Scotland More Active and Reaching Higher (specifically the priority of ‘Quality Facilities’ upon which the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes of Increasing Participation and Improving Performance are based);

sportscotland’s Club Sport in Scotland and Corporate Plan (which identify ‘places to play’ as a key element of a world class sporting system);

‘Awakening the Giant’ (the Marine Tourism Development Strategy);

Giving children and young people a sporting chance (which identifies ‘Great Places’ as being central to young people’s participation in sport and physical activity) and

RYA and RYA Scotland Strategic Plans for 2017 – 2021

In this time frame we have assumed that our basic principles of broadening access to boating for all and encouraging growth through our affiliated club structure will remain essentially the same. We are also assuming that sailing in some form will continue to be a fundamental sport at Olympic level and that the RYA Scotland performance pathway will continue to be a key mechanism for the development of Olympic Sailors for the foreseeable future.

Our aspirations for facilities across ScotlandRYA Scotland’s primary aim is that boating in Scotland has the facilities to enable anyone who wants to, to access our sport.

We think the best way of achieving this is by maintaining:

a broad base of resilient clubs with good governance and aspirational plans which will develop locally based and sustainably managed facilities that are flexible in their use and include people with disabilities, LGBTI people and people from minority communities.


facilities that can host local, national and international competition, provide a platform for the development of our future athletes and provide opportunities to host competition at the highest level for domestic and international competitors.

a network off facilities, across the country which are equipped to deliver high quality training and racing.

accessible facilities that are equipped to offer all forms of boating activity to those with disabilities, in line with RYA Scotland’s equalities strategy. In this context we aspire to initiate and support the development of the UK’s leading high performance centre for Paralympic Sailing.

What we will prioritiseBoating is a broad activity and while we have aspirations for the development of facilities that will benefit all aspects of our sport, we recognise the need to set priorities for these.

RYA Scotland will endorse and actively support the development of facilities that can be shown to:

improve the long term sustainability of RYA affiliated clubs effect an increase in participation in boating improve access to the water for boating activities increase uptake of boating by LGBTI people, people from minority communities and

people with disabilities increase participation in recreational racing support the evolution of our performance pathway embed clubs as a key contributor to their local community

We believe investment in facilities has the greatest impact when a club has already demonstrated a proactive approach to their own development. We would direct investment to those clubs who can demonstrate the following attributes:

EvidenceGood governance An up to date constitution

Proactive volunteer recruitment, support and developmentRelevant instructional qualificationsRace Official trainingOperating Procedures complying with H&S legislation ad RYA GuidanceSafeguarding and Child Protection PolicyEquality Policy

Active planning A current Club Development Plan (inclusive of facilities development requirements)Active seasonal programmesVaried membership options

Partnership working Collaboration with other local clubs, Yacht Club Associations, Community Sports Hubs, Universities, local schools

Engagement with RYA and RYA Scotland

Delivery of appropriate RYA ProgrammesAttendance at RYA Scotland networking opportunitiesCompletion of RYA annual census

Environmental considerations

Green Blue Environmental Standards


Our current position and need for developmentOver the course of 2012/13 RYA Scotland undertook a survey of Club and Training Centre facility provision. Some 143 clubs and commercial providers responded to the survey giving input on a range of facility specific questions.

The summary report on this work identifies that Scotland is presently well served by the geographical distribution of clubs and training centres. There is scope for existing clubs to extend their membership by incorporating different facets of boating such as powerboats or windsurfing or potentially diversifying their membership interests into other sports such as coastal rowing or open water swimming for example.

Our conclusions from our survey work for this policy were that we should seek to support the evolution of facilities within existing clubs and training centres where their facility development plans align with our aspirations for the future and in particular our priorities as above.

Our facilities structure

RYA Scotland has identified a series of facilities through which we will be able to pursue our aspirations for the future and support the priority areas noted above. Each level carries differing requirements which become more specialised, usually necessitating higher levels of staff qualification, more specialised equipment and greater provision within the facility for training delivery. Given that each level can build from the previous, any given facility can fulfil more than one of these functions.

RYA Scotland is clear that all of our aspirations for the future, all of our existing activity and all our potential for growing our sport are completely dependent on sustainable local clubs. Without this grassroots provision and the ongoing development of these local facilities, we do not have a viable future. Consequently the development of local clubs is our top priority. The types of facility we define are thus:

RYA Affiliated Clubs RYA Recognised Training Centres RYA Champion Clubs Competition Venues National Centre

Details of the specific requirements for each type of facility are given in Appendix 1 (a-e).

Affiliated Clubs

Local sailing clubs are the foundations on which the vast majority of boating in Scotland depends.Many offer a home to a range of boating interests including dinghy sailing, keelboat sailing, powerboats and windsurfers. Increasingly these days, due to their proximity to water, ‘Sailing Clubs’ are opening their facilities to coastal rowing groups, sea kayakers, stand up paddleboards and in some cases wild water swimmers who share a desire to access the water.

Affiliated clubs are critical to the ongoing involvement of participants in our sport. They provide a locus for those new to boating to be encouraged in their personal development by other club members on an informal basis. Through clubs, new boaters have the opportunity to meet others with the same interests, become connected to the local and wider boating community across Scotland, become involved in volunteering in their community of interest and to pursue a lifelong involvement in our sport. Clubs are almost exclusively where individuals are introduced to recreational racing and the competitive side of sailing.


Becoming RYA affiliated brings benefits to a club which are not available to non-affiliated clubs. We can give support for developing constitutions and improving governance, increasing club activity and racing, support around legal issues and we offer pre-packaged programmes that increase participation and club membership. This is all over and above the existing programmes of training available across the country, our series of regional development days and our ongoing programme of conferences.

Becoming RYA affiliated is a pre-requisite to securing support from RYA Scotland. There are currently 1471 clubs affiliated to the RYA in Scotland.

Development needsHaving more local clubs affiliate to the RYA is an ongoing objective. We see the number of clubs that choose to affiliate and remain affiliated, as an indication of the strength of our offer and the quality of support provided.

The facility development needs of existing affiliated clubs are likely to be very varied for example some clubs require to invest in fleet development while others will focus on extending storage or training facilities. We are conscious that clubhouses are both a significant asset as a focal point for boating activity and a significant burden on clubs for their upkeep. RYA Scotland will endorse and support facility development plans that encompass clubhouse facilities where these developments clearly meet with our priorities and, in particular, where developments can be shown to help secure the long term sustainability of the club. We are particularly supportive of facility developments that further enhance inclusion in our sport, for example, non-gender specific changing facilities.

RYA Scotland has Regional Development Officers working with 20 identified clubs that receive intensive support. These clubs have opted to work in a close partnership with RYA Scotland to develop their governance structures, increase their club activity and overall membership. They have been selected on the basis of their potential to improve and commitment to doing so. We are therefore minded to direct investment toward these specific clubs due to their involvement in and commitment to this programme.

RYA Recognised Training Centres

RYA Recognised Training Centres (RTCs) are facilities that have developed the capacity to deliver RYA approved courses and have been inspected and ‘recognised’ by the RYA. RTCs take many forms including specialist commercial providers, educational establishments, providers operating as a multi activity centres, voluntary organisations or the training arm of a local RYA affiliated club. They need not offer every type of boating activity and many focus on one or two activities while some only offer theory or ‘shore based’ training.

RTCs are important to RYA Scotland as they are the conduits through which many will receive their first boating experience on an RYA introductory course. We see this as a critical point of engagement through which we can establish our relationship with new boaters and encourage their further involvement in our sport through progressive courses and training, joining a local club or direct membership. RTCs are also a fundamental element in the career opportunities available through boating within which they train and employ instructors many of whom goon to further professional engagement in boating.

Development needsThere are presently 1832 RYA RTCs in Scotland. These are geographically well spread and our research tells us we do not specifically need more RTCs. We are however keen to see more affiliated clubs deliver RYA training and become RTCs. We believe this is a key developmental aspiration for our clubs which will support their longer term sustainable income and, as an additional benefit, increase the uptake of RYA Training.

1 Data from RYA registrations August 20172 Data from RYA registrations August 2017


Establishments seeking recognition as a training centre club are likely to need support to increase teaching materials, improve safety equipment for boats and extent their training fleets. They are equally likely to need support to develop wet and dry training rooms with presentation equipment for course delivery as well as support to increase training qualifications of club members in line with RTC requirements.

RYA Champion Clubs

Champion Clubs are local sailing clubs who have committed to developing racing as part of their ongoing training programme for members. Clubs must meet specific requirements for their facilities and make an application for this status. If successful these Clubs are given additional support by RYA Scotland to develop their capacity to deliver high quality coaching and racing. Champion Clubs are an essential part of our performance pathway as these clubs introduce many young sailors to racing.

Development needsThere are presently 13 designated Champion Clubs in Scotland. These are:

Helensburgh Sailing ClubEast Lothian Yacht ClubDalgety Bay Sailing ClubLoch Lomond Sailing ClubLoch Tummel Sailing ClubLoch Venachar Sailing ClubClyde Cruising Club (Dinghy Section)

Clyde Windsurfing ClubLargs Sailing ClubAnnandale Sailing ClubSolway Yacht ClubChanonry Sailing ClubLochcarron Sailing Club

Ongoing development within existing Champion Clubs relates mainly to maintaining their racing specific fleet of training boats and the qualifications and development of volunteers to deliver the enhanced race training programme required of a Champion Club.

For aspiring Champion Clubs development is likely to focus around the provision of sailing dinghies of the required types, housing for these as well as indoor ‘wet’ training rooms.

Competition Venues

RYA Scotland is committed to supporting local clubs to provide facilities that can offer quality class traveller and club competition experiences, host developmental RYA Scotland Class Academy coaching activity and seasonal competition programmes and through which our athletes of the future are identified, selected and supported.

Staging major sailing events in Scotland is an important part of RYA Scotland’s strategic vision. Major events provide accessible exposure to championship sailing and are an essential catalyst to the development pathways for Scottish sailors and officials. The staging of major events also brings sound economic returns to the local economy and is important for the overall profile and development of the sport.

There are three types of competition venue that are necessary to cover the breadth of competition required in our overall strategy. These are:

Class Academy, Club Championship and Traveller Series Venues

Recreational competition is an important aspect of our sport which facilitates both first step engagement in our performance pathway and lifelong participation. Champion Clubs are the foundation of developing interest in racing and encouraging further skills training


RYA Scotland Class Academies provide a next step for those who have learned the basics of racing usually through a Champion Club and wish to improve their skills. These are open to all recreational sailors but from these, young people can be encouraged to enter our development teams. Higher level competition is provided by RYA Scotland through the seasonal series of regattas which do rotate around venues across Scotland culminating in the Zone Championships which are a key point in our athlete selection process.

Although not a requirement, many active clubs seek to organise their own club championship and often run these as an event open to entries from other local clubs or further afield. Such events provide a focal point for the recreational competition within the club but also an opportunity to generate income from entry fees. These are often organised in conjunction with a traveller event (see below) which can considerably boost entry numbers.

Different classes of sailing dinghy are often organised by class associations. These are autonomous bodies who represent the interests of those sailing their particular type of dinghy and organise a series of competitive events around the country known as travellers. Depending on the numbers of active competitors in a given class association, their travellers may be UK wide or quite region specific. There are a number of class associations active in Scotland and it is desirable for more UK class associations to bring their travellers to Scottish venues.

Hosting a ‘traveller’ event can make a sizeable contribution to club funds, consequently having facilities appropriate to attract class travellers from Scotland and the UK is desirable for clubs.

UK Championship Venue

We define a UK Championship venue as having the capacity to host large scale events of up to 300 competitors from across the UK. These events will be the ‘nationals’ for given fleets (normally Pathway or Olympic classes) and may involve more than one fleet. Similar to World Sailing (formerly ISAF) Championship Venues but not requiring the same levels of event management or ISO compliance, these venue requirements can be met by larger well organised sailing clubs.

Scotland has two UK Championship venues these being Largs Sailing Club and East Lothian Yacht Club in North Berwick.

There are other classes of sailing boat that have strong participation and regular competitive series around the UK culminating in a UK Nationals which have been hosted at clubs in Scotland. Examples being 420 dinghies and Musto skiffs, Flying fifteen, 707 and Sonar keelboats and Sigma and Sonata yachts. Such classes of event do not need a host venue facility that falls within our definition of a UK Championship venue and as with the ‘traveller’ options above can make a sizeable contribution to club funds and the local economy.

World Sailing Championship Venue

A World Sailing Championship Venue has the highest calibre of facilities that are capable of hosting large scale, international level competitions of up to 300 competitors or smaller scale event of specific formats such as keelboat match racing, and complies with ISO 20121 (Event Sustainability Management System). They will provide for effective event management easy access to the water for competitors and all support / officials craft, be suitable for spectators and be closely located to a range of accommodation options.

The facility based at Largs Sailing Club and supported by sportscotland, RYA Scotland, the Scottish Sailing Institute and other public sector partners was created to maximise the potential of Scotland to attract national and international events and is Scotland’s World Sailing Championship Venue.


A small number of clubs are in a position to host events of specific formats, an example being Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club who have hosted ISAF events in the past.

Development Needs:RYA Scotland does not have any identified need to further develop facilities specifically focussed towards events. All of our needs are already met through the identified facilities for World Sailing and UK National provision and our aspirations in our overall strategy relate to increasing the usage of these and maintaining their capability to host major events. Consequently we fully support the ongoing development investment in these facilities to ensure they continue to meet the requirements to host these levels of competition.

RYA Scotland recognises that while the physical infrastructure for these types of events is in place, we are cognisant of the need for a large number of capable, trained race and event officials and safety officers to be available across our volunteer community in order for these venues to be able to host high calibre events. Recruiting, training supporting and retaining volunteers is an ongoing part of our overall strategy and is an area that must be recognised by investors.

Similarly, all our needs in relation to class academy, club championship and traveller series venues are already met from within our existing club infrastructure and our aspirations are focussed on increasing usage and participation and attracting more UK class associations to come to Scotland as part of their traveller series.

RYA Scotland will however, encourage individual clubs to seek to broaden their engagement in the opportunities of recreational competition as part of their facilities development aspirations relating to our five key types of facility.

National Centre

The National Centre is a centre of boating excellence covering a wide range of high level provision in multiple disciplines. The centre will have the skills and experience to deliver the highest levels of RYA training across multiple disciplines, support the hosting of national and international events and be capable of hosting the national squads.

Each of the RYA Home Countries works with the relevant Sport Council to identify and promote their National Centre. The sportscotland facility at Cumbrae is RYA Scotland’s designated National Centre. RYA Scotland has an ongoing commitment to work with sportscotland’s National Centre at Cumbrae to align our strategies and to work collaboratively at an operational level.

Development needs RYA Scotland places a high value on the quality of facilities on offer and the standard of training provision available through the National Centre at Cumbrae. We fully support the ongoing development investment in this facility to retain it as the National Centre and to ensure it continues to offer sector leading provision.

Regional Training Hubs

In addition to these key types of facility RYA Scotland recognises the practical importance of supporting and promoting Regional Training Hubs. These do not have any formal recognition but are centres known for their high level of training provision.

Scotland has two Regional Training Hubs that provide training courses in higher level RYA qualifications. These are the National Centre at Cumbrae and Port Edgar Watersports Centre.

Boating facilities for those with disabilities


Boating presents many opportunities for the inclusion of those with disabilities3.“Sailability” is the RYA programme for sailors with a disability and it introduces over 40,000 young people and adults with disabilities to sailing each year across the UK, many of whom go on to sail on a regular basis. Sailing is one of the few sports in which able bodied sailors and disabled sailors can compete on equal terms. It is also an activity that can accommodate many complex or more challenging needs with some creative adaptations. The breadth of types of boating activity makes us confident that our sport can be fully inclusive.

It is our aspiration that all of our affiliated clubs (current and future) are able to offer fully accessible land facilities and be in a position to offer participatory boating experiences to those with disabilities. This may take the form of and instructor led experience in an adapted sailing boat or power craft, supported access to the water for individuals to undertake self-delivered boating, or supported access to participate as crew alongside able bodied participants. It is our intention that Scotland will have a number of facilities within our existing facilities structure that are equipped to offer all forms of boating activity to those with disabilities.

Our aim is to support all our current affiliated clubs (as at August 2017) to achieve this by the end of 2025. We do not extend this aspiration to RTCs. For some, their specialised provision and target markets for their commercial operations would make a universal application unreasonable.

Inclusive Clubs and Centres

RYA Scotland has an ambitions Equality Action Plan that describes our intentions around equality and inclusion for the next four years. Within this we have developed guidelines on including transgender individuals in boating a part of which recognises the potential in having non-gender specific changing and toilet facilities.

Development needsLegislation ensures that all facilities development – in terms of buildings - is Disability Discrimination Act (1995) compliant. Our affiliated clubs and Recognised Training Centres are therefore more likely to need and/or seek support to develop or improve facilities around accessing the water, specialised types of training equipment or boats or support for instructors and coaches to undertake more specialised training. We envisage more clubs seeking to install pontoon facilities which, amongst other benefits, provide a level platform for disabled sailors to access boats. These may be accompanied by hoist mechanisms and a training need to ensure their safe and appropriate use.

We will encourage and support further development of facilities to accommodate the elements of our transgender guidelines within the installation of fully accessible changing and toilet facilities.

Sailability Centres

6 RYA affiliated clubs in Scotland are designated RYA Sailability Centres. These centres offer those with more specific or challenging needs, the opportunity to take up sailing. The centres vary in which types of disabilities they can accommodate but each offers the opportunity to try and then continue as a participant in sailing. Enquirers are able to find their nearest Sailability Centre through the RYA website and check if it is able to accommodate their disability.

The programme has designated Sailability Centres of Excellence that offer Disability Awareness Training, have specialist equipment and act as a hub for expertise in this specialist area. Castle Semple Sailing Centre at Lochwinnoch is the current Centre of Excellence for Sailability in Scotland.

Development needs

3 RYA Scotland recognises there are a number of other minority groups who are likely to be underrepresented in our sport. Our active

approach to including these groups is covered in our Equality Policy.


We are committed to supporting all of our affiliated clubs to become accessible as described above but will be particularly supportive of those existing clubs who declare an aspiration to become Sailability Centres. Those who do are most likely to seek support to purchase the relevant type of sailing dinghy, currently the Hansa 303 which provides for learning and competitive racing.

Paralympic Pathway

It is our objective to work with our key partners to establish an Academy programme for sailors with a disability and provide them with a pathway into the GB Paralympic programme through extending our current pathway programme.

We have one of the UKs leading facilities for enabling access to sailing at Castle Semple. The sportscotland National Centre at Inverclyde has one of the UKs leading fully accessible facilities with en-suite accommodation for 120 individuals. Both are located within easy access of Largs Yacht Haven which is the home of Largs Sailing Club and their top class facilities that host a number of UK and International sailing events.Across the water lies the sportscotland National Centre Cumbrae, the locus of Scotland’s high end expertise in RYA training and the operating base of the Scottish Sailing Institute.

We firmly believe that a partnership including RYA Scotland can bring together the expertise and facilities of these organisations to create the UK’s leading high performance pathway and centre for Paralympic Sailing.

Development needsSuch an ambitious aspiration will take time to deliver and we know that the partnership will need to be established before these intentions can begin to take shape. However we believe much of the physical resource is already in place or in the pipeline leaving only training, ancillary equipment and a co-ordinated approach required to establish the performance pathway for disabled sailors.

Targets for this aspiration are speculative until the partnership is established and the pathway to the GB Paralympic programme actively producing appropriately capable individuals. However it would be reasonable to anticipate a successful programme delivering Scottish Paralympic level sailors by 2025.


Boating facilities beyond RYA ScotlandRYA Scotland recognises there is a large industry across Scotland with boating at its centre but which sits outwith our own facilities structure. We connect to the industry through membership of common interest bodies and direct dialogue while clubs and training centres may also make connections more directly with local businesses.

Our position within this industry is as the Governing Body in Scotland and the voice of the recreational boating community whom we believe to be a key stakeholder in and substantial beneficiary from the sustained growth of the boating industry. Our role in this context is to promote and protect safe, successful and rewarding boating across Scotland and represent the interests of our clubs and members.

There are a range of facility developments that are likely to improve the experience of the boating community and which in many cases would fit with our priorities even though their genesis may lie with a purely commercial prospect. We note that these developments are equally applicable to individual clubs at a varying scales and are therefore valid options for club based facility development. The majority of these can be strongly associated with marine tourism and are therefore key aspects of our interest in the Marine Tourism Development Strategy, ‘Awakening the Giant’. Without producing an exhaustive list the facilities that would be of greatest interest to RYA Scotland would be;

SlipwaysPublic and privately owned slipways whether charging or not, provide a means of accessing the water for boating activity. These enable small craft such as dinghies, day sailing boats, trailer sailors, powerboats and personal water craft to launch and recover at a given location. The number of slipways across Scotland presents considerable options for visiting new and different localities to undertake boating activities. RYA Scotland is supportive of slipway developments where access to the water can be improved and is available to the boating community either freely or at sensible cost. In the same way a slipway can be an enormous asset to a club and for many would be a fundamental improvement to accessing the water.

PontoonsPontoons are ideal for attracting cruising yachts and motor cruisers to a locality as they offer a secure stopping point and convenient access to shore-based facilities.By improving the access to shore, pontoon developments in remote and rural coastal communities are demonstrably adding to the local economy through shore side spend associated with the cruising fraternity i.e. the fee for staying on the pontoon plus additional expenditure ashore on food, drink and accommodation.

Pontoons are quickly becoming a development of choice for clubs as they provide for a safe and stable leaving / landing area without the need for a crew member to jump out into shallow water or for a boat to be immediately derigged and trailered up a shoreline. They support quick turnaround on training courses and improve access for the less able.

RYA Scotland welcomes the growth of pontoon installations provided they do not affect the option to anchor freely.

MooringsSimilar to pontoons, the provision of a secure mooring is also a good means of attracting cruising yachts and motor cruisers to a locality. Again they offer a high degree of security, particularly in areas where deep water extends close to shore and makes anchoring difficult or impossible, and they are known to make a valuable contribution to the local economy.


RYA Scotland welcomes the growth of mooring installations where these facilities are properly maintained and do not affect the option to anchor freely.

MarinasNew marina developments are becoming more common across Scotland with many appearing in very remote locations including the Western Isles and Shetland. Effectively pontoon developments within a protected (usually walled) area, marinas offer very safe overnight and longer term residency options for yachts and motor cruisers along with shore side facilities that meet the broadest range of boating needs from toilets and showers, food and drink right through to storage, maintenance, hoisting, repairs and chandlery.

Additionally, marinas are increasingly the social hub for the boating community with onsite bar and restaurant facilities and engaging in programmed activity for berth holders or hosting major events in the boating calendar. The RYA recognises these marinas with the ‘RYA Active Marina’ branding and listing on our website. Yacht and motor cruising is also evolving with the option of ‘marina hopping’ becoming the favoured practice whereby boats will plan their route and destination based on the availability of a marina berth for the night as opposed to the more traditional option of anchoring.

RYA Scotland welcomes the growth of marina facilities across Scotland.

Harbours and dredgingHarbours have been a part of boating for as long as boating has taken place. Traditionally focussed on providing safe havens for commercial vessels or as a part of the transport network for an historical local industry; their size, locality and accessibility vary greatly.

With the expansion of the recreational boating industry, many harbours have been developed to cater for the needs of the recreational boating community.

A significant proportion of harbours remain under the management of Local Authorities, particularly so on the East Coast. RYA Scotland is keen to embed the development of recreational boating facilities into the present use and development planning process of local authority managed harbours in order to support reasonable access, charging and appropriate development for recreational boat usage. RYA Scotland will seek to influence charging structures which are commonly not reflective of the financial realities of local recreational boating activities.

A particular challenge for harbours, especially in the east coast estuaries, is silting and the need to dredge to maintain depths. RYA Scotland recognises the value of investing in dredging activity for these harbours to benefit from the opportunities present in recreational boating and marine tourism and for the boating community to benefit from improved access to the water.

This is balanced by the need to advocate for realistic and affordable charges levied by harbour authorities and challenge charging policies which adversely affect small and recreational craft.

ActionsThis policy will guide us (and others) in the delivery of the relevant areas of our overall strategy. In this context RYA Scotland will:

Continue to work with existing clubs and stakeholders to maintain and enhance existing facilities,

Prepare a self-evaluation module for clubs in connection with the repair and maintenance of existing facilities to form part of our Club Development Framework,

Pursue facilities planning activity with clubs and all stakeholders to meet the aspirations of the long term strategic development of our sport.


Advocate for the continued investment in a national centre and the world class facilities at Largs Sailing Club.

Engage with BMF Scotland et al in the roll out of the Marine Tourism Strategy for Scotland where this offers opportunities to develop facilities for our sport.

Engage actively with government and all other stakeholders to ensure that the management of Crown Estate assets in Scotland is undertaken in a manner supportive to our sport, and not regressive.


Appendix 1Minimum Facility Requirements The requirements listed below are to be considered a minimum. Existing clubs and their corresponding facility development requirements vary extensively across Scotland, predominantly in line with the immediate environment they operate in and on as well as the offer from the club in terms of scope and level of training they might provide. Allowance must be made for this considerable variation and queries should be directed to the RYA Scotland office in the first instance.

There are also numerous operational requirements associated with these types of facility, notably RYA Champion Clubs and for those seeking recognition as an RYA Sailability Centre. These are available from the RYA Scotland Office or from the RYA website www.RYA.org.uk

RYA Affiliated Clubs

Shore side Changing, toilet and shower facilitiesSafe launching and access to water

Safety Safety Boat coverFirst aid provision

Fleet Any boats of any kind

Communications VHF base stationVHF afloat (1 per safety boat)Telephone ashore

Other Established operational procedures for:Club Activities

RYA Training Centres

Shore side Changing, toilet and shower facilitiesSafe launching and access to water(The above assume water based courses are offered – not applicable to shore based training only centres)

Training aids relevant to courses offeredTraining room(s) relevant to courses offered

Safety Safety Boat cover 1:10 ratio relevant to courses offeredQualified First Aiders and first aid equipmentQualified instructors with ratios as per Guidance notes

Fleet Training boats relevant to courses offered(e.g. entry level sailing dinghies (junior and adult), racing sailing


http://www.RYA.org.uk/

dinghies (junior and adult), powerboats


Other Established operational procedures for:Each training activity

Comply with guidance notesFacilitate annual inspection

RYA Champion Clubs

Shore side Changing, toilet and shower facilitiesSafe launching and access to waterWet / Dry Training room(s)Race training aids for shore based coachingRace training aids for water based coaching

Safety Safety Boat cover 1:10 ratioAdditional Coaching boatQualified First Aiders and first aid equipment

Fleet 4-6 boats from RYA Scotland Pathway classes*


Other Established operational procedures for:Each training activity andRace training activity

Minimum of one Race Coach Level 2

*RYA Scotland Pathway classes are listed below

Competition VenuesClass Academy, Club Championship and Traveller Series Venues

Shore side Changing, toilet and shower facilities for up to 100 competitorsSafe launching and access to waterWet / Dry Training room(s) (Academies)Separate space for competitor briefingsSeparate rooms for Race Management / OfficialsRace training aids for shore based coaching (Academies)Race training aids for water based coaching (Academies)Capacity to cater for up to 100 competitors


Safety Safety Boat cover 1:10 ratio (may be acquired from other clubs)Qualified First Aiders and first aid equipment in each boat

Fleet N/A


Other Established operational procedures for:Event Delivery

Marks and Tackle sufficient for up to two race courses with gates.Sufficient capable / qualified: Event Director, Race Officers, Safety Boat Drivers, Mark Layers for up to two race courses.Suitable Committee boats for up to two race courses

UK Championship Venues

Shoreside Changing, toilet and shower facilities for up to 350 competitorsSpace for boat park/rigging area of up to 300 boatsAdequate space for car parking for participants and spectatorsCatering facilities for competitors onsite.Catering for spectators onsite or nearbySpace to facilitate whole event gatherings (e.g marquees)Meeting rooms for organisers and for teamsSeparate rooms for Race Management / OfficialsSeparate space for competitor briefingsAll tide access to water on a solid surface slip way

Safety Designated event safety officerSafety Boat cover 1:10 ratio (may be acquired from other clubs)Qualified First Aiders and first aid equipment in each boat

Fleet Not applicable

Communications VHF base stationVHF afloat (1 per safety boat)Telephone ashoreAccessible broadband connection for competition organisers

Other Significant accommodation in the local areaTally boards, marks, flags, safety fleet flagsEstablished operational procedures for:

Event DeliveryMarks and Tackle sufficient for up to four race courses with gates.Sufficient capable / qualified: Event Director, Race Officers, Safety Boat Drivers, Mark Layers for up to four race courses.Suitable Committee boats for up to four race courses


World Sailing Championship Venues

Shore side Changing, toilet and shower facilities for up to 350 competitorsSpace for boat park/rigging area of up to 300 boatsAdequate space for car parking for participants and spectatorsCatering facilities for competitors onsite.Catering for spectators onsite or nearbySpace to facilitate whole event gatherings (e.g marquees)Meeting rooms for organisers and for teamsSeparate rooms for Race Management / OfficialsDedicated Event Management OfficeSeparate space for competitor briefingsAll tide access to water on a solid surface slip way

Safety Designated event safety officerSafety Boat cover 1:10 ratio (may be acquired from other clubs)Qualified First Aiders and first aid equipment in each boatDesignated exclusive sailing area with controlled access.Onsite emergency medical support

Fleet N/A

Communications VHF base stationVHF afloat (1 per safety boat)Dedicated private event channelTelephone ashoreAccessible high speed broadband connection for competition organisers

Other Accommodation for 120 officialsSignificant accommodation in the local areaTally boards, marks, flags, safety fleet flagsEstablished operational procedures for:

Event Delivery ISO 20122Marks and Tackle sufficient for up to five race courses with gates.Sufficient capable / qualified: Event Director, Race Officers, Safety Boat Drivers, Mark Layers for up to five race courses (May be provided by National Organisation / World Sailing, may be professional)Suitable Committee boats for up to five race courses.

NOTE: World Sailing may change these requirements. Updates are available from www.sailing.org

National Centre Shore side Car and dinghy park

Staffed receptionSeparate storage and maintenance areas


http://www.sailing.org/

Separate changing rooms and showers for participants and instructorsDry and wet classroom areasAudio Visual Equipment in all classroom areasInteractive white boardsWheelchair access to all training areasInduction loop in main training and recreational areas

Training A range of permanent fixed buoys and inflatable training marksOn water video capture training aidsWater access via concrete slipway at all states of tideJetty / pontoons accessible at all states of tideStrength and conditioning gym and equipment

Fleet Covering all aspects of boatingProvision for novice instruction through to advanced levels of personal proficiency

Safety 5 x RIBsFirst Aiders and first aid equipmentHeartstart defibrillator and trained staffDaily duty managerNightwatch cover

Communications Private VHF channel

Accommodation For up to 60.Twin ensuite or private shower roomWheelchair access to minimum 50% of roomsCatering for full capacity offering alternate options for vegetarian as standard and other specific dietary needs on request.

Pathway ClassesThe RYA Scotland Performance Pathway feeds into the GB Olympic programme. We provide a full programme of training and coaching opportunities for selected athletes in our Pathway Classes. We will support volunteer driven activity to develop future sailors in our Supported Classes and recognise the value of the RS Tera and Topper 4.2 in introducing racing to younger and smaller sailors..

Pathway Classes Supported Class Recognised Classes

OlympicBIC TechnoOptimistTopperLaser (all rigs)42029erRS:X

RS Feva XL RS TeraTopper 4.2

ParalympicHansa2.4m


Documents

RYAS Strategy draft 10 Dec 14 sportscotland … · Web viewPublic and privately owned slipways whether charging or not, provide a means of accessing the water for boating activity