RYA Together on Water Strategy Targets Twice as Many Active Participants

A decade-long ambition for boating participation

The Royal Yachting Association and British Sailing unveiled a refreshed Together on Water strategy on 17 September 2026, setting out an ambitious ten-year programme to broaden participation. The central targets include doubling active participation in water-based activities and helping ten million people develop a meaningful connection to blue spaces. These are ambitions for the coming decade, not results already achieved.

The strategy builds on an initiative first launched in 2023, with a stronger emphasis on the reasons people remain involved after their first experience. For local dinghy clubs, paddleboarding groups and community sailing centres, success depends on people finding welcoming places where regular activity fits into family schedules and budgets.

Four priorities underpin the proposed work

The RYA groups its strategy into four broad areas: More People, More Often; More Backgrounds; Better Blue Spaces; and Brilliant Basics. Together they cover the initial invitation to participate, a sense of belonging, care for the environment and the operational support required to make programmes work. That combination matters because increasing participation is not simply an advertising exercise.

A club can attract several curious families to an open day but lose them if follow-up sessions are unavailable or if equipment and tuition are difficult to arrange. Training centres and volunteers therefore form a crucial bridge between an introductory activity and a sustainable new hobby. Clear information on costs and suitable courses will be particularly important.

Listening to people beyond established sailing circles

The revised programme draws on the RYA's Reflections on Water survey and National Watersports Participation Survey. The organisation says people often seek the water because of how it makes them feel, while supportive communities and fewer barriers encourage them to return. These findings have implications for both competitive sailing and casual weekend boating.

A newcomer might be more interested in confidence, social connection or a relaxing paddle than formal qualifications or regatta results. Providing varied ways to join in could help associations avoid presenting one narrow image of what a sailor looks like. Disabled participants, young families and people without their own boats should be able to see realistic entry points.

Protecting waterways while welcoming more users

The Better Blue Spaces priority recognises that activity depends on healthy, accessible waters. Clubs will need to consider environmental care alongside growth, including the condition of launch areas, local habitats and practical waste management. A larger participant community can contribute positively when responsibility is built into routine club practices.

The strategy also places emphasis on leadership, volunteering and careers, recognising the people who sustain safe activities behind the scenes. For Leisure Boat Guide readers, the development provides a long-term framework rather than a single event to attend. Its value will be measured in the availability and quality of real opportunities at local waterside venues.