Over the May Bank holiday weekend, RYA Northern Ireland hosted its Women on Water Festival at Ballyholme Yacht Club, giving attendees with little or no experience in sailing the opportunity to explore a variety of water-based activities under the guidance of local experts.
Following the event, one of the participants, Ruth Farr, said, "It's been a brilliant day. It was great to get out on the water to try different things - I felt more confident in a group. You can take it at your own pace, which is amazing, but I've also found the experience very sociable and when you're doing an activity, you bond with people quickly. I'm coming up to retirement age and definitely feel like this would be something I would love to do more of."
Throughout the day, those involved had the opportunity to try yachting, dinghy sailing, powerboating, stand-up-paddleboarding and windsurfing, highlighting the fact that there is often a water-based activity to suit everyone.
Another participant, Elena Samuel, said, "There's been a good mix of different activities, and everyone has been really friendly because most people have come on their own. I actually met somebody who lives five minutes from my house that I had never talked to before."
Founder and director of RBCA, Ross Boyd, concluded, "We are confident that with our support and influence, RYA Northern Ireland will see more women and girls taking to the water at clubs right across the region.
"This partnership aligns perfectly to our broader vision. Since we opened our doors in 2010, we have made it our mission to set a leading example in gender diversity and have achieved and maintained a 50:50 male to female split for the past decade. This commitment is also reflected at senior level with 50 per cent of our senior roles held by women, compared to an average of 20 per cent industry wide."
For more information on RYA Northern Ireland and ways to get involved, visit :-
www.rya.org.uk/gbni/ryani
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