RYA Subscription Cancelled

[Sandy]

After many years membership I've cancelled my Gold Card Subscription. The change in logo and the reply attempting to justify the decision in the usual meeting 'bullshit bingo' was the last straw.

I'll have a few more beer tokens to spend in the club bar.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

What are the other reasons because the logo change is irrelevant, in my opinion, to the work that they do?

 

[Stemar]

I came to the conclusion a long time ago that my subscription was better sent the RNLI.

 

[footsoldier]

Yes. I too kicked it into touch a few years back. Showed all the signs of (yet another) organisation that had totally lost track of its original purpose and was going pell-mell down the woke/politically correct/eco route.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

The RYA has always been a racing organisation and then grew into cruising, followed post war as an organisation that had a competency scheme.

It looks after members interests and represents various non members interests. Part of the interests is ensuring participation and removing barriers to participation of which racism, bigotry, sexism and homophobia have all played their part, both actual and perceived. Hence the RYA have adopted an inclusive approach and developed policy that supports the rights of all individuals to enjoy water sports free from discrimination.

They have been fairly successful in promoting and developing racing, supporting clubs and coaching and defending against restrictive proposals.

I’ll continue to support them, even though their logo change appeared pointless to me. I like their inclusive, anti bigot agenda and do appreciate their Olympic programme, although racing is not my cup of tea.

 

[doug748]

After many years membership I've cancelled my Gold Card Subscription. The change in logo and the reply attempting to justify the decision in the usual meeting 'bullshit bingo' was the last straw.

I'll have a few more beer tokens to spend in the club bar.

Amen to that.

Their clueless, negative, supine lack of attention to the situation around Studland Bay finished me off. Like a lot of organisations formed for a specific purpose they seem to have taken up some overtly political campaigning agenda; not with my money.

A girl rang me up to ask why I had not renewed, when I told her she did not seem surprised. I suggest all those who decline should let them know why.

.

 

[Mudisox]

A bit like the National Trust, they seem to have forgotten to really look after their many volunteers.

 

[Davy_S]

I cancelled years ago, although they still send me emails with their news, i simply pay to renew my ICC with them.

 

[rotrax]

I came to the conclusion a long time ago that my subscription was better sent the RNLI.

Me too.

 

[Sandy]

What are the other reasons because the logo change is irrelevant, in my opinion, to the work that they do?

Lack of support of the cruising community sort of sums it up in a nutshell and to a lesser extent spreading themselves too thinly, e.g. inland waterways.

I feel the organisation has lost steerage and we all understand what that can lead to.

 

[steveeasy]

Cancelled mine too. Ive signed up to the RNLI as at least you see a benefit and a very worthy one too.

Steveeasy

 

[zoidberg]

The RYA has had more reincarnations than 'Doctor Who'..... more shifts of policy..... more PR remakes.....
I've watched the shifts - sometimes on the sidelines, sometimes not - from their days as the small Yacht Racing Association, not quite cutting the mustard, in Woking.... through their time in Eastleigh under the smooth-as-butter brigadiers.... and on into the posh premises and plush carpets of RYA Towers in Hamble.

I've attended meetings of their Sail Cruising Committee as a 'delegate' from one of the affiliated racing/cruising associations, where I was told 'You are not here to represent your members' interests and views to the RYA, but to represent the RYA's views to your members.' Back in those days, we'd receive about 2kg of paper to read through ahead of SCC meetings, 'to inform and guide'. I commented later that Minutes of Previous Meetings didn't seem to reflect what we'd voted for and against, I was advised that the rough contemporaneous minutes were routinely reviewed by a Member of Council - and revised. My comment, that it would save us much time and expense if 'Our Decisions' could be sent to us together with the package of briefing bumf so we wouldn't then have to attend the pointless meetings, was not well received.

I raised the concerns of the then-small group of Surfers Against Sewage and was told they were irrelevant to the deliberations of the RYA's SCC and none of my business. A year or so later, the winds of public opinion had changed and consequently so had the the RYA. Hence the 'Blue/Green'....

By chance I attended a 'public meeting' early one morning in a side room at one Earls Court Boat Show - a consultation on the embryo Recreational Craft Directive - where other attendees were all representatives of the boating industry, plus the RYA. No-one from the Cruising Association or any other membership body. It became apparent that the RYA's primary, perhaps only, concern was to be anointed as an Appointed Body for CE Certification i.e. an income stream. One outcome was that manufacturers of large multihulls were not required to fit escape hatches - although most already had them in their moulds thus no additonal cost - while smaller ones weren't so required either, although there was a catalogue of deaths attributable to 'entrapment after inversion' relating to smaller, mostly French, multihulls.
The RYA's representative refused point blank to take that valid concern on board.

Then there was the period when, in response to pressure from a cartel of sailing schools, the 'Zero to Hero' regime was brought in, with a much watered-down requirement for cumulative experience and a much increased increase in requirement for costly courses. Again, 'income streams'.

During part of this time, I taught the Shorebased Syllabus ( among other training involvements ) at a local city college, growing from one night to four nights per week for over a decade. We paid each year for Assessment Visits. While I knew their Training Staff people quite frequently drove past en route to somewhere else, not once did we benefit from a visit - and I could have done with some helpful input at times.

I'm well aware that the RYA has grown fat on the efforts of hundreds of stalwart volunteers over the many years, but it seems to me their notions of Diversity encompasses just the bureaucratic urge to grow bigger each year and gather into the fold every possible corner of human recreational activity that gets wet.

The RYA is a business. Last time I looked it was headed up by a marketing specialist. It has NO statutory standing, relying on toady patronage and networking among Whitehall civil servants.

Says it all to me.

 

[B27]

I dropped my personal sub to the RYA a few years ago.
I'm still a member of two affiliated clubs.
And a class association
It's a useful trade body if you are in the 'yotmaster' training industry.

I feel it's become too focused on being an industry which takes lottery money and produces olympic medals.

 

[MontyMariner]

I joined for a couple of years when I was a dewy eyed novice.

 

[laika]

The change in logo and the reply attempting to justify the decision in the usual meeting 'bullshit bingo' was the last straw.

You got a reply?? When I asked about the cost and expected return on the rebranding I got no reply at all.

 

[Bobc]

I think we get more support from the Cruising Association than from the RYA.

Better to spend your subscription with them.

 

[dunedin]

Clearly they don’t market themselves very well to cruising sailors, but I know that behind the scenes they do a heck of a lot to represent the interests of all boaters, including cruising yachtsmen.
This has included trying to minimise the adverse impact of the Bxxxxx - eg trying to clarify position on VAT joint success in at least one element, getting HMRC to waive the 3 year rule on boats returning to UK under the same ownership. They alongside CA also fought hard to get changed the imposition of VAT on bought bought in EU27 whilst UK was part of EU, but HMRC would not agree.
They also have lobbied hard on yacht diesel, the proposed imposition of the same rules introduced for “jet skis” (which as drafted would have included canoes, rowing boats and and small sailing dinghies), and respond to lots of planning requests.
The grumblies will always grumble, and they certainly didn’t do the,selves any favours with the logo change. But I know that they are best placed to try to minimise the increasing role of bureaucracy onto cruising sailors so happy to pay my annual,fee.
PS. Yes the CA also does great stuff, and proud to be a member of both (though RYA subscription is 1/3 of cost of CA). But there is no doubt that when influencing the Govt there is no substitute for being the recognised national sporting body, which RYA is.

 

[ctva]

I'm only in the RYA to keep my appointments valid.

As to the RNLI, I' stopped paying them a while back as they are an even bigger bloated corporate whale and a taxi service on the south coast. Better to support the independent ILBs.

 

[Frogmogman]

If it’s any consolation, I didn’t renew my subscription to the French equivalent, the FFV. I only needed it as one is required to have an FFV licence to participate in regattas such as the Voiles de St Tropez.

As my opportunity for competing in such events has gone, I have preferred to give the cash to the SNSM.

 

[rotrax]

The RYA has had more reincarnations than 'Doctor Who'..... more shifts of policy..... more PR remakes.....
I've watched the shifts - sometimes on the sidelines, sometimes not - from their days as the small Yacht Racing Association, not quite cutting the mustard, in Woking.... through their time in Eastleigh under the smooth-as-butter brigadiers.... and on into the posh premises and plush carpets of RYA Towers in Hamble.

I've attended meetings of their Sail Cruising Committee as a 'delegate' from one of the affiliated racing/cruising associations, where I was told 'You are not here to represent your members' interests and views to the RYA, but to represent the RYA's views to your members.' Back in those days, we'd receive about 2kg of paper to read through ahead of SCC meetings, 'to inform and guide'. I commented later that Minutes of Previous Meetings didn't seem to reflect what we'd voted for and against, I was advised that the rough contemporaneous minutes were routinely reviewed by a Member of Council - and revised. My comment, that it would save us much time and expense if 'Our Decisions' could be sent to us together with the package of briefing bumf so we wouldn't then have to attend the pointless meetings, was not well received.

I raised the concerns of the then-small group of Surfers Against Sewage and was told they were irrelevant to the deliberations of the RYA's SCC and none of my business. A year or so later, the winds of public opinion had changed and consequently so had the the RYA. Hence the 'Blue/Green'....

By chance I attended a 'public meeting' early one morning in a side room at one Earls Court Boat Show - a consultation on the embryo Recreational Craft Directive - where other attendees were all representatives of the boating industry, plus the RYA. No-one from the Cruising Association or any other membership body. It became apparent that the RYA's primary, perhaps only, concern was to be anointed as an Appointed Body for CE Certification i.e. an income stream. One outcome was that manufacturers of large multihulls were not required to fit escape hatches - although most already had them in their moulds thus no additonal cost - while smaller ones weren't so required either, although there was a catalogue of deaths attributable to 'entrapment after inversion' relating to smaller, mostly French, multihulls.
The RYA's representative refused point blank to take that valid concern on board.

Then there was the period when, in response to pressure from a cartel of sailing schools, the 'Zero to Hero' regime was brought in, with a much watered-down requirement for cumulative experience and a much increased increase in requirement for costly courses. Again, 'income streams'.

During part of this time, I taught the Shorebased Syllabus ( among other training involvements ) at a local city college, growing from one night to four nights per week for over a decade. We paid each year for Assessment Visits. While I knew their Training Staff people quite frequently drove past en route to somewhere else, not once did we benefit from a visit - and I could have done with some helpful input at times.

I'm well aware that the RYA has grown fat on the efforts of hundreds of stalwart volunteers over the many years, but it seems to me their notions of Diversity encompasses just the bureaucratic urge to grow bigger each year and gather into the fold every possible corner of human recreational activity that gets wet.

The RYA is a business. Last time I looked it was headed up by a marketing specialist. It has NO statutory standing, relying on toady patronage and networking among Whitehall civil servants.

Says it all to me.

A precis of your post could easily be :-

"The RYA are Crap!"

I have much experience of Motorsports Governing Bodies, both in the UK and in other countries.

The RYA by comparison does not look out for a lot of its members. Especially the cruising ones.

My money is with the CA, with regular donations to the RNLI.

And the odd box of donuts on training night at the local station................................................