Becoming a Volvo RYA Champion Club 

The RYA constantly works in partnership with sailing clubs through the Volvo RYA Champion Club Scheme to help them establish or enhance their junior race training programmes.

 

The key challenge for the sport is to encourage more young people to start participating in sailing and then progressing with their racing careers. This is best done at Club level and a successful Junior and Youth Programme will enable a club to flourish.

 

As a Volvo RYA Champion Club, your club would enjoy the support and help of the RYA in achieving its aims. Volvo RYA Champion Clubs are entitled to a series of benefits, including development advice and support from their local RYA High Performance Manager on:

• Continuously recruiting young sailors into the sport at the right age for them to have the best chances of achieving success in the future.
• Recruiting, training and contracting in coaches to support the delivery of club programmes.
• Providing a safe training and racing environment.
• Increasing the level of parental volunteer support.
• Making the best use of the Class Open Training programmes and open competition circuits.
• The structure of the club programme to optimise the development of young sailors and retain them.
• Promoting the programme.
• Securing additional financial support resources.

In addition, the RYA (to be accessed via your local HPM) will provide access to the following benefits:

• The accreditation and branding of an RYA Centre of Excellence
• A contracted part time RYA Class Coach to deliver free coaching days at your club
• Access to best practice workshops on a range of topics delivered locally at Volvo RYA Champion Club Conferences
• Assistance and expert advice in compiling a club development plan in order to enable clubs to meet their objectives
• Training of club volunteers to gain their RYA Racing Coach Level 2 qualification
• Consultancy and support from your local HPM
• Discounted prices on selected Henri Lloyd sailing kit for club coaches/Volunteers - click on link on the right hand side to download more info.
• Volvo RYA Champion Club newsletters, keeping clubs, coaches, and sailors up to date with all the latest developments and forthcoming events in junior racing
• Discounted access to RYA Sailsmart Clinics and National Coaching Conferences
• Accreditation. All Volvo RYA Champion Clubs receive the commemorative club plaque, Club Flag and official branding rights
• The opportunity to develop links to gain additional financial support
• Where a new car is purchased by a RYA member of a Volvo RYA Champion Club, said club can claim £100 upon registration. This amount will be paid by Volvo Car UK Limited direct to the Volvo RYA Champion Club upon receipt of a Volvo Car UK Limited claim form. For further details of this offer please visit: Volvo Affinity Deal

For further details on the process of becoming a Volvo RYA Champion Club, or if you are an existing Champion Club who would like further information on the scheme, please contact the High Performance Manager for your Zone.

 

WHAT DOES MY CLUB HAVE TO DO TO BECOME A VOLVO RYA CHAMPION CLUB?

A Volvo RYA Champion Club is a club continually introducing young people into racing with a view to:

•  Developing their enthusiasm and talent so that as many as possible gain places in the RYA Zone/ Home Country Squads.
• Encouraging and supporting their ongoing development within the RYA Junior and Youth Sailing Programme.

Volvo RYA Champion Clubs should have the human and physical resources to achieve these aims.

As a Volvo RYA Champion Club, the club will enjoy the support and help of the RYA and be entitled to a range of benefits created for Volvo RYA Champion Clubs (see above).

Your local RYA High Performance Manager will assist your club to develop and meet the criteria and guidelines laid out below.

Guidelines

In making awards, the RYA High Performance Managers will be looking to ensure that Clubs:

1.) Provide a structured Junior Race Training Programme in a minimum of one RYA Recognised Junior Class - Optimist, BIC Techno 293 OD, Topper, Mirror, Cadet, RS Feva, RS Tera and Laser 4.7.

The programme should:

• Provide regular, class specific racing and coaching.
• Comprise a minimum of one Start Racing and Intermediate Racing course per season.
• Encourage sailors to attend relevant open training and competition meetings.
• Encourage sailors to attend RYA Zone Squad qualifiers, RYA Zone Championships and other relevant Class Association events

2.) Guide their promising youngsters into the recognised youth classes at the appropriate age.

3.) Have sufficient numbers of a recognised junior class of boat (members or club owned), equipment and qualified personnel to achieve the aims of partnership.