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Double the number of people participating in water sports within ten years
The Royal Yachting Association has set itself an ambitious goal: to double active participation in water sports in the United Kingdom over the next 10 years. Its ?Together on Water? strategy, initially launched in 2023 and updated in September 2026, also aims to enable 10 million people to develop a connection with the water.
The RYA is not just focused on regatta sailors, boat owners, or Yachtmaster candidates. More broadly, it seeks to increase participation in water-based activities and build loyalty among new participants.
The British organization starts from a rather unoptimistic observation: some people still view sailing and water sports as difficult to access. In November 2025, when it launched its ?Reflections on Water? survey, the RYA explicitly acknowledged that participation was on the decline.
This might reassure the French: even across the Channel, being born on an island is clearly not enough to make a raincoat and a pair of boots magically appear in your closet.
Break down barriers before filling the ports
The strategy is organized around four pillars. The first is to increase the number of participants and the frequency with which they go sailing. The second aims to welcome a more diverse range of people. The third focuses on protecting aquatic environments. The fourth, called ?Brilliant Basics,? encompasses the structures, systems, and organizational framework necessary for the overall operation of the program.
Behind the institutional jargon lies a question familiar to French sailing clubs: How can we turn a first experience on the water into a lifelong hobby?
In particular, the RYA believes that growth depends on reducing barriers to entry and welcoming new audiences. Its ?Reflections on Water? survey is intended to identify these barriers and guide its future programs.
The issue goes beyond simply increasing the number of licenses or memberships. The strategy incorporates volunteerism, training, access to careers in the sector, and the development of local communities. In this regard, the network serves as a powerful lever: the RYA boasts more than 100,000 members and more than 2,000 accredited training centers in the United Kingdom.
Sailing as a Part of British Identity
The RYA is adding a cultural dimension to its project. It believes that, in an island nation, the relationship with water should be part of the national identity.
The French might, of course, argue that there was no need to wait until 2026 to discover that the British had a certain connection to the sea. A few centuries of naval history, a few regattas, and a certain America?s Cup had already let that information slip out.
But behind this little battle over flags lies a much more serious issue. Both sides of the English Channel are faced with the need to attract new participants, make it easier to join clubs, and prevent sailing from being perceived as an activity reserved for those who already know the ropes.
The British approach is therefore worth examining not so much for its slogans as for its results. Doubling participation within ten years is a measurable goal. However, it will be necessary to know the exact starting point and to track the indicators used by the RYA to measure this participation.
