Hollowell Sailing Club crowned 2012 RYA Club of the Year

Hollowell Sailing Club are the 2012 RYA Club of the Year © RYA

Hollowell Sailing Club are the 2012 RYA Club of the Year. The club received their award from Team Volvo and Skandia Team GBR's Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills and RYA CEO Sarah Treseder, at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show yesterday (Saturday 03 March 2012).

At the eagerly awaited awards ceremony, Hollowell SC were picked as the overall winners from amongst five strong finalists including Chichester Yacht Club, Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club, Salcombe Yacht Club and Staunton Herald Sailing Club.

The shortlisted sailing clubs were selected by an awards panel who judged them on the range of quality and safe activities they provide, how they encourage people to get out on the water and how well they engage with the local community.

Previously RYA Club of the Year Award finalists in 2009 and 2011, Hollowell SC has made great strides in creating even more opportunities for local people to get involved in sailing over the past 12 months and immediately stood out to the awards panel.

With strong links to many local schools and youth groups, their RYA OnBoard sessions provide the perfect opportunity for other family members to come along to the club and also enjoy their first taste of sailing. Meanwhile, as a Volvo RYA Champion Club, talented youngsters are frequently fed into the RYA's World Class racing programmes.

The club also hosts successful, popular annual Open Days with last year's event attracting around 147 through the gates. An incredible 83% of the adult and junior members who joined the club last year had no previous sailing experience.

Club members Russell Brayshaw and Nicola Wilkinson spoke to reporter Anna Sills just after receiving the award:

Jackie Bennetts, who coordinates RYA Club of the Year explains: "Hollowell Sailing Club are very worthy winners of this year's award. Not only do they continually make improvements to the equipment and facilities but they have an excellent vision for the future. We hope other clubs will learn from their success".

"We are absolutely delighted to have been named RYA Club of the Year. We knew we had stiff competition but we had no idea we would be crowned as the winners" said Russell Brayshaw, Hollowell Club Commodore.

"It's a great way to celebrate what we do, and we will really be making the most of it as it's the Olympic Year. We hope it will help us to attract even more members" he concluded.

Thank you to Gallagher Heath for supporting the award.

For more information about RYA Club if the Year visit: www.rya.org.uk/aboutus/awards/Pages/RYACluboftheYearAnnounced.aspx