THE Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club has been shortlisted for a national award following a hugely successful year for its racing and training programme.

The club is one of 10 finalists for the 2020 RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, supported by Gallagher.

The overall winner is to be determined by a public vote which opened on Friday, December 13.

Dedicated volunteers at the family-friendly club run a busy social, racing and training programme to make sailing and windsurfing accessible for all ages and abilities, with activities ranging from grassroots opportunities to get more people on the water to national championships attracting competitors from across the UK.

Located at Grimwith Reservoir, the club gained official accreditation in 2019 from the sport’s governing body, the Royal Yachting Association, to become an RYA Recognised Training Centre. It was also awarded RYA OnBoard status for inspiring the next generation and developing future talent through its outstanding work with children and young people, and given a £10,000 Sport England grant for five new boats to support its training.

Commodore Richard Paynter said: “We have a fabulous expanse of water and a fantastic state-of-the-art club house but I think what makes our club really special is the huge amount of effort that all the volunteers put into running the racing and training so effectively as it is this positive attitude which makes our club so inclusive for all.

“We are part of the community of the Yorkshire Dales and try to provide a valuable resource for the local area where people can take part in watersports, walk around the reservoir or attend events hosted by the club. It would be great if people could vote for us.”

The annual awards scheme recognises the outstanding achievements of sailing clubs across the UK and shares examples of best practise, demonstrating the hard work and commitment that goes into running a successful club.

RYA programmes manager Michelle Gent added: “The awards panel was inspired to see how much activity goes on in clubs all year round and the number of volunteers who go that extra mile to make it all happen.”

Grimwith Reservoir is owned by Yorkshire Water and covers 371 acres of open water almost 1000′ above sea level with a sailing area measuring about a mile by half a mile. The north west corner is a conservation area for wildlife.

A comprehensive range of sailing activities are available to members. The club has a very strong dinghy racing section and club racing is provided throughout the year. Regular Open events for different classes of boat are also held, including Inland Championships. Casual sailing can also take place most of the time the club is open.

The club provides a wide range of training activities, covering dinghy sailing, windsurfing and Powerboat handling. These courses are very popular and training events are held nearly every weekend through the summer.

For further information and to cast your vote go to the online awards page at http://awards.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/rya/ Voting ends on Monday, January 27.2 The winner will be announced at the RYA Dinghy Show in February.