A Royal Seal of Approval

We welcomed a very special visitor to the Seaview Sailing Trust in May 2024. HRH The Princess Royal, herself a very keen sailor, set off from the Sea View Yacht Club slipway to watch a group of children from St Marys Catholic Primary School in Ryde enjoying a teaching session in our fleet of Pico dinghies.

Crowds of visitors and well-wishers including teachers and students from other primary schools in the area, as well as Sea View Yacht Club members, lined the beach and The Duver to welcome HRH Princess Anne as she chatted with the children as they de-rigged their boats on the beach.

HRH The Princess Royal later officially opened the Sea View Yacht Club's new Royal Yachting Association training centre and boat park, revealing a plaque which reads:
The Sea View Yacht Club Training Centre and Boat Park, opened by HRH The Princess Royal, President, Royal Yachting Association on 16th May 2024.

Speaking after the visit, our SST Chair, Andrea Minton Beddoes, remarked For such a young charity, this royal visit was an incredible honour… HRH The Princess Royal left Seaview today with a real understanding of how these sailing lessons are transforming childrens lives - developing vital life skills such as confidence building, teamwork, as well as learning to sail.

HRH The Princess Royal has recently been revealed as the new Patron of the Island Sailing Club in Cowes, showing her dedication to both the sport of sailing and the Isle of Wight. During her visit, she spoke about the power of sport, proclaiming of the Seaview Sailing Trust programme: All Olympians have to start somewhere! - a wonderful boost for our young budding sailors.

During the visit, Jane Sandy, a Year 5 teacher from St Marys Catholic Primary School said that through the programme her students had gained in confidence… The sense of achievement is absolutely wonderful. While one of her students, 10-year-old Aimee Carter, spoke of how proud she was to meet the Princess and show her how they were all learning to sail in Seaview.

Royal Yachting Association CEO Sara Sutcliffe was also in attendance and spoke warmly of the impact of the Seaview Sailing Trusts work:

"The work of the Seaview Sailing Trust in reaching out into the local community is inspirational. Giving children from so many local schools the opportunity to get out on the water in a fun and safe environment will have a positive impact on their lives. Whether they go on to sail regularly, or whether they just become more water confident through the positive experience, the power of trying something new that perhaps they didnt think they could do will open their minds in ways that will have a positive benefit for years to come. It is impressive what the SST has achieved in a relatively short period thanks to the hard work of volunteers, the generosity of local businesses and SVYC members and the support of the schools to engage with the project. The RYA is delighted to be involved in helping with a project to measure the impact so that we can use that knowledge to support any other clubs or groups that want to try something similar."