Royal Naval Sailing Association

About

The Royal Naval Sailing Association (RNSA), founded in 1935 and now a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation, is a Service Sports Association based at Haslar Marina, Gosport. Its stated purpose is to deliver and promote sailing (yachting, cruising, dinghy and windsurfing) for serving Royal Navy/Royal Marines personnel, reserves, veterans and affiliated services to improve fitness, skills and esprit de corps across the UK. More information can be found on the RNSA website.

Membership

RNSA offers Full, Associate, Family and Junior membership categories. Full membership is open to serving RN/RM/RFA/maritime reserves/URNU/DETUS, Commonwealth/allied naval forces, Sea Cadet/CCF volunteers and veterans. Associate membership covers specified Army/RAF members, eligible civilians in RN appointments, civil servants, direct descendants and nominated supporters. Members can apply via the online application; subscription levels published for 2026 include Full £50, Family £73 and Junior £38, with some serving categories offered a first-year concession and varying joining fees by category. More details are available on the membership information page.

Training

RNSA promotes seamanship through its Sailing Academy and RYA-accredited training pathways delivered via three main training centres (Portsmouth, Plymouth and Faslane), annual training camps, qualification weeks and committee-led coaching across yachts, dinghies and windsurfing. Bespoke yacht training is delivered in partnership with JSASTC for selected crews. Additional training opportunities include seamanship training and safety courses.

Cruising Support

Cruising support is provided through branch-led 'cruises in company', organised rallies and Cruising Pathway qualifications weeks. Members are invited to register interest with the cruising committee and may be offered spare berths, local berthing advice and practical/logistical support for passages and rallies. More information can be found on the cruising guides page.

Publications

RNSA issues regular news and member communications including an RNSA eBulletin, news stories and impact reports, and provides members-only resources via its Members' Portal. For the latest updates, visit the publications page.

Events

RNSA maintains a detailed events calendar covering offshore yacht racing, dinghy events, windsurfing and cruising. The calendar lists scheduled events and qualification weeks throughout the year, with specific 2026 events published on the events calendar page.

Racing Programme

The association runs an active racing programme that includes yacht racing at club, IRC and regatta levels, match racing, inter-service and national dinghy championships, and representative teams. RNSA owns campaign yachts and supports member campaigning and IRC/offshore entries. More details can be found on the racing programme page.

Visiting and Moorings

RNSA offers permanent and visitor moorings managed by RNSA Moorings Ltd. Visitor moorings are subject to fee and availability via the RNSA moorings booking/payment system. The association also publishes reciprocal facility arrangements for members. More information is available on the visiting access policy page.

Awards and Recognition

RNSA operates awards and recognition programmes including prizes, RN Colours, RN sports awards and named awards such as The Haven Knox-Johnston RNSA Volunteer of the Year. Winners are celebrated at branch and national prize-giving events. Further details can be found on the awards recognition page.

Community Engagement

RNSA runs community and outreach programmes including the Sail Together youth initiative, the 'Go Sailing' project offering free RYA Level 1/2 courses for partners of serving personnel, family days, volunteer roles and branch-level community activity across multiple UK locations. More information is available on the community engagement page.

News and Updates

RNSA publishes frequent news items and bulletins on its website and eBulletin covering regatta results, programme updates, training outcomes and charity-impact reports. For the latest news, visit the news updates page.

Seasonal Operations

RNSA operates year-round with a seasonal event profile, peaking in spring and summer. Subscriptions for the year are noted in member communications, with published rates for 2026. The annual calendar schedules training weeks and rallies across the year. More details can be found on the seasonal operations page.