20 years of OnBoard: building confidence, skills & equal access for all

by RYA Press Office 9 Jun 06:43 PDT

Celebrating 20 years of OnBoard © RYA

OnBoard, one of the UK's largest grassroots programmes dedicated to getting children aged 8-18 out on the water, is celebrating 20 years of impact—having already introduced more than 1.3 million young people to the transformative experience of sailing and windsurfing.

Over 1.3 million children introduced to sailing since 2005
From two pilot centres to a national movement of in 336 involved centres and clubs in the UK
Around 10% of all participants who have gone through OnBoard become regular sailors with many going on to volunteer or become instructors
Confidence foundations: 88% felt that sailing/windsurfing showed them they could do new things if they tried
Helping to develop six key life skills aligned with the national curriculum's guidance for character education

Launched in 2005 by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), the pilot initially began with just two centres—Rockley Watersports in Poole and Hollingworth Lake Water Activity Centre in Rochdale but has since grown into a national network of over 330 clubs and commercial centres across the UK. Today, it stands as a benchmark in youth development and inclusive outdoor education.

A character-building curriculum

From its early days connecting schools with local sailing clubs to get children afloat, OnBoard has since evolved into a structured programme that uses sailing and windsurfing not only to teach water skills, but to build confidence, resilience, and essential life skills.

A key transformation came in 2017, when OnBoard was relaunched with a focus on character education, backed by research led by Professor Bill Lucas, Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester. Using sailing as a powerful tool to build character and life skills in young people, this approach introduced six core personal attributes—Confidence, Teamwork, Communication, Determination, Creativity, and Independence—which now underpin all OnBoard activities.

These values are aligned with the national curriculum guidance for character education and are embedded into instructor training, resources, and session design.

Feedback and impact: Real change for real lives

Independent 2019 research and feedback from participants, teachers, and parents continue to show the programme's impact and value far beyond sport with:

88% of young people said sailing/windsurfing helped them realise they could do new things if they tried
81% felt more confident in themselves
82% became better at teamwork
75% felt better able to do things independently
80% said they were better able to think creatively
34% said they enjoyed being around water more after participating

OnBoard also offers a unique sense of peer support, freedom, and personal discovery, with around 10% of participants continuing their journey to become regular sailors, club volunteers, or even qualified instructors.

Crucially, the programme plays a powerful role in addressing social inequality. Many participating schools report that their pupils would never have had the opportunity to sail otherwise. For underfunded schools and youth organisations, OnBoard offers an inclusive and highly effective solution that brings outdoor education directly to local communities.

Looking ahead: ambitions for the next decade

As it enters its third decade, OnBoard continues to provide opportunities for young people across the UK, allowing children to begin with no prior experience and progress through a nationally recognised pathways —gaining confidence, qualifications, and life skills.

The RYA has also recently worked with organisations such as Swim England and the RNLI to help develop and deliver Swim Safe through OnBoard, an initiative which helps children not only enjoy the water but do so safely and confidently.

Looking ahead to the future, the programme shows no signs of slowing with key areas of focus for the next 10 Years of Onboard including:

1. Reaching a further 1 million young people

2. Tackling inequality in access to sport and nature - Delivering OnBoard sessions in more underserved and underrepresented communities, focusing on breaking down barriers related to cost, location, ethnicity, gender, and perceived exclusivity of sailing.

3. Connecting youth with blue spaces and building water confidence - Ensuring more young people across the UK develop water safety awareness, and confidence around the water.

4. Fostering skills for life - Expanding training to support character education and growth mindsets in young people, in turn expanding the UK instructors base so even more children can take part.

A people purpose

"As we celebrate 20 years of OnBoard, we're incredibly proud of how far the programme has come—but we're even more excited about where we're going. Our goal is to introduce another one million young people to sailing over the next decade, with a focus on making the water more accessible and inclusive than ever before. OnBoard has always been about more than just sailing; it's about giving young people the confidence, character and life skills they need to thrive—in sport and in life." - Hannah Cockle, RYA OnBoard Manager

"As both a partner and funder of the RYA, Sport England is hugely proud of the progress and success achieved by the RYA since the launch of OnBoard back in 2005. With a core ambition to open up more opportunities to get out on the water, we are hugely supportive of the programme's continued work to engage a further one million children and young people over the next decade." - Sport England

OnBoard's success demonstrates how sport, when delivered with purpose and accessibility, can transform lives. It proves that sailing and windsurfing are not only for the few but can inspire, educate, and empower young people from all backgrounds.

To find your nearest OnBoard activity centre, you can also use the RYA's 'Find My Nearest' online tool, filtering services by OnBoard club. More information is also available online here.