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A brief history of NEYYSA

North East & Yorkshire Youth Sailing Association (NEYYSA) started off in the early 1980s as the Sheffield Schools Traveller series, it quickly grew and with huge local support became the Yorkshire & Humberside Schools Traveller Series; this series ran throughout the area and grew in popularity and success.

The initial focus was on building a competitive racing series to encourage participation in the National School’s Sailing Association (NSSA) annual regatta each July. In the late 1990’s the series started to become known as the Yorkshire & Humberside Youth Traveller Series and continued to evolve to meet the needs of the region’s youth sailors, including organising race coaching, boat access and other events.

The Yorkshire & Humberside Youth Sailing Association (YHYSA) was formed in the late 1990’s to support the series.

In 1996, the North East Youth Travellers Series (NEYTS) started using the Yorkshire & Humberside series as a template. This series was also well supported and provided a similar opportunity for high quality handicap racing for youth sailors at clubs across the region.

In 2015 the RYA’s Regional Volunteer Team (RVT) accepted a supporting ownership role for the two series and merged them to match the re-organisation of the sailing regions which formed the RYA North East region encompassing the North East and Yorkshire. Given the huge area of the region, the two series continued to run semi-separately but with links between the series and encouragement for the youth sailors to travel throughout the region to experience the diverse venues available across the region within the series.

The series continued to be run under the YHYSA organising authority but various factors reduced support and although it continued to operate with over 100 sailors participating each year, this was largely at the competitors’ home clubs and the benefits and pleasures of travelling to new venues was not being realised by many young sailors.

In 2020 a group of parents took on the organisation of the series from the RVT and re-invigorated the association and series to take advantage of the more regional focus on youth sailing and to provide increased opportunity for an inclusive, supportive and competitive series within the region.

At the 2021 November AGM the association voted to formally change it's name to North East & Yorkshire Youth Sailing Association (NEYYSA) to better reflect the geographical area it now operates in. The new committee is excited to be continuing to define and develop youth & junior sailing in the region.

NEYYSA is an RYA affiliated association and gratefully acknowledges the support of the regional development team in supporting series. The series continues to adapt and change to the every changing needs of our region's youth & junior sailors with the ongoing and much valued support of the regional clubs.

2023 was the association's 40th year and celebrated with a new team-racing event in late February 2023. This inaugural event was a massive success and much fun was had by all who participated as well as some fantastic team-racing between the teams. We also enjoyed a brilliant end of series party at the last event in September. We also enjoyed a return to the NSSA events, with a team at the annual Youth Regatta and teams at their team racing events.

2024 will be a year of consolidation, we are repeating the team racing and the traveller series will again run across the region and we have teams entering the NSSA events too. Come sailing with us, you won't regret it.

Traveller Series Objectives

The objective is to promote;

competitive racing events,
friendship,
high quality sailing skills
personal growth.

The series offers opportunity to young sailors in the region in all classes to sail against their peers on a handicap basis. The series also visits several clubs which do not necessarily host RYA Youth & Junior class events due to their location, specific geography or water size. Experiencing a variety of sailing venues is a key element in developing high quality sailing skills that will last a lifetime.

The series is a supportive, inclusive opportunity for all to race, those at the front are often competing in their chosen class at national level, those at the back may be venturing onto the race course for the first time. All are welcome and the series view is that the peer support offered by this series out on the water and on-shore is invaluable and represents and celebrates the essence of our sport.

The association's events offer opportunity for new experiences, competitive racing and friendships without the additional concerns of overnight accommodation (for the majority of our events) as the venues are within a few hours travelling time of home allowing families to be home in time for tea. Sunday can then be spent at the home club or enjoying family time together.

"No compromises - sailing & schoolwork"

"Home in time for tea"

"Sunday club sailing"

Opportunity For All Youth & Junior Sailors In The Region

The association aims to provide high quality racing for all young sailors in the region, regardless of the class of boat they sail, their financial situation or social demographic, where they live or where their sailing aspirations may take them.