Welcome to the MYA website. The site has been developed with simplicity and accessibilty as paramount and we hope that you will find the extensive data content informative and useful.

Not only does the MYA now encompass activities other than sailing, it also does considerably more than facilitate a sharing of resources amongst its member clubs and organisations.

The Association has an excellent relationship with the port authority and is represented on the RYA Regional Council as well as at meetings of the Medway and Swale Maritime Forum which encompasses other organisations such as the Kent Police Marine Unit, English Nature, the Port of London Authority, the River Medway Business Users Association as well as the large marine operators such as Powergen, Thamesport and Scotline. From this privileged position we not only have real opportunities to influence the outcome of issues that have the potential to damage the wonderful marine environment we all enjoy so much, but also to promote the sports that we participate in to a wider audience than we might normally interact with.

2009 Review

The decision of the public enquiry to support KCC’s fixed bridge proposal for the Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road ended a long campaign by the MYA to try to keep the navigation open to masted vessels right up to the creek’s terminus in Sittingbourne town centre. Ironically, the Milton Creek area has been awarded a £3m Thames Gateway grant, some of which should be spent on projects such as providing moorings in the creek but it is more likely that it will now be spent on the Church Marshes Country Park project. The MYA’s attention must now turn to adding its voice to the campaign against Boris Johnson’s plan for an airport island in the middle of the Thames Estuary!

The Kingsferry Bridge continues to be a thorn in the side of many local yachtsmen. A serious accident at the bridge early last season has re-focused the MYA’s attention but Network Rail is proving an elusive force to deal with.

Medway Cruising Club hosted the 2009 MYA Keelboat Regatta following Medway Yacht Club’s withdrawal from organising the event. The 2009 regatta was more light-hearted than previous events and it is hoped to build on this in the coming years to make the event more all-inclusive and more fun. The MYA offers its sincere thanks to the Medway Cruising Club for hosting the 2009 event, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who took part despite the lack of wind. Unfortunately, the date clashed with the date of the Swale Regatta, but this will be rectified for 2010.

The Wilsonian Sailing Club again hosted the MYA Medway Dinghy Regatta. They attracted 89 entrants from 20 different clubs with some competitors having travelled from as far away as Cumbria. This event continues to be successful thanks to the Wilsonian Sailing Club who have its organisation down to a fine art!

The MYA cruiser rating committee now has one year’s worth of keelboat race results to work with, which will enable it to make its 2010 ratings more accurate.The committee is continuing to maintain a list of current MYA handicaps for the use of all of the clubs organising keelboat racing on the river. The success of this scheme is enabling boats from different clubs to compete in each other’s racing programmes to great effect. Other clubs organising keelboat racing are being encourage to join the scheme.

The Marine Watch Scheme continues to be a successful partnership between the MYA and the Marine Policing Unit. This relationship has now been expanded with the appointment of PCSO Michael Dann to liase between Medway Police and the Marine community. Michael is becoming a familiar face around the boat clubs and marinas in the Medway area and he was instrumental in organising a very successful Marine Safety and Security evening hosted by Strood Yacht Club in July 2009 and it is planned to hold a similar event in May 2010 at Rochester
Cruising Club.

My aim to spread the quarterly MYA meetings around the area has been taking shape with 2009 meetings being hosted by Queenborough Yacht Club, Rochester Cruising Club, Hoo Ness Yacht Club and Medway Cruising Club. Other meeting venues are being planned for 2010!

Many thanks to Wil Pretty, who stood down as MYA Vice Chairman at the 2009 AGM and welcome to Paddy Newton who has volunteered to take on this role. Thanks also to Ken Waller, who is taking over as Trophy Secretary, Liz McVeigh who continues as Treasurer, Nick Stewart for handling the publicity and Tom Sims for all his work ‘behind the scenes’. Without these volunteers the association would not be the success it is!

Going forward the MYA will continue to maintain a watching brief over all matters of potential interest to its members as well as providing a forum for its member clubs to interact, facilitating ways of sharing resources and encouraging an spirit of co-operation amongst the recreational boaters using the rivers Medway and Swale. Further information can be found in our yearbook which you can download from the homepage or email our office and request a hard copy.

May we all continue to derive great pleasure from the waters we sail upon.

Jenny Deacon
Chairman Medway Yachting Association (February 2010)