11th April 2023
The first SW Cruising Conference since 2018 took place at South Devon College Marine Academy and was a sell-out success.
Over 60% of the delegates came from the South Devon area, Plymouth, Dartmouth, Torbay, Exeter and Starcross. The rest came from across the whole region including Falmouth, North Cornwall, Taunton, Gloucestershire, Bristol and Wiltshire.
There was a real buzz during the coffee and lunch breaks and great interaction with the exhibitors and speakers. There were breakout workshops led by Ocean Safety, the Met Office and RYA. Nearly 20 of the attendees were non-members, but as a result of the event some have now joined the RYA.
L-R: Max Wilson and Nita Walding – Ocean Safety, Stuart Carruthers – RYA Cruising Manager, Andy Wright – RYA Trainer and Chief Instructor Motor Cruising SDMA, Mel Hide – RYA Director of External Affairs, Penny Tranter Chartered Meteorologist – Met Office, Ian Fenton SDC Lecturer and RYA Principal SDMA, Ian Nuttall, SDC Lecturer Marine Engineering.
Co-organiser Ian Fenton, lecturer and RYA Principal from South Devon College, commented: “All in all a rewarding day with great support from the South West Team members who attended. The topics covered were well received and the workshops were well presented with keen participation by the delegates.”
Deputy Chair of the SW Regional Volunteer Team, Bob Penfold added: “We have received a number of really constructive suggestions and ideas and we want it to get bigger and better, so we’d welcome anyone who would like to get involved in the planning of next year’s Cruising Conference.
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