FLYING the flag for the Isle of Wight and hoping for your votes in a prestigious awards shortlist is Brading Haven Yacht Club. The club has been shortlisted for the 2022 RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award, in the sustainability category.

Celebrating the achievements of sailing clubs, Brading Haven Yacht Club joins nine other clubs on the shortlist of finalists.

The club is asking the public to vote for them ahead of the winner being announced in February at the RYA Dinghy and Water Sports Show, Farnborough International.

The club has recently added a number of innovative ideas to its programme, with groups such as after school sailing, Sailability, paddleboarding and kayaks.

Continual membership growth, despite Covid, together with year round activity has helped the club really step up its game.

A focus on family memberships has seen the club open up its youth coaching sessions to local clubs and take the lead in developing the Isle of Wight Youth and Junior Championships, as well as utilising a grant from the Eric Twiname Trust to purchase a new Tera fleet for grassroots sailing.

A strong volunteering ethos runs throughout the club.

Sail and powerboat training, OnBoard sessions, parent groups, and other water activities such as SUP and kayak have all experienced growth, which the club is managing carefully in line with available resource.

There is a comprehensive range of green initiatives, including a family-focused Eco Club education programme, wildlife walks and surveys, beach cleans, and a climate change impact project.

Support the club by voting at awards.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/rya/

The closing date is January 24.