HRH The Princess Royal Awards Ashurst sailor

At the ceremony, held at One Great George Street, Westminster, London, Ken received his RYA Community Award for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of his commitment to sailing.

Ken was an RYA staff member for 35 years before retiring in 2009. He was a GBR (British) representative on several ISAF (now World Sailing) technical committees, and was instrumental in the development of the Equipment Rules of Sailing and the In-House Certification System, both of which are the backbone of sailing class rules and equipment control around the world.

Since his retirement from the RYA, Ken has continued to represent the RYA on a range of issues including development of Maritime and Coastguard Agency standards and World Sailing initiatives.

Ken said of his day in London “It was a great day and nice to catch up with past colleagues and friends as well having the opportunity to meet lots of new volunteers from around the UK. I continue to be amazed by of the contributions they give to our sport and am grateful for their ongoing dedication.”

RYA Director of Sport Development, Alistair Dickson concluded: “Volunteers are the lifeblood of our sport. Today has been an excellent opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work our volunteers do to support boating activity in all forms throughout the UK.

“All of the stories behind these special people have been truly inspiring to hear and it’s really an honour to be able to say thank you and celebrate their amazing achievements.”

Nominations are now invited for the 2018 RYA Volunteer Awards.

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