Our Sporting Life – Sail for Gold exhibition

In this Olympic year, the RYA have conjured up a road show exhibiting the UK's Olympic sailing heritage

This weekend (25-26 February) marks the first dates on the UK wide tour for the RYA’s Our Sporting Life – Sail for Gold exhibition; a celebration of our Olympic and Paralympic sailing heritage.

Following a special RYA members preview earlier in the year at the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show, the exhibition, which looks back over 112 years-worth of British Olympic and Paralympic sailing history, makes the long trip to Largs in Scotland for its first public appearance as part of RYA Scotland’s Big Weekend.

“The exhibition consists of photos and memorabilia through the ages, from pre world-war one right through to our present day champions, with past Olympic and Paralympic sailors including legend Rodney Pattisson, Keith Musto, Andy Cassell and Alistair Currey having all very kindly shared with us some great items for the exhibition," explains Celia Edgington, Sail for Gold co-ordinator.

Starting off in Largs, the exhibition will then travel to the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show in London, before hitting the road again taking in Liverpool, Cornwall, Weymouth (during the Olympic and Paralympic Games) before finishing it’s tour in Colchester in September/October time.

Triple Olympic gold and silver medallist Ben Ainslie said of the exhibition: “It is hugely inspiring. As a child growing up you heard about your heroes, but to see all the photos and memorabilia is hugely inspirational. It gives you a lot of pride in our sailing heritage which is important, especially for the younger generation to see what support the sailors now have in particular compared with how it was in the past.”

The exhibition can be viewed at the following events and locations: