October 2024 - Plas Heli Update

Plas Heli Cyf – The Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event Centre, a volunteer not for profit distribution community enterprise company, with charitable aims and where all surpluses are reinvested back into the facility for everyone's benefit.

We hosted eight significant sailing events in 2024 including the IRC Welsh National Championships and Merlin Rocket Nationals Silver Tiller in May and the Supernova Nationals in June and the ILCA Welsh Nationals in July. In August we hosted the Optimist IOCA National Championship and the GP14 World Championships. Then in September the UKLA Laser Qualifier Championship and the RYA CW Youth and Junior Championships. This is in addition to many regional and National Training Camps.

We are now planning for 2025 with an exciting diary of events, starting with the RYA UK Youth Championships in April and then the IRC Welsh National Championship and the Topper NS4 Coastal Championship in May. We will host the Welsh National ILCA Championship in July. In August we will host the Hornet and Kestrel Nationals, the UKLA ILCA National Championships and the Techno World Championship. The RYA CW Youth and Junior Championships will again be in September. See all of our events listed here.

We have continued to improve the facilities with new finger pontoons to replace the Versadock, amongst some of the improvements completed. There have also been substantial upgrades to the fleet of 12 RIBs and race management equipment.

We have more landscaping projects in the pipeline including work on Cei Heli and a new security barrier access to Cei Heli for our pontoon customers.

We hope to start work shortly on a new front door - this will be a totally new approach, and will enhance the arrival experience at Plas Heli. 

Planning applications are being submitted for a new toilet shower block within the main compound, and for further enhancements to Caban Heli.

Plas Heli is looking to purchase a Committee Boat which would help grow our 'Events' capacity. The features of the new boat include a stable working deck, cabin and heads, shallow draft and reliability. 

We continue to work closely with RYA CW to provide facilities for training camps, storage, and activities, and we respect the strategic importance of the facilities for events, training and boating in Wales.

Community engagement works continues and included our work with clubs and associations, assistance with facilities for a disability boat, fundraising events, classrooms for community groups, meetings, teaching and our work with children in-need.

Catering at the centre is with our franchisee operator Sean Devlin Ltd. 

We are reliant on volunteers and are of course, grateful for all assistance provided by our stakeholder groups and clubs.

There is more about Plas Heli in the updated Plas Heli - Prospectus