Life on the water earns sailing instructor national praise
A Pembrokeshire man's lifelong passion for sailing has earned national praise and a prestigious award.
Richard 'Taff' Owens, founder of the Pembrokeshire Powerboating & Sailing Academy (PPSA), has been honoured with an RYA Cymru Wales Impact Award for his outstanding contribution to water sports.
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He was nominated by RYA powerboat instructor Richard Rhodes, who said: "Taff has an ability to motivate instructors to deliver high quality and safe sailing experiences in both dinghies and keelboats to a wide age range and ability of people, and to go way beyond what they thought possible."
Mr Owens established the PPSA in 2013.
He has since enabled hundreds of people to enjoy time on the water and trained numerous instructors who have gone on to support the sport and marine sector.
Mr Rhodes said: "He has invested heavily in terms of time and sharing to develop multi skilled instructors capable in the instruction of both sailing and powerboat, and the provision of safe, practical opportunities for young people to develop through the RYA structure."
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Mr Owens' interest in sailing began with the Scouts.
He later joined Barry Yacht Club and, after leaving school, continued to develop his racing skills.
In 1981, he joined the Army and began competing with the Army Sailing Association and Royal Signals Yacht Club.
It was during his service that he began his journey toward becoming an instructor.
His 32-year career in the Army included roles as an officer, secretary, and interim commodore of the Army Sailing Association Dinghy Section.
He also became an RYA senior instructor, powerboat instructor, and qualified RYA race coach.
Mr Owens said: "I love sailing and I wanted to teach other people, and with my background of delivering training in the Army, I thought why not turn that into a job.
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"I decided when I left the Army I wanted to set up my own business, but I was learning that side of it from scratch, so it was a massive learning curve from starting out small scale to where we are now."
Initially based in Dale, the PPSA later moved to a multi-activity centre before settling at Neyland Yacht Haven.
The academy now offers RYA-accredited keelboat and powerboating courses and activities.
Mr Owens has also gained additional shore-based instructor qualifications.
These include RYA Yachtmaster, Radar, VHF, and Sea Survival.
The PPSA focuses on promoting the enjoyment and skills of sailing and powerboating within the Pembrokeshire community.
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It also prioritises the development of new instructors and opportunities for young people.
This includes Freya Terry, an early recipient of the RYA Cymru Wales Impact Award and a participant in a solo round-Britain voyage to raise mental health awareness.
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