27 February 2015
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven has retained the TYHA 5 Gold Anchor Marina award as well as an ICOMIA (International Council of Marine Industry Associations) Clean Marina Award.
RCYC became the first Yacht Club in Ireland to be awarded this prestigious title in 2011 and further to a recent inspection, the Club has again retained this status. Ratings range from one to five gold anchors and for the Royal Cork to attain the maximum number of anchors again is a fantastic achievement by all of the Club staff involved.
Preparations for a busy summer of visiting yachts from all corners of the globe and organisation for some of Ireland’s most prestigious sailing events are well under way. Gavin Deane, General Manager commented “This year is gearing up to be a busy one for the Club and retaining our Five Gold Anchors was a fantastic way to start 2015. Through our involvement in the Gold Anchor scheme we hope to see an increase in our visitor numbers again this year which is great news for the Club and also for the local economy. In addition to hosting a number of high profile events this year, we hope to expand on our training offering for both children and adults. Last year the Club was awarded the Irish Sailing Association ‘Training Centre of the Year’ and we have witnessed a significant increase in numbers coming to try sailing for the first time”
Mark Ring, Racing & Marina Co-ordinator at the Royal Cork, who has qualified as a Certified Marina Manager since our last inspection commented “We are delighted to retain the coveted TYHA Five Gold Anchor Award in 2015. This award is very much a team effort and everyone’s input is necessary both in preparing for inspection day and maintaining the five Gold Anchor standard, while upholding that essential customer service ethos. There is an enormous sense of pride amongst all of the staff that our members and visitors will receive excellent service and high standards at the Royal Cork Yacht Club under the THYA Five Gold Anchor scheme.”
The Gold Anchor award scheme is a voluntary assessment programme focused on customer service and providing Quality Assured Berthing for any boat owner. The scheme is designed for the marina consumer by The Yacht Harbour Association with contribution from the RYA. With 26 years’ experience of Gold Anchor standards, this is a point of reference for all boat owners to make an informed decision on where to berth.
For more information about the Gold Anchor Scheme, visit The Yacht Harbour Association’s website, www.which-marina.com
