Plas Heli - Update December 2023

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 seven significant sailing events in 2023 including the IRC Welsh National Championships and Feva Nationals in May. In August we hosted the ITCA Topper Nationals and 420 Class Association UK Nationals, Optimist Late Summer Championships in September and a 29er Grand Prix in October. This is in addition to many regional and National Training Camps.

We are now planning for 2024 with an exciting diary of events, including the SuperNova Nationals, the GP14 World Championship IOCA Nationals and an ILCA Qualifier Event in September 2024.

We have continued to improve the facilities with more grass areas for tents camping and we now have 53 electric hook-ups for camping! (only 15 in 2020). There is a new dinghy wash down area and we have new CCTV cameras in both Cei Heli (quayside) and Parc Heli ( our main compound). These add to our existing extensive coverage.

The telehandler makes the deployment of equipment for events and training camps a safe and easier operation. The perimeter flags have been purchased ready for the 2024 season - these make a significant improvement to the site appearance.

The crane has been a big benefit to the Centre and we hope to see growth in the sports boats fleet in 2024.

We have further extended our capacity on the pontoons with new finger pontoons. There have been substantial upgrades to the fleet of 12 RIBs and race management equipment.

We also 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.

Plas Heli Pontoon customers now have the use of shower cabins in Caban Heli.

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. The service is growing in reputation, and they have built a good name for quality and customer experience.

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

Challenges for 2024 include energy costs and shower and toilet provision for the growing events and training portfolio.

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