The new man at the helm of Welsh sailing is keen to see safe watersports growing round Wales, with the aim of achieving Welsh success at the Olympics as well.
 
Steven Morgan, from Caernarfon, is moving from Sport Wales, where he is a Senior Governing Body Services Officer, to become the new chief executive of the Welsh Yachting Association based at Plas Menai in North Wales.
 
He starts the new role at the beginning of May in one of the top three sports for Welsh success across the board, while sailing vies with cycling for the title as Britain’s most successful sport at Olympic level.
 
However the last Welsh Olympic medallist was Ian Barker in the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Morgan would like to see one of the several successful junior and youth sailors in Wales move up to the next level on the world stage.
 
“We have a lot of talented sailors in the system, so the main focus for me is on the development of the sport,” said Morgan.
 
“Of course one of the aims is to have someone who has been through the Welsh sailing programme standing on the Olympic podium as a medal winner.
 
“The bigger the base of the pyramid then the more likely we are to feed the Great Britain set up, while the other big challenge will be maintaining or increasing the revenue coming into the sport.
 
“With the likelihood that public funding will feel the squeeze after the General Election,  for the next few years we will have to be creative and look at other sources of funding.
 
“Also sponsorship is an area that sailing in Wales can explore more. We are part of a very successful British structure with a good Welsh product to sell.”
 
Welsh sailing chairman Chris Basten is delighted the WYA has lured Morgan away from Sport Wales to take charge of a sport he has worked with closely over the last few years.
 
“We are very pleased Steven is going to join us after working for the last four years as our liason with the Welsh sports council,” said Basten.
 
“His input at meetings in the past has always been about how to do things, rather than why we cannot do things. We think he will make a big difference, he has a real knowledge of sports management expertise and he will bring that to us.”
 
While Morgan may have plenty of experience in Welsh sports management and funding, sailing is something he is going to learn more about – although as he is based at Plas Menai with Sport Wales as well it is not too big a move to the WYA offices in the same building.
 
“Sailing will get great coverage in the Olympics as one of Britain’s most successful sports, so the biggest challenge is to take advantage of that and grow the sport among non-sailing families,” he said.
 
“I am not a sailor myself, so it is getting those people to have a go through their local club or through national schemes such as OnBoard which is helping young people to get an introduction to the sport.
 
“I have been lucky enough to be out on the water watching some of the top class events held in Pwllheli and it is amazing to see close up, with the tactics and the speed they move.
 
“There is this perception that sailing is for people from wealthy backgrounds, but that should not be the case – especially here in Wales where most of our counties have a coastline and there are also plenty of great inland places to sail as well.
 
“It is a sport with a lot of tradition, but there are so many great opportunities for people to come and have a go - schemes like On Board are vital and give the sport a great shop window”.
 
Morgan will start in his new role at the beginning of May.