Entry forms are now available for the RYA Yachting Monthly Cruising Log Competition and LOG-IT! (the log competition for 4 – 16 year olds). Please contact the Cruising Department at the RYA for your entry form: Tel: 0845 345 0370 or email cruising@rya.org.uk Why keep a log?

Keeping a log is important to safe sailing – if the fog sets in and your GPS fails at least if you know where you were, say 35 minutes ago, what direction you were travelling in and what speed you have been doing, you have a chance of estimating your current position and keeping yourself, your crew and your boat safe.

A log can however, be more than just a list of hourly positions, courses, etc. You can add in reminders of incidents you may have witnessed, safety information supplied by the coast guard, or on a more light-hearted note, dolphin or whale sightings, funny occurrences, and anything else you want to remember, to relay to friends and family at the end of your trip.

Having kept a log of your trip, you can then use it to create a narrative log to enter into the log competition. Log competition entries will be judged on presentation, planning, choices made and problems overcome, safety consideration, risks taken, lessons learnt and general interest. Photographs and drawings are welcomed as part of the entry.