The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national governing body for certain water sports in the United Kingdom. These include: sailing; windsurfing; motor cruising;  sports-boats; personal watercraft and powerboat racing. It was founded in 1875 as the Yacht Racing Association and its initial purpose was to standardise the rules of measurement to different racing yachts, so that boats of different classes could compete fairly against each other. In 1921 the YRA incorporated the independent Sailing Boat Association and the Boat Racing Association into its body and in n 1953 the YRA formally changed its name to the Royal Yachting Association.