Youth and Junior Champs 2026

  • Last updated
by Jon Hughes
It was our Youth & Junior Championships this weekend, scheduled for Saturday, with a total of 4 races. As the weekend approached, the winds for Saturday were looking distantly fruity with a 20mph base gusting to 30 knots in the gusts. Less than ideal and so on Friday we had to declare a postponement and push the event back to Sunday. Same schedule, same format, just one day later. Of course, some had plans which meant they were unable to sail on Sunday, but then others were able to compete but would not have been able to on Saturday.
 
The day dawned with a far more acceptable looking wind coming from the west, but forecast to go northwest during the day. The sun was out and it looked like we were in for a decent day’s racing. As we were sharing the lake with the Sunday club race course, we tried to tuck our race area into the southwestern quarter of the lake. With our sailors all signed on and a briefing held on the patio, we were ready to race…
 
The course was a trapezoid with sailors passing through the start/finish gate on each lap. We race on average lap handicap for this event so the name of the game is sail as fast as you can all the time- you are racing the clock as well as sailors around you. For those new to racing, we had Olivia on the water to help them around the course and dish out motivational Jelly Babies and Rhubarb and Custard between races. We had a mixed bag of ILCAs, Toppers and Teras racing, so it was an all single handed affair this year. As you might expect, it was the ILCA6s, the fastest boats in the fleet, who lead the way around the course. There was little to separate them in the first race, but in amongst them Hari in his ILCA4 was making them work hard. The Topper 4.2s were having a close tussle too. With a target time of 40-45 minutes for the race, the finish is governed by time in average lap racing and so it is not necessarily the boat leading the race that is first across the finish line when it opens and this was the case in every race but it was Alex in his ILCA6 who was dominating in both races before the lunch break.
After lunch, the wind had moved around with a lot more north in it and so the windward mark and pin end were adjusted accordingly. Confusingly, the 3rd leg of the course, a run, was not showing the same wind shift that we were seeing from the committee boat! As the race got under way, the breeze started to shift back, making the beat a somewhat one-sided affair. It’s not really possible to tweak the course after the start with average lap racing so we had to live with it. Again, Alex dominated in his ILCA6. Before the last race, the course was adjusted back to account for the wind which was now coming from where it had been at the start of the day. This time, it was Ed, also in an ILCA6 who lead the fleet. Throughout the day we saw some pretty dramatic shifts and some significant changes in wind strength with sailors fully hiked at times then, in the same race, having to change gear and go into light wind mode- all part of the game, and what we train for!
With the full schedule of racing done, the fleet headed ashore to de-rig and prepare for the prize giving which was to be preceded by the sailors’ tea and, importantly, the Cake of the Year contest. Sandra, having been on the committee boat all day was rushed ashore in a Rib to beat the sailors to the cakes and judging commenced. This was a serious matter with each bake given a score against a number of criteria and then the final scores were added up to find our winner. A slight administrative oversight meant we had forgotten to take a note of who had baked each cake, meaning this was a true test of the quality of the cakes, with no knowledge of who had baked them, not that I would question the impeccable integrity of our chief judge!
 
It was tight at the top but the numbers were in and the scores decided- The winner would be revealed at the prize giving. But first, it was the chance for everyone else to tuck into the cakes and taste for themselves just how good our Team Draycote bakers are!
 
And so to the prize giving. First up, the trophies for our Friday Night race series which wrapped up a couple of weeks ago. With the 24 hour postponement, we clashed with a Topper Traveler event so our first 2 prize winners were not at the event- we will make sure they get their trophies.
 
1. Tom Moriarty, Topper 5.3
2. Isaac Foulds, Topper 5.3
3. Jame Huntriss, Topper 4.2
And so to the Cake of the Year. It was tight at the top. 2nd was Oscar with his fantastic chocolate cake topped by the Y&J logo, but the winner was the platter of individual cupcakes, each decorated with mini Toppers, ILCAs and Teras, every element of which was edible, including the masts and sails. The baker was Ronnie- our 2024 Cake of the Year winner, so it seems she is fast becoming Draycote’s top Baker. Congratulations, Ronnie, on your second win!
Finally, the Championship results:
 
We race in 3 age categories with the trophies going back many years and carrying some significant names including 1 sailor now competing in Sail GP.
 
Under 12s:
1. James Huntirss, Topper 4.2
2. Seb Millington, Topper 4.3
3. William Redshaw Tera Sport
 
12-14
1. Ed Whittaker, LICA6
2. Ben Whittaker, Topper 5.3
3. William Shaw, Topper 5.3
 
15-18
1. Alex Sainiton, ILCA 6
2. Hari Clark, IlCA4
3. Eve Pickard ILCA 4
 
Top Topper: Ben Whittaker
 
Top ILCA: Alex Stainton
 
Special Awards:
 
Joshua Eastwood, Topper 5.3
 
Abigail Redshaw, Tera Sport
 
Well done to all our sailors and bakers!

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