Sunshine and blue skies welcomed 280 young sailors competing at Rutland Water over the early May bank holiday for the Eric Twiname Junior Championships.

Light and shifty winds on the opening day were followed up with 8-10 knots of breeze for the next two days, providing ideal conditions to challenge boat and board handling alongside tactical skills at the 38th RYA Eric Twiname Junior Championships (2-4 May 2026).

Providing a fantastic learning environment of camaraderie and competition, with nearly 250 entries across six classes, the three-day event saw young sailors from across the UK racing for individual results while also representing their RYA Region or Home Country.

Affectionately known as the ETs, the event was also celebrating its 40th anniversary. The first edition of the Eric Twiname Championships took place in 1986 and the event has been running annually ever since apart from two years during the Covid pandemic.

While the original intention had been to run a variety of formats, the wind conditions with a daily forecast for the breeze to drop led to a decision to run ‘long course’ racing each day, with a time limit for each race of 25 minutes creating an action-packed schedule.

Spanning three courses running simultaneously across the weekend, race officials supported by volunteers and coaches were able to run 10 races for the ILCA 4, Topper and RS Feva fleets, 11 for the Optimists and 12 to 13 for the RS Tera and Techno windsurf fleets.

For the more seasoned sailors it was an opportunity to battle for a podium spot while for others it was their first experience of helming at a major multi-class regatta.

Event Director Chris Atherton, RYA Junior Racing Manager, said: “This event is all about developing the foundations for racing and there’s no real pressure, so it’s an opportunity to try new things and build confidence and knowledge. Everyone was giving it their best over the weekend and I was really impressed by the willingness of the sailors to get out there and enjoy the racing and the learning.

“Most find it a unique experience that enables them to have fun racing and meeting lots of other sailors from classes other than their own. It’s a stepping stone in their journey to help them develop their love of sailing so that hopefully it becomes a sport for life. A big thank you to the Eric Twiname Trust for its ongoing support of this fantastic event.”

Fun and friendships

With Rutland Sailing Club providing a fantastic venue complete with accommodation and camping options, all enjoyed the festival atmosphere and for the sailors it was an opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones.

Describing her weekend, Isabelle Nuttall, an RS Tera Sport sailor from Neyland YC in Wales, said: “It’s a good event because all the sailors from all over the country are in a similar situation, nervous and excited. Once one person starts talking we all do and you end up making loads of new friends. That’s what makes it a good friendly event.”

Harry Clark, aged 15, who was attending his third ETs and won the RS Tera Pro class, said he was there for experience ahead of the summer championships, adding: “I also like the fact you can make friends in other fleets and see what fleets you might want to move into in the future.”

Margarita Moshchenikova, aged 13, in the RS Tera Sport fleet, was likewise looking to develop her skills. Asked what she was enjoying about the event, she said: “It’s quite challenging and I like a bit of challenge… as I get better, I need better opponents to make it more fun.”

Anniversary year

The ETs have been supported over four decades by the Eric Twiname Trust, which was established in memory of legendary sailor, author and journalist Eric Twiname. Among those at the 38th edition were Trustees Naomi Smith and Duncan Truswell, who themselves competed in the ETs as junior sailors and were both enjoying the event with own children now taking part.

Naomi - attending with Oliver, aged 12, in the RS Tera Pro fleet and Lucy, aged 8, at her first ETs in her Optimist - said: “I sailed my Optimist in the ETs back in the late 80s/early 90s so it’s quite exciting that my children are now doing this event as well. The ethos is certainly as I remember it. It’s a unique event where you get people from all over the UK, and it’s a friendly and welcoming but competitive environment to nurture skills and help sailors improve their racing. And it’s not just about the competition, it’s about the people you meet.  There are people here who I used to sail against when I was a youngster.”

Naomi said the Trust was immensely proud of its long record of supporting the ETs and making it inclusive for all. The event enables participation without an entry fee and is primarily for aspiring junior sailors rather than those already in national squads or taking part in selection trials for internationals in classes such as the Topper and Optimist, providing a real opportunity for mid-fleet juniors and those at the beginning of their sailing pathway to shine.

She added: “The sailors are supported throughout and have coaches on the water to give them assistance between races and at the end and the beginning of the day… so as well as being competitive it’s also a learning experience for a lot of the sailors, particularly those for whom it’s the first time they’ve been on a startline with 40 boats in their class. That can be quite daunting but it’s very much an environment where it’s about providing encouragement and support.”

Next generation

Duncan, whose son Dexter competed in the Optimist fleet, said the Trust was passionate about the formative experiences provided by the sport for young people in terms of not only racing but also life skills and friendships.

Commenting on the ETs, he said: “This event has had an enormously long legacy, in fact I did it back in 1988 so that gives you a sense of how long it’s been going and how many sailors have come through it. There’s no better event really to see hundreds of young people come together to compete, hopefully make some friends, have a good time, and crown some winners and see the next generation coming through.”

With its aim of boosting skills and confidence and providing a first taste for many of taking part in a major event, he said the Trust hoped the ETs would continue to “light a fire” inspiring an enjoyment of sailing for life.

He added: “What’s fantastic about an event like this is young sailors coming together from all over the UK and meeting their peers… and we hope that these are the sort of friendships that will last a lifetime. I’ve just met a mate in the car park who I sailed with in the 1990s and it’s like the last 30 years have never gone by, so this is exactly the sort of flavour of what we’re trying to create, and the RYA do a great job laying on such a well organised event of such a massive scale that so many children can benefit.” 

Knowledge sharing

The long weekend provided an opportunity to share a variety of knowledge sessions with sailors and parents, including talks from RYA Talent Academies Manager, Huw Griffiths, about the variety of opportunities in the sport.

Each junior class gave evening talks about their activities, while on shore were rigged ILCA, 29er and 420 boats with coaches available for a chat about the classes and options for junior sailors looking to take their next steps in the British Sailing Pathway. There was also a ‘Protest Like a Pro’ session led by RYA Race Coach and Regional Judge Sian Reynolds.

The RYA Green Blue team meanwhile was busy throughout the weekend with presentations about sustainability in the sport and within clubs, and hosted a boat park litter pick and collection of pre-loved sailing kit for recycling with partners Kitround and circularflow. 

Close competition

First overall in the 44-boat Optimist fleet was Sebastian Richardson(Royal Harwich YC) with Seb Mears (Royal Corinthian YC) and Hamish Pawson-Munro (Aberdeen & Stonehaven YC) separated on countback for second and third overall. The top female sailors on the podium were Xenia Hudson-Evans (Cardiff Bay YC), Maisie Macintyre (Loch Tummel SC) and Henrietta Highfield (Rollesby Broad SC).

Winning the Topper fleet, the largest with 52 entries, was Jess Marsh (Hollingworth Lake SC) ahead of Lucy-Laura Miller (Sheffield Viking SC) in second overall, with Isy Simpson (Island Barn Res SC) claiming the third female spot on the podium. Top male in third overall was William Clarke (Hollowell SC) with George Sims (Llandegfedd SC) and Edward Reynolds (Donaghadee SC) rounding out the podium.

The RS Tera Sport fleet with 48 entries saw podium honours going to Bora Carrington (Royal Lymington YC), Louis Rumboll (Royal Lymington YC) and Leo Dillingham (Felpham SC), with the female podium top three claimed by Aggie Priestley (Ullswater YC); Isabelle Nuttall (Neyland YC) and Amy Heyburn (Whitefriars SC).

Victory in the 31-entry RS Tera Pro fleet went to Hari Clark (Draycote Water SC) with Ethan Watkin Jones (Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli/Port Dinorwic SC) and Stefan Anderson (Exe SC) rounding out the podium. Top three female sailors were Emily Hooton (Waveney & Oulton Broad YC), Cerise Le Petit (Neyland YC) and Cara Thomas (Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli Port Dinorwic).

First overall in the RS Feva fleet were Cassius Day/Harry O’Callaghan (Royal Victoria YC) with Cameron Ritchie/Finlay Ritchie (Aberdeen & Stonehaven YC) second and Leo West-Hurst/ Ben McCaldin (Ballyholme YC) third. Top three mixed teams in the 35-boat fleet were Laia Priestley/Hayden Gridley (Ullswater YC) with James Reekie/Poppy Moss (Bassenthwaite SC) in second just ahead of local team Amelia Caldecott/Wilf Kendrick (Rutland SC) in third. And claiming the female podium spots were Sophie Fox/Florence Lewin (Itchenor SC), Cara Lynch/Lumia Greenaway (Warsash SC) and Nuala Angus/Hattie Garner (Hayling Island SC).

In the 48-strong ILCA 4 fleet, the top spot was claimed by Callum Marshall (Blackwater SC), with Toby Turner and Joseph Hulse (both Draycote Water SC) in second and third. First female was Meri Greenaway (Royal Southern YC) ahead of Faith Turner (Draycote Water SC) and Ruby Coster (Lymington Town SC).

In the Windsurf fleets, top spots overall were claimed by Sidney Mitchell (4.5, Docklands Dugongs), Ryder Rousseau (5.8, Burton SC) and Luke Stevens (7.8, Queen Mary SC), and among the female competitors by Jasmin Sandhu (4.5, Debdale Outdoor Centre), Elena Saginova (5.8, Northampton SC), Clara Maloney (6.8, Burton SC) and Holly Powell (7.8, Northampton SC).

The Eric Twiname Trophy for the best overall dinghy team was awarded to the East region and the Eric Twiname Windsurfing Cup to the Midlands. The Eric Twiname Shield for the Region/Home Country with the best dinghy and windsurf team rankings overall went to the East.

Find all the fleet results on the Official Noticeboard.