Welsh Sailing blog - youth & junior round up

A massive well done to all our Welsh sailors who competed at the RYA Youth Nationals over the Easter holidays. Whether you were hunting podium spots or personal bests, you did us proud.

Congratulations to Jac Bailey-Ben Sinfield and Ben Greenhalgh-Tom Sinfield from Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli / Port Dinorwic SC, who reaped the rewards of their winter squad training to claim gold and bronze in the 29er fleet after four days of tough racing at Hayling Island on the south coast.

There were some great performances across the fleets, with other top 10 results including:

• Laragh Epstein (Cardiff Bay YC) sailing with Charlie Howard - 7^th in the 420
• Ollie Atkin (Cardiff Bay YC) – 10^th in the ILCA 6 Men’s fleet
• Bronwen Thomas (PPSA) – 4^th in the ILCA 6 Female fleet
• Flo Tovey (Mumbles YC) & Amelia Nuttall (Neyland YC) - 8^th & 9^th - ILCA 6 Female

I was on the water and hugely impressed with the dedication of all our Welsh sailors. I was also delighted to welcome Helen Phillips, MBE, President of Commonwealth Games Wales, who joined me to watch the racing and find out more about sailing.

Our sport will be a part of the 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games in Malta, when our sailors will be able to compete as part of Team Wales on this incredible world stage.

Helen absolutely loved her day afloat and to top it off our Welsh Sailing Team competitors Flo Tovey and Freddie Maclaverty both won their first races in the ILCA6 fleets!

Read more about the championship in the RYA Youth Nationals wrap up report.

Selection policy for Welsh squads

The selection policy for the 2026-27 Welsh National Sailing Team is now live!

We will again be running squads for Optimist, Topper, RS Tera, RS Feva, ILCA 4, ILCA 6&7, 29er and 420 sailors, with training camps running from October 2026 to March 2027.

Applications will open in September 2026 but it’s important to read the selection policy now to understand what’s required and which events are must-do indicators for each class.

If you are an aspiring sailor or the parent of a young person who wants to be a part of the Welsh National Sailing Team, please do read the Selection Policy as soon as possible.

Find out more about youth and junior pathways in our Welsh Sailing / Hwylio Cymru Handbook.

Key championship dates

• 20-21 June 2026 - Welsh Club Championships for youth and junior sailors at Cardiff Bay YC -main and regatta fleets – come and battle it out for individual and club prizes!
• 22-23 August 2026 - OnBoard Festival alongside the Welsh WASZP Championships at Bala SC – main and regatta fleets – ideal for those new to racing and something for experienced racers too, with try WASZPing and winging sessions as well!
• 12-13 September 2026 – Welsh Youth & Junior Championships at Plas Heli – pinnacle event of the year with main and coached regatta fleets.

Key indicator events for sailors wanting to apply for the Welsh National Sailing Team include the Welsh Club Championships and Welsh Youth & Junior Championships, so be sure to add these to your calendar, look out for when entries open, and don’t miss out!

Find out more at our Welsh Sailing Hub.

Make a date with The Dragon Series! 

The ever-popular Dragon Series kicks off THIS Saturday 18 April at Tata Steel SC in the South, followed by with the first event in the North at Gresford SC, on Sunday 26 April, and then in the West on Saturday 9 May at Neyland YC.

With accessible, friendly and competitive racing for all levels from rookies to experienced racers, the series welcomes sailors aged 8-18 and provides a fantastic opportunity to develop skills at a stunning variety of venues, including lakes, tidal estuaries and on the sea.

For seasoned sailors it’s extra time on the water racing friends, and all the clubs will have friendly volunteers and coaching support, making these events ideal for those wanting to experience racing beyond their home club or centre for the first time.

Find out more and enter the Dragon Series 2026.

Welsh Youth LAB

We are super proud to announce the launch our Welsh Sailing Youth LAB – comprising eight young people who are supporting RYA Cymru Wales to help shape their sport for the future.

Applications were invited from 16 to 23-year-olds with the message: Your voice matters! Bringing fresh ideas, creativity and energy to our activities, the Youth LAB has already been in action and we’re looking forward to working with this enthusiastic young team.

Read all about who’s who in our Welsh Sailing Youth LAB and look out for their ideas as we work with them to develop our initiatives with, and for, young people in our sport.

And finally…

We’re looking forward to taking a team of 33 Welsh squad sailors to the annual RYA Eric Twiname Junior Championship, 2-4 May 2026 at Rutland SC 😊

Keep up with all the news by following RYA Cymru Wales on Facebook and Instagram and remember to share with the sailors and parents at your club or centre!

Diolch, Sarah McGovern, Chief Operating Officer
RYA Cymru Wales

Image credit RYA/Martin Allen Photography