Young sailors shine at Welsh Club Championships

More than 70 young sailors from 13 clubs across Wales descended on Dale in Pembrokeshire for the first ever Welsh Club Championships.

With a festival atmosphere and a packed schedule ashore as well as on the water (20-21 June 2026), the scene was set for a brilliant weekend of sailing and socialising for competitors, parents and volunteers.

There was sizzling bacon on the BBQ for breakfast from 8am on the Saturday, thanks to Tân A Môr restaurant in Dale, and in beautiful sunshine and a south-easterly breeze of 4-8 knots the sailors launched on time.

With an eye on a lighter breeze forecast for the Sunday, the race team pushed for as many races as possible on the Saturday, and six races were completed by the 57-strong Main Fleet, along with five for the 12-boat Regatta Fleet.

The post-racing vibe was then described as ‘mega’ with Tân A Môr running catering outside the Coronation Hall, Welsh Sailing’s Wishy Washy station in full swing for kit rinsing, and Diolch Hour for the volunteers with cake courtesy of Mandy Morsley.

With the music playing and the sun still shining, lots of families stayed around to enjoy the food, relax and catch up with old and new friends.

Around 20 sailors also seized the chance to experience something new, trying out a 29er youth skiff, foiling WASZP or both – with coaches Will Willett, Jon Nuttall and Catrin Williams running the sessions, Kirsten Willett jumping aboard to help, and Dan Powell helming the 29er joy rides.

The foiling generated significant interest and for anyone keen to do more, there are First Flight days coming up at Neyland Yacht Club, 27 & 28 June and 25 & 26 July, followed by Bala on 29 & 30 August, bookable via the Welsh Sailing hub.

The Welsh Club Championships also saw the appearance of a new Hwylio Cymru mascot. Delwyn, the inflatable red dragon, quickly became a favourite among sailors and spectators, entertaining everyone throughout the weekend!

Other initiatives included the presentation of ‘Welsh Sails’ tokens to volunteers, introduced by the Welsh Youth LAB to recognise the invaluable contribution of those who give their time to support events.

As forecast, Sunday had very light wind conditions, and while waiting for a sea breeze to fill in, there was an opportunity to present prizes from the ‘In It to Win It’ competition – including those generously provided by Welsh Sailing partners Intego Sun Protection and Rinsd wetsuit wash.

The coaches also did a debrief and top tips from the Saturday racing for Main Fleet, while the Regatta Fleet launched for some fun paddling races.

A north-westerly breeze then arrived on time at around midday, bringing around 6 knots of wind and allowing an additional two races for Main Fleet and three more for the Regatta fleet.

Overall results

Llandegfedd Sailing Club fielded the largest team of the event with 14 sailors and after two days of competition, the overall club results were:

1. Cardiff Bay Yacht Club
2. Port Dinorwic SC / Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli
3. Neyland Yacht Club

The podium was determined by ranking all sailors according to their net points and combining the scores of each club’s top three sailors to produce the final team results.

As well as the presentation of club trophies and individual medals at the prize giving, another Welsh Youth LAB idea saw glamorous rubber ducks awarded to the top clubs, adding to the fun.

Additionally there was recognition for the youngest sailors - twins Otto and Louis Hayden, aged seven, from Saundersfoot Sailing Club – and an Endeavour Award for Osian Roberts from Neyland Yacht Club for his progress in the Regatta Fleet. Inspired by the weekend, Osian is now looking forward to this summer’s Welsh Sailing OnBoard Festival at Bala over the weekend of 22-23 August 2026.

The overall standings for individual sailors within each fleet are available at: Welsh Club Championships – results.

Diolch

Sarah McGovern, Chief Operating Officer for RYA Cymru Wales, said: “It was a truly memorable weekend with some really great competitive racing at our first ever Welsh Club Championships, along with lots of learning and opportunities to try new boats, and heaps of fun on shore.

“On behalf of everyone at Welsh Sailing, we’d like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who supports us to make these events possible to inspire young sailors:

• Huw Pearce for managing the results remotely, which took a huge amount of pressure off the on-site team;
• Dale Yacht Club and Windswept Watersports for stepping in at short notice to help host the event, and Pembrokeshire Yacht Club and Neyland Yacht Club for providing RIBS and race marks;
• Our incredible team of volunteers and coaches – we genuinely cannot run these events without their dedication and support;
• Ade Owens from Pembrokeshire YC for the photography and RIB support
• Steve McGrath, Commodore of Dale Yacht Club, for loaning his yacht as the main committee boat; and Matt Sayer, Main Fleet Race Officer and Emily Cook, Regatta Fleet Race Officer.

“We’re now looking forward to our OnBoard Festival at Bala in August, and in the meantime hope to see our young sailors making the most of the remaining Dragon Series events in North, South and West Wales - and continuing to enjoy a fantastic summer afloat!”

Find out more about all upcoming events at Welsh Sailing / Hwylio Cymru.