Welsh Regional Junior Championships 2024
The annual Welsh Regional Junior Championships saw 79 sailors competing and having fun with friends over a sunny weekend at Dale.
A packed schedule of competition and coaching was hosted by Dale Yacht Club, Celtic Sea Watersports and Windswept CIC over the weekend of 22-23 June 2024.
More than 30 sailors and parents also made the most of the taster sessions provided by Welsh representatives from the foiling Waszp class on the Friday and Saturday.
The first day of racing had glorious conditions with blue skies and a 6-8 knot breeze from the south-west to south, albeit with lots of tide to test the competitors.
The Topper, RS Tera and General Handicap fleets all fitted in five races, with four for the Optimists, three for the Coach Regatta fleet and two for the windsurfers.
Alongside the Waszp sessions, a Saturday evening curry provided a buzzing social vibe.
Photo: Neil Harding
Sunday then dawned grey and mizzly and so the coaches used the opportunity to provide feedback sessions for the sailors while waiting for the wind to fill in.
At 11am the Championship fleets were finally able to launch, with three races for all made possible thanks to 6 knots of breeze as the sun reappeared.
The Coached Regatta fleet meanwhile had a great day with some beach games and foraging, and giant SUPing. The weekend also saw iQFoiler Catrin Williams, of the British Sailing Team, calling in to inspire the regatta fleet sailors with some top tips.
Full results Welsh Regional Junior Championships.
A new addition to the event was CROESO - a designated RIB offering on-water practical and moral support to sailors and volunteers, carrying spare water, snacks, suncream, first aid kit, period products and toileting facilities.
CROESO was a great success - with over 40 litres of water and a huge amount of snacks consumed - and the plan is for CROESO to now feature at all future RYA Cymru Wales events.
Sarah McGovern, RYA Cymru Wales Performance Manager, added: “It was a fantastic weekend of sailing with glorious sunshine and moderate to light breeze for the two days. It was great to see some new faces and regular supporters of our events testing out their racing skills ready for a busy summer of sailing.
“A huge thank you to all the coaches and volunteers for their hard work supporting the event, and especially to Dale Yacht Club, Celtic Sea Watersports and Windswept CIC for hosting us and running yet another brilliant Welsh Regional Junior Championships.”
What’s next
The ongoing summer Dragon Series enables experienced sailors to pit their wits against each other and less experienced racers to enjoy events closer to home with support:
- Fishguard Bay (West) – 27 July
- Dale (West) – 11 August
- Cardiff Bay (South) – 17 August
- Llyn Brenig (North) – 24 August
Find out more about the Dragon Series 2024 and sign up via the RYA Events hub.
There is then more championship racing for youth and junior sailors in September, plus our two OnBoard festivals for rookies and aspiring racers (sailors and windsurfers):
- 21-22 September 2024: Welsh Youth & Junior Championships at Pwllheli
- 31 August-1 September: South & West Wales OnBoard Festival at Dale
- 31 August 2024: North Wales OnBoard Festival at Bala
Look out for bookings opening over summer and keep up to date with all the latest news and announcements from RYA Cymru Wales by following our social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Photos (top & bottom): Georgie Thomas