Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

UK Cadet Class Training at Datchet Water Sailing Club

by Neil Collingridge 27 Nov 2017 09:39 GMT 25-26 November 2017

Thirty Cadets hit the water at Datchet this weekend in wonderful wall-to-wall sunshine and decent breezes of between 10 and 20 knots.

This year the Class is adopting a slightly modified training programme. Joining the RYA National Junior Squad (8 boats) for the top U15s helms and the Cadet Class National Squad (8 boats) for helms over 15 and those not quite getting into NJS we now also have Open training for anyone else run on a regional basis to make travelling easier for those slightly less committed to a life of packing and unpacking boats on what sometimes seems like a never-ending cycle... or for those who just want to dip in and out to those weekends which suit them. With 14 boats turning out for Open Training this weekend it looks like this is proving to be a popular formula and the Class is seeing good growth in the number of its less experienced sailors. This was also much in evidence at last month's Inland Championships where there was a really healthy turnout in the bronze fleet.

The other feature of the Class' training Programme is the high quality of its coaches. The NJS coach Tom Mallindine, himself a former Oppie Champion was joined by ex Cadet Sam Brearey this weekend - he's been a Fireball World and European Champion crew so knows a bit about what makes a boat goes fast. For the Cadet National Squad it was Corky Rhodes (communication guru- Extreme Series and World Cup commentator as well as an ex Cadet) joined this weekend by Rhos Hawes (again an ex Cadet but also top 49er crew from the RYA Podium Potential Squad) and Open Training was coached once again by ex-Cadets Sam Barr (recent World Promos coach) and Matt and Ben Shorrock (both now top notch 420 sailors)... so a wealth of talent helping the young sailors and a strong underlining of the heritage of this Junior Class which has and continues to produce so many great sailors over the generations.

It was just as well that there were as many inspirational coaches at hand as the young sailors had to contend with tricky launching - will someone at Datchet please put the plug back in, shifty and gusty wind as it blew over the dam and had to drop 50 feet or so to reattach to the water surface, and hardest of all - it was cold, cold, cold and something of a shock after such a mild autumn had been enjoyed by all.

All the coaches put their boats through some pretty intensive work - focus on boat handling, clear crew-helm communications, getting the routines agreed, sorted and practiced, stopping the boat, start line hovering, sailing backwards, mastering the double tack - there was plenty of hard work and it kept people switched on and engaged and generally coping with the difficult cold conditions. All the coaches agreed lots of progress had been made over the weekend and gave plenty of feedback on what to work on for the rest of the winter... and I think all the sailors enjoyed their sailing and came away determined to work hard to get better and better.

With plenty of other training opportunities to come it's not too late to join in this winter. Lifelong friendships were once again being forged at Datchet Water this weekend - it's a friendly crowd who love to greet new joiners and bring them into the cadet family. Details are available on the Class website www.cadetclass.org.uk and competitive secondhand cadets are inexpensive and readily available so please do come and join in with this friendly class. They say "You never forget your first Cadet" - give it a try, you will find it's true.

Related Articles

Junior Sailors Set To Compete on World Stage
South Cerney SC rightfully proud of their Cadet team going to the Worlds South Cerney Sailing Club are delighted to announce that eight of our junior sailors have been selected to be part of Team GB competing at the Cadet World Championships at Cerna Yacht Club in Czechia from August 1st to 8th 2025. Posted on 18 Jun
Cadet class Peter Scott Trophy at Stone
Talk was centred around race tactics, boat snacks and who won the Egg Roulette game It was game on at the 2025 UKNCCA Peter Scott Trophy on 3-5 May as the Cadet fleet turned out in force vying for not just the honour of winning a Championship trophy but also a place in the GBR Cadet World Team. Posted on 9 May
Ron Beasley obituary
A seven-year joinery apprenticeship lead to being a world champion dinghy builder Ronald William Beasley was born on the 31st January 1931 and grew up in Bradley, Bilston in the Black Country. He left school at age fourteen. He then completed a seven-year joinery apprenticeship at 'Wilcocks' in Wolverhampton. Posted on 16 Apr
Cadet class training at Stone
Olympian Stuart Bithell left no stone unturned when it came to honing performance Mr Holt originally designed the Cadet dinghy as a boat that only children could sail, but not an adult. Well, Olympic sailing champion Stuart Bithell proved this not be the case as he put the Cadet boat through its paces at Stone Sailing Club. Posted on 16 Apr
2025 Cadet Alf Simmonds Trophy
Sunshine, Skill, and Standouts in Portland Harbour If this weekend's Alf Simmonds Trophy taught us anything about the UK Cadet Class, it's that we are hitting our stride in 2025. Posted on 11 Apr
Faster, Better, Stronger
A round up of Fishers Green SC Cadet open meeting It was all to play for at the 2025 FGSC Cadet Open as ambitious contenders launched into a light SE breeze on 22 March. Fresh from almost a month of winter training at the green, these cadet sailors looked faster and stronger than ever before. Posted on 26 Mar
Ten young sailors prepare for Iron Pot Sailathon
The sailors, aged between 9-16, all members of Australian team, will sail 5 Cadets Ten young sailors from the Sandy Bay SC and the International Cadet Class of Tasmania are preparing to embark on their longest ever sail to raise money to support their trip to the 2025 International Cadet Worlds in the Czech Republic in August. Posted on 26 Mar
Going to publish the 'F' word – Again!
Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing Now we published the first one back in June last year. It did really well, thank you. Very much appreciated. Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing, and are keen to get into the foiling world. Posted on 23 Mar
Cadets at Frensham Pond
An outstanding team of former Cadet sailors ran a morning of training before the races The Frensham Pond Sailing Club Cadet Open Weekend kicked off with a morning of training. With 30 boats participating, the fleet was split into three. We were fortunate to have an outstanding coaching team of former Cadet sailors. Posted on 18 Mar
Cadet Winter Training at Fishers Green
No mistaking the energy, enthusiasm and commitment from this year's cohort They say 'once a Cadet, always a Cadet', and we were fortunate to have several generations of cadets at this year's 2025 Cadet Winter training event hosted by Fishers Green SC. Posted on 16 Mar