Youth Icicle Series 2026 at Bough Beech Sailing Club - Overall
by Alastair Moppett 1 Mar 19:47 GMT
4 January - 22 February 2026
The final day of the 2026 Bough Beech Youth Icicle, Youthcicle to its friends, played out on a fine, literally can't get any later February afternoon.
A 10 to 15 knot Westerly made launching a little tricky for the fifty-strong fleet, though it shifted to a more-manageable South-Westerly once everyone was afloat.
Race Officer Matt Wolstenholme, taking an afternoon off from being really, really fast in a Snipe, got the fleet away first time on a packed line. Emmanuel and John in the Tonbridge School RS200 got the kind of perfectly-timed port-tack flyer that dreams and future sailing club bar anecdotes are made of, and made the top mark in the clearest of clear air, but they got caught up in two other boats' dramatic capsize on the second lap and that was their race over. The win was taken by Jamie and Josh in a Firefly, followed by Edie and Noah in a 420, and Nick and Jane in another Firefly.
A smidgen more South and a couple more knots in the breeze for the final race of the series allowed the mark-layers to stretch the course, and the spinnaker-carrying boats to stretch their legs. RS Fevas, 420s and the RS200 all flew on top and bottom reaches, with Toppers, ILCAs and Fireflys catching up on the run. Racing was close all the way round the course: the top three were separated by a matter of seconds on corrected time. Edie and Noah from Bough Beech had plenty of boat speed and took the win in their 420, from Torben and Fin, and PG and Reuben, both sailing Sevenoaks School RS Fevas.
Charlie from Tonbridge Town SC sat out day four but had done enough in his ILCA 6 to take the overall series victory. Second place went to Torben and Fin from Sevenoaks School in an RS Feva, with the podium rounded out by Sophia and Lizzie in another Sevenoaks School RS Feva.
Sailing events are never just about the winners. We had eighty-eight entries this year, and there was close racing all the way through the fleet in every race: a recorder's nightmare but so good to see. A number of sailors were making their first forays into dinghy racing in this series and should be very proud of their performances.
"Team work makes the dream work" is an adage beloved of coaches across the land, and it rings true with this event, with organisation and delivery of the event shared between school staff and club volunteers. Huge thanks to everyone who gave up a Saturday afternoon to make it happen.
For visiting youth sailors, Bough Beech hosts a 420 open on the 14th of March, the Snipe Junior Nationals on 5th and 6th of April, an RS Feva open on 10th May, an ILCA open on 30th May, and a Youth and Junior handicap open in September. Come and join us.