Seldén Cadet Open at Frensham Pond Sailing Club

Seldén Frensham Pond Cadet Open 2026 © Steve Gregory

A weekend that started in sun cream and ended in 36 knots

It began, as the best early-season Cadet weekends often do, with a boat park full of optimism. This was the first national event of 2026, and with 42 boats on the entry list it was the biggest Frensham Cadet Open since 2013.

There were a lot of new partnerships, new sails, new kit on display and it is great to see new owners sailing previously much loved boats. Seldén's support set the tone early. Saturday wasn't just "arrive and race"; it was arrive and improve. Cadet Class National Coach Alex Corby and Seldén's Andy "Turbo" Tarboton had the fleet straight out on the water, working through the sort of fundamentals that make a difference later when the pressure arrives: accelerating into gaps, keeping lanes clean, and getting the boat flat and fast. In the sunshine - many applying the year's first layer of sun cream - it was a great warm-up: serious coaching wrapped in a holiday atmosphere.

Seldén Frensham Pond Cadet Open 2026 - photo © Steve Gregory

The afternoon race - the Frensham Club Pursuit - was the first proper test. With Gold and Silver fleets both sharing the same start line it was interesting to watch the different tactics. Several of the local Frensham boats went for the for the race-hut end on port, slipping away before the line compresses - however with so many boats on the line they were quickly crowded in, and many found themselves squeezed out, pushed left into dirty air and fighting to escape. Out on the right, the story was different: clean lanes, clear wind, and the priceless advantage of approaching the first mark on starboard. 8333, Finn Sullam & Abi Davis read it perfectly and led into the first mark, chased in by 8373, Bruce Ward & Alex Harker, with 8378 Sophia Stamp and Neve Hallett third.

The Regatta Fleet had its own learning moment. Watching the winners go right is often the best kind of coaching - but on this occasion they didn't, and many piled left. Even so, two boats refused to accept the script: 10131, Rosie Hancock & Eden Jones and 8372, Thomas Emile & Hansel Holland came charging upwind so hard they almost latched onto the back of the Main Fleet by the first mark. It was an early sign of what would become a theme all weekend: whatever the conditions, there would be boats everywhere.

Finn and Abi held the front of main fleet for much of the pursuit, with Sophia and Neve close enough to keep them honest. But by the fourth lap the pond did what the pond does - the breeze softened and edged west. A new lane of pressure arrived first for 9982, Samuel English & Minnie Palmer pounced, converting wind into distance with the ruthless efficiency that wins races. The lead changed hands, the fleet compressed, and Saturday ended in that best possible way: grins, stories, and the sense that tomorrow would be properly competitive. It was.

Seldén Frensham Pond Cadet Open 2026 - photo © Steve Gregory

Sunday morning arrived looking friendly - sunshine and around ten knots - but Frensham has a habit of changing its mind between launching and the first start. By the time the fleets rolled toward the line, the breeze had strengthened, and then strengthened again. The gusts came with that darker edge that Cadet sailors recognise instantly: not just "windy", but "windy enough that someone will capsize at the worst possible moment". The start line was a glorious sight: busy, committed, and very much "first regatta of the year". Everyone was up on it, keen to measure themselves. And then, in the first race, the front of the Main Fleet began to separate out with real clarity. 10094, Will Hancock & Alvy Jones were first to settle into rhythm and by the windward mark they had a commanding lead. Behind them were 10128, George Cox-Olliff & Evie Winchester, then 8537, Mimi Windibank & George Blackwell, then 8352, Bruce & Alex - four boats that would spend the rest of the race (and I suspect much of this season) in a tight, shifting argument at the front. Behind that leading quartet, the fleet was in survival mode. Gusts knocked crews off balance, boats went over, and the usual early-season mix of ambition produced collisions, damage, and a growing list of retirements. It wasn't malicious; it was just hard.

In the Regatta Fleet, the most memorable moment arrived before the race had even properly started. Thomas and Hansel (8372) capsized on the line, and Thomas performed a backwards somersault into the water. The fact they regrouped and eventually fought back to third tells you everything about their grit. The race win went to 9292, George Ring & Miles Cooke-Hurle, with Rosie and Eden second.

If race one was "gusty and chaotic", race two became a tactical puzzle with a sting in its tail. The course stayed the same, but the committee boat hadn't let out enough anchor chain, and suddenly the start line was noticeably pin-biased. George and Evie (10128) judged it superbly and escaped into a strong early lead. But the real drama came downwind. The gusts were now "bombs" - the sort that hit the rig with a thud and demand an immediate decision: spinnaker up and commit, or keep it simple and stay upright? On the final run, those choices became visible in real time: boats either accelerated like they'd been released from a slingshot, or disappeared in a spray-and-mast-tip moment. By the end, around 40% of the Main Fleet retired. It was cold, tiring, and proper work - everyone headed inside to warm their hands around bowls of something hot. The lunch break mattered. You could feel the reset.

Seldén Frensham Pond Cadet Open 2026 - photo © Steve Gregory

Then the fleet went back out. If anything, the breeze had strengthened again. Gusts over 28 knots hammered the start line. The fleet was still eager, still competitive, but now the race team was having to manage not just fair starts, but safety and control. After the second general recall, Martin Goult - calm, decisive, and exactly what you want in charge when it gets spicy - brought out the U-flag. Even then there was still a boat over, a reminder of how hard it is for teenagers in small boats to judge a line when the wind is physically trying to throw them sideways. Will and Alvy won the start and the first beat again, with Bruce and Alex (8352) into second and Sam and Minnie third. In Regatta, Rosie and Eden showed just how much Saturday's coaching had translated into Sunday confidence: despite not the best start, they had the boat speed to move through and then simply disappear into a lead.

And then came race four. The decision was made to go straight to the U-flag. The anemometer on the committee boat registered 36-knot gusts - and across the fleet the challenge was no longer about perfect tacks and textbook spinnaker runs. It was about staying upright, staying safe, and making sensible choices at speed. Somehow, at the sharp end, it remained a race. Sam and Minnie (9982) established a strong lead, chased by George and Evie, with Will and Alvy still right there. By the end of the first lap that top three order had formed, and remarkably it held.

But Frensham didn't let anyone off with a neat finish. On the final spinnaker run, with the line in sight and what looked like an unassailable lead, Sam capsized. A lead that had been thirty boat lengths evaporated in seconds. The fleet behind could smell it. The finish suddenly mattered again. The recovery was fast, disciplined, and brave. The boat came up, the spinnaker filled, and they crossed the line still in front - but now by something closer to five lengths than thirty. A win snatched back from the pond itself. That was the weekend in one image: young sailors learning quickly, racing hard, and digging deep when the conditions demanded it.

Thanks

Huge thanks to Seldén for sponsorship, prizes and coaching support; to Alex Corby, Andy "Turbo" Tarboton, Sam Nee and Ned Fairhurst for excellent Saturday coaching; to Jonno Baer Frensham Cadet Class Captain, to Race Officer Martin Goult and the race team for running racing so calmly and fairly in extreme conditions; and to the safety crews and volunteers who kept the whole show moving.

Overall Results: