Cadet Open 2026 at Fishers Green Sailing Club

by Angie Meyer 29 May 08:51 BST 16-17 May 2026

The thing about a Sailing Regatta is there is never a dull moment. Too much wind? Too little wind? A jammy snodger and a turtle fouling up the start line? What? OK, maybe I got a bit carried away there. But you get the idea.

The 2026 Fishers Green Cadet Regatta was of course no different.

The green (as FGSC is affectionately known) was bursting with youthful energy and electric with anticipation as rows of cadet dinghies lined up in the bright spring sunlight. The weekend promised racing; BBQ; camping and more! And the FGSC breakfast baps proved immediately popular, rocket fuel perhaps for the young guns setting their sights on some silverware.

Briefing at 10.30am sharp was a warm welcome to all the visitors and a lake debrief. After all, it's not every day a UK sailing club can boast having both a Turtle Island AND a Snake Island. And yes that bit is true.

As the resident Squadron leader of the local fleet I have been delighted to note the year on year growth of our re-vitalised FGSC Cadet Open, in thanks no doubt to the club members volunteering both time and energy since 2023 to support our Cadet Dinghy sailors. Word on the Grapevine is that dinghy sailing is flourishing as a broader interest in water based activities gains traction in the UK, it was a joy to see 24 youth sailors looking sharp for the briefing by Edwin Buckley and Christian Hill on Saturday 16th May.

Race 1 saw sibling rivalry from the get go, with Rosie Hancock & Eden Jones giving William Hancock & Alvy Jones a run for their money in a westerly breeze on a Z471 course. Staying cool in second place was Charlie Jones & Francis Lonardo, whilst first in Regatta Fleet was Thomas Emile & Pierre Harris looked in fine form. They say if it ain't broke don't fix it, and Race 2 saw the same course. This time it was Zoe Thomas & Lisa Gass who got the edge, pipping Will & Alvy to the post with alacrity.

A well timed break for lunch saw Commodore Kevin O'Brien serving up first class galley grub, ably assisted by Jane and Mark. Who doesn't love a Swedish Meatball? They say Champions are made in the kitchen, not just in the gym. In this case, it appears a plate of Swedish Meatballs was enough to completely turn the tables in Race 3, with Rosie & Eden taking a clear win from their brothers followed comfortably by Daisy Cox & Ben Smith in 2nd position.

Onto Race 4 and with no clear winner yet in poll position it was all to play for. An abrupt change in wind direction saw a complete change of course, and this time a sausage 10-Z to stretch the legs of our kite flying Cadets. Hats off to Charlie & Francis who spotted the favoured side and held their lead from the start, with Rosie & Eden in 2nd.

Time for the Crews race! I have to say expectations were high, with several crews looking fired up from the start. Call it passion. Call it pride. This wasn't just about the Crew's trophy. Lisa, Alvy and Ben all had the fire in their eyes and the wind in their sails. But in the end it was boat speed and tactical awareness and local knowledge that saw Ben & Daisy overtake Lisa & Zoe on the final leg with a well timed final tack. A well-deserved bullet for team FGSC.

I mentioned at the start that there is never a dull moment at a sailing regatta, and with all boats resting back on shore it was time to spice things up. They say team work makes the dream work, but perhaps its not always about the dream. Sometimes it's more about hoping your crew can catch an egg. Eh? Indeed, for no Fishers Greens Cadet Regatta would be complete without an egg throwing relay set to test the nerves of parents and helms alike. It takes fortitude to face an excitable egg throwing 8 year old. Nerves of steel. Hands as soft as pillows. And as egg after egg was thrown amidst laughter and squeals of excitement it was clear to all that indeed, a youth sailing regattas is not just about sailing! A top notch game and a formidable performance of egg throwing team work that saw Luca Chichester Clark & Thomas Lucas come out trumps!

What followed was a first class on shore social, with BBQ, Tug O'War plus games (the Pool Table making a firm comeback amongst our sociable teenagers) and picturesque Camping. It must be said all made possible by our team of FGSC volunteers, and grateful thanks to John Ward in particular who BBQed for us all in true Kiwi style.

Sunday dawned with the promise of good wind and more fine racing, and a team talk by RO Edwin saw Helms and crews coming together to talk strategy before launching. It was time for Race 5 and this time the RO team were testing our fleet's endurance with longer races and plenty of opportunity for helms to make immediate gains on the starts. They say 80% of a race can be gained from a start, and this proved indeed true for Will & Alvy who took 1st in main fleet chased by Charlie & Lonardo in 2nd.

It was all to play for now and with only one discard in the series the pressure was on for race 6. The bar was being held high, with team work in the boat proving just as important as boat speed. Communication was proving to play a vital role in decision making, and with close racing (in some cases a pin wheel around the mark as boats raced neck and neck) it must be said that there was not a single boat on the water who was not giving their all. And Kudos to our youngest helms Georgia & Olive Christian who did well to make their Cadet Debut amidst such fierce competition!

The final race of the day was eventful and delivered what can only be described as a nail-biting finish for our on shore spectators, with all boats clearing vying for line honours. With Cadet Dinghy sailors representing squadrons from Welsh Harp SC; Corinthian Otters; Frensham SC; South Cerney SC; Rickmansworth and of course FGSC, it was all to play for. Top tier racing indeed from our UKNCCA fleet, a fantastic final race and well done all who gave of their best. First past the post Will & Alvy and Daisy & Ben flying into 2nd position in main fleet and to Tomas & Pierre who took another bullet in Regatta fleet.

Thank you to all the volunteers including those FGSC members who provided safety cover on RIBS and help in the galley over the weekend, and congratulations to our FGSC Cadet Open 2026 podium places and prize winners including:

• Will Hancock & Alvy Jones (presented with the overall winner Cobweb Trophy and 1st In Gold fleet)
• Rosie Hancock & Eden Jones (presented with 1st in Silver Fleet)
• Daisy Cox & Ben Smith (presented with the Eric Ingall Trophy & 1st FGSC Boat)
• Thomas Emile & Pierre Harris 1st in Regatta fleet (presented with 1st in Regatta fleet and Endevour trophy)
• Daisy Cox (presented with 10 o'clock trophy)
• Ben Smith (most promising crew presented with the Sam Breary Shield).

Further news and event coverage of FGSC events, including all open events, can be found on our social media channel @fishersgreensailingclub and www.fishersgreensc.org.uk

Overall Results:

Pos	Fleet	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1st	Gold	10094	Will Hancock	Alvey Jones	South Cerney/Fishers Green	1	2	‑4	3	1	1	8
2nd	Silver	10131	Rosie Hancock	Eden Jones	South Cerney/Fishers Green	3	‑7	1	2	4	3	13
3rd	Silver	7335	Charlie Jones	Francis Lonardo	Frensham Pond SC	2	4	‑6	1	2	5	14
4th	Silver	10107	Daisy Cox	Ben Smith	Fishers Green	‑5	3	2	5	5	2	17
5th	Cadet	9020	Zoe Thomas	Lisa Gass	Rickmansworth	4	1	‑7	4	3	7	19
6th	Silver	8553	Oscar Ward	Alex Star	South Cerney	‑7	5	3	7	6	4	25
7th	Silver	9977	Holly Jones	Edward Gregory	Frensham Pond SC	6	8	5	6	(DNF)	8	33
8th	Silver	8415	Sam Buckley	Angus MacNeil	Corinthian Otters	8	6	‑9	8	7	6	35
9th	Regatta	9636	Geogina Christian	Olive	South Cerney/Fishers Green	10	11	8	(DNC)	8	9	46
10th	Regatta	8372	Thomas Emile	Pierre Harris	Welsh Harp SC	9	9	‑10	9	9	10	46
11th	Regatta	7630	Hansel Holland	Ollie Gass	Welsh Harp SC	11	‑12	11	10	10	11	53
12th	Regatta	9600	Luca Chichester Clark	Thomas Lucas	Welsh Harp SC	‑12	10	12	11	11	12	56