Cambridgeshire Youth League 2026 event at Grafham Water Sailing Club

Grafham Water Sailing Club, Cambridgeshire © Paul Sanwell / OPP

The second event in the 2026 Cambridgeshire Youth League was held at Grafham Water Sailing Club on Saturday 6th June. The CYL consists of five Cambridgeshire sailing clubs: Cam SC, Ely SC, Grafham Water SC, Hunts SC and Paxton Lakes SC. Each club hosts an event for youth members of all five clubs each year.

The league encourages young and inexperienced sailors to get their first taste of racing at a different venue, but many sailors come back year after year because they enjoy the events so much. This means that competition at the front of the fleet is fierce but there is the opportunity for newcomers to gain experience further down the fleet. Friendships are forged as sailors from different clubs meet up each year.

The forecast ahead of the Grafham event was for strong winds with very strong gusts. However the race management team decided to go ahead, but the Principal Race Officer warned the competitors that the conditions might be too much for some of the younger entrants. In the event, all but three sailors chose to go afloat, with several reefed and many of the ILCAs reducing their rig size.

Race 1 was run in a wind of 10-12 knots, with gusts up to 23 knots which caught some of the inexperienced sailors out, leading to several retirements. The older competitors who were sailing a mix of ILCA4s and ILCA6s were revelling in the conditions, while the younger sailors, in Toppers, Optimists and RS Teras battled their way round the trapezoid course, which the race team had set close inshore to provide what shelter was available.

The two double-handers, an RS Feva and a Topaz Vibe, both sailed by Grafham members, were neck-to-neck for all three races. The Vibe did briefly hoist their spinnaker. Race 1 was won by Josh Blackman Northwood from Hunts SC in an ILCA6, followed by Kieran Vanhoute from Ely SC, also in an ILCA6. Both Kieran and Josh are seasoned CYL competitors and also participated in the ILCA winter coaching held at Grafham Water SC over last winter, so are well used to the conditions Grafham can throw up.

Race 2 was run back-to-back as the race officer wanted to make the most of the (slightly) lighter winds forecast for the morning. The wind was continuing to build but 21 sailors finished the race. This was won by Kieran, followed by Lucas Rooke, from the home club, who had only moved into an ILCA4 in the autumn. We should not forget the many other sailors, some of whom had never sailed on a lake the size of Grafham Water before, who battled round the course.

After race 2 the sailors (and race management team) came ashore for a well-earned lunch break. The race officer announced that race 3 would go ahead and several of those who had retired in race 2 decided to give race 3 a go. It was windier, with even more and stronger gusts, but 25 boats ventured out, with 23 finishing the race. Kieran again dominated, followed by his Ely SC team-mate Edward Human in an ILCA4. Josh and Lucas followed.

We should not forget Sophia Hardcastle from Grafham, sailing a Topper 4.2, who posted a 7th in race 1 and a 6th in race 3, finishing in sixth equal overall and taking the second Under 15 award, and Toby Hailey, sailing a Topper for Grafham, who posted a third, fourth and fifth, and took the first Under 15 prize, finishing in fifth pace.

The CYL is both an individual, and a team event, with results by all the competing sailors contributing to the overall series and also includes awards for Under 12 and Under15 categories as well as a prize for the youngest competitor and an Endeavour award.

Many thanks to the race management and the safety teams who enabled this event to go ahead despite the challenging conditions. We look forward to the next CYL event at Ely SC on Saturday 4th July.

Overall Results:

1st U15 - Toby Hailey, Grafham Water SC
2nd U15 - Sophia Hardcastle, Grafham Water SC
1st U12 - Alexander Reeves, Cam SC
2nd U12 -, William Morgan, Grafham Water SC
Endeavour award - Elisabeth Collins, Cam SC
Youngest competitor - Jamie McGuire, Grafham Water SC
Team Prize - Grafham Water SC