ILCA Rooster East & Midlands Region Youth Series / Open Meeting at Norfolk Broads Yacht Club

ILCA 7 winner Tom Thwaites during the ILCA Rooster East & Midlands Region Youth Series / Open Meeting at Norfolk Broads Yacht Club © NBYC

Taking part in the ILCA UK Rooster Youth Series at Norfolk Broads Yacht Club was a really memorable experience and an important part of my sailing journey.

It was the second event in the regional series that I have attended as part of my A-Level PE sailing programme. It was also my first experience of competing in an event with sailors of all ages and different classes of boats racing together, which made it a completely different experience from club and inter-club racing.

The weather and conditions were fantastic throughout the day, making for some great racing. One thing I particularly enjoyed was that the course remained the same for all three races. This gave everyone the opportunity to become familiar with the course layout and then really focus on applying their racing skills and improving performance as the day went on. By the third race, I felt much more confident and able to make better tactical decisions because I knew the course well.

The racing itself was exciting, and I really enjoyed being out on the water with such a large fleet. I was especially pleased to be racing with an ILCA 6 sail, which is the rig specified within the A-Level sailing requirements. This has been quite a challenge for me, as I originally trained and raced with a 4.7 rig, which is better suited to my size and weight. Moving up to the ILCA 6 felt quite daunting at first, but taking part in events like this has helped me make that step up and develop my sailing to the next level.

Between races there was plenty of opportunity to chat with other sailors, meet new people and learn from those with more experience. The atmosphere was competitive but also very friendly and welcoming.

The organisation of the event was excellent. Communication before and during the day was clear and helpful, and having two slipways meant launching and recovering boats efficiently despite the large number of competitors taking part.

One thing that stood out was how spectator-friendly the venue was. My parents commented on how much of the racing they could see from the shore and how easy it was to follow what was happening on the water. It created a great atmosphere and helped them feel involved in the event too.

After the racing, it was interesting to see the results and begin to understand more about how the scoring system works. Before the event, I had contacted Mark Turner for some advice and only then realised that he was the Regional Series Coordinator. He kindly provided links to the leaderboards and took the time to explain how the scoring system worked, which helped me understand how competitors are ranked throughout the series. Seeing the leaderboard and understanding how positions are calculated has made me even more excited to compete in the next event in the series at Draycote Water.

I was absolutely chuffed to see my name on the Youth Regional Leaderboard in third place. Although the event itself included competitors of all ages racing together, my third-place position was on the youth leaderboard rather than the overall standings. It was still fantastic to compete against sailors of all ages on the day, and I was fascinated to watch Tom Thwaites, who won the event. His skills were incredible, and it was great to watch him race and learn from him.

This event also marked the culmination of a long learning process. Over the past months, I have had to learn about different boat types, sail configurations, racing rules and the requirements needed to compete in ILCA class racing. Moving from a 4.7 rig to an ILCA 6 as required for my A-Level PE sailing programme was a significant step and one that initially felt quite daunting. To finally arrive at a regional event, launch the boat and enjoy the racing was a real achievement for me. I was proud simply to be taking part and representing my club.

I would like to say a special thank you to Mark Turner for the advice and encouragement he provided before and during the event. As Regional Series Coordinator, he was extremely approachable and helpful, and his guidance on the scoring system and the wider series helped me gain a much better understanding of regional racing.

I would also like to thank Chris Cox, Ashley & Nicola Manning, Tony Phillips, Laurie Mason, Hannah Bowen, Richard Saunders, Luke Riches, Sue Hancock, Graham Kemp, Wade Piercy, Brian & Bev Wallis, Nikki & Daniel Ford, Tris & Kath Pritchard and the many other members of Benfleet Yacht Club who have supported me throughout my sailing journey. Many of them have been involved in my development since I was 11 years old and have dedicated countless hours to helping me improve as a sailor. Their coaching, encouragement, patience and support for both me and my family over the years have played a huge part in helping me reach this stage. Without their commitment and belief in me, I would not have had the opportunity to develop my sailing to the level where I can now pursue it as part of my A-Level PE studies and compete in regional events such as this.

Norfolk Broads Yacht Club itself was a fantastic venue. We were greeted with big smiles on arrival and made to feel very welcome throughout the event. The club had excellent facilities and served lovely food, which added to the overall experience. Even the accounts team were extremely helpful when it came to entering the event, providing clear information and assistance whenever needed.

Overall, Norfolk Broads Yacht Club provided a fantastic event. I came away with greater confidence, valuable racing experience, new friendships and some great memories. I am already looking forward to the next event in the series at Draycote Water and continuing to develop my sailing skills. I would definitely love to return to Norfolk Broads Yacht Club one day.

Rooster East & Midlands Region Youth Series Results: (after two events)