World championship success for Draycote Academy sailors
by Dave Rowe 6 Aug 19:41 BST
Draycote Academy sailors have smashed out medal winning performances at two major world championships. At this summer's RS Tera and then Topper worlds, Draycote Academy supported sailors claimed nine podium places and multiple top ten results.
Charlie Hunt became the RS Tera Pro world champion at Travemünde Week in Germany, with silver spots for Hari Clark (second overall) and Mollie Wilson (second girl), and 5th overall for Joseph Hulse. It was also a silver finish for Harry Wilson, second overall in the RS Tera Sport.
Hari Clark then went one better at Quiberon, France, to become the Topper 5.3 World Champion, with team mate Joseph Hulse in silver and second overall; top results also went to Phileas Rousselle and Hendricks Long in fifth and tenth respectively.
The Topper 4.2 World Championship fleet likewise had impressive results for Draycote Academy supported sailors, with Jake Day second overall, Isabelle Simpson claiming the girl's title in third overall, Sam Taylor fourth overall and Elizabeth Stainton second girl / sixth overall.
Draycote Academy Head Coach Steve Irish said: "These brilliant results are a real testament to the hard work of the sailors we've coached over winter and in the run up to, and during, these hugely competitive international championships.
"It shows the dedication of the sailors and rewards them for the hard yards they've put into their training and racing. We're immensely proud of all our sailors, whether they've trained with us throughout winter or joined us for summer, achieved a podium finish or a personal best, or simply enjoyed testing their skills and racing with us at what might have been their first major international championship. Well done everyone!"
Hat trick for Hari
Draycote Academy's Hari Clark is now a triple world champion after previously also winning the title in the Topper 4.2 (2024) and RS Tera Sport (2025). Hari is the first person to achieve the Topper worlds double having now claimed the title in both the Topper 4.2 and the Topper 5.3.
In the run up to winning the Topper 5.3 World Championship this summer, Hari picked up some speed tips from Joe Rowe, who won the title in 2022 with Draycote Academy and is now a Topper and ILCA coach for the programme at Draycote Water Sailing Club.
Asked what gave him the winning edge, Hari said: "Probably my tactics and the fact that I was gathering all the info I could between races, devising a plan, sticking to that and making it work. I was looking at wind strength across the course, how much the wind was shifting, and the line bias on the start line.
"The best thing about being a part of the Draycote Academy is the amount of hours we put in on the water each weekend. It gives you time to practise and find your strengths and weaknesses so you can become a rounded sailor.
"It feels great to win the Topper 5.3 title, especially as I won the 4.2s previously, because it shows I'm progressing after all the hard work over the winter. A big thank you to my coaches Steve and Joe and also to the Topper fleet, it's really friendly and everyone knows each other, so it's good fun as well as great racing."
Winning ways
In total there were more than a dozen top ten results by sailors who have trained with Draycote Academy in 2025-26, over winter and/or in the run up to and during this summer's RS Tera and Topper World Championships.
On the home front at the ILCA UK Nationals 2026 at WPNSA (22 July 2026 - 28 July), results for Draycote Academy sailors included: Joe Rowe seventh overall in the ILCA 7; Jess Powell retaining the U17 Women's title in the ILCA 6; and Toby Turner finishing third U16 Boy in the ILCA 4. Draycote Water SC also won the Club Trophy.
For the next Draycote Academy intake, the first round of invites has already gone out for 2026-27, with round two of applications also now under way for the UK's most successful junior race training programme.
Find out more or get in touch at draycotewater.co.uk/draycote-academy