2026 Specsavers International Cadet UK Inland Championship at Rutland Sailing Club - Preview

Welsh Harp Cadet Open © Kana Butkovic / www.instagram.com/kanabutkovic

A new chapter begins at this year's Specsavers International Cadet Inland Championship as Rutland Sailing Club prepares to welcome the UK's best young Cadet sailors for a weekend of close racing on 19th and 20th September.

There has been a changing of the guard. With many of the class's established helms now taking a well-earned bow from Cadet sailing, moving on to exciting new challenges in other classes. Their departure leaves behind not only impressive results, but also an opportunity for the next generation to make their mark.

Next weekend, the spotlight shifts to the sailors ready to step up. Former crews will be looking to prove they can lead from the back as they take the helm, while a talented group of up-and-coming helms will be eager to show exactly what they're capable of. In the regatta fleet, expect plenty of fresh faces, growing confidence, and some fiercely contested racing as tomorrow's stars begin to emerge.

With 2027 marking the 80th anniversary of the International Cadet Class, this new season promises to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. The class is on a genuine upward trajectory, with growing fleets, renewed enthusiasm, and a clear vision for the future. The goal is ambitious but achievable: 80 boats on the start line at the 2027 National Championship in Brixham, Devon, next August - a fitting celebration of eight decades of one of the world's greatest youth sailing classes.

Rutland's open water has a reputation for producing tactical, exciting racing, and with the fleet more open than it has been for years, predicting a winner is harder than ever. One thing is certain: by the end of the weekend, new names will have announced themselves as the ones to watch.

The road to the 80th anniversary starts here.

Official Notice Board and Online Entry is located at www.cadetclass.org.uk/events