Sunsail unveils the winner of its 2026 Funding the Future competition

Sunsail unveils the winner of its 2026 Funding the Future competition © Sarah Heron

Sunsail, the global yacht charter and sailing holiday provider, has announced Paignton Sailing Club as the winner of its 2026 'Funding the Future' initiative, awarding the club a £6,000 grant during the Southampton International Boat Show on Friday 18th September.

The popular initiative drives funding directly to local sailing clubs, helping to elevate grassroots participation. Attracting a record-breaking 85 entries, a 35% increase on 2025, it invited clubs to demonstrate how they could attract more women and girls to the sport, increase their participation levels and create more inclusive environments.

Paignton Sailing Club's proposed 'Mums on the Water' campaign will use the funding to increase involvement among female beginners while supporting wellbeing and building confidence on the water. The initiative will provide female-led coaching and beginner-friendly tuition, with subsidised sessions helping to make sailing more accessible. It will also highlight progression routes into wider club membership and volunteering, helping participants stay engaged beyond the initial sessions.

The club's entry clearly demonstrated how the funding would be used to deliver a meaningful, sustainable project, with a clear focus on creating opportunities that have a lasting impact for women in an underrepresented group.

Now in its third year, Sunsail's Funding the Future initiative has awarded a total of £30,000 to RYA affiliated grassroots clubs across 2024, 2025 and 2026, according to Andy Crang, Vice President Marketing at Sunsail & The Moorings UK. He said: "Everything we do at Sunsail is rooted in a love for sailing, whether that be helping to grow established passions or encouraging a beginner to take up a hobby, and grassroots clubs are a huge part of this.

"Every application this year had clear ambition and demonstrated its dedication to the sport in a meaningful way, and we hope it gives every club the courage and motivation to keep innovating, pushing for change and encouraging a new generation of sailors. We can't wait to see how the winners and runners-up use their prize money."

All entries were assessed by a renowned panel of sailing experts, including Sunsail ambassador Dee Caffari MBE, Gareth Brookes from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), editors Katy Stickland and Mark Jardine, and Lucy Castle, Marketing Executive at Sunsail.

Dee Caffari MBE, Sunsail Ambassador and record-breaking offshore sailor, said: "As a female sailor myself, I know how important grassroots clubs are when it comes to inspiring new participants to take up the sport as they build confidence, refine skills and ignite passions. When evaluating this year's entries, I was particularly impressed with the level of commitment clubs were showing when it came to attracting women and girls to the sport for the long term. We may be helping to nurture the next generation of competitive female sailors through this initiative!"

Gareth Brookes, Head of Regions at the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), commented: "Sailing clubs are at the heart of our sport. They provide welcoming places where people can learn new skills, build confidence and become part of a community. To grow activity and membership, clubs need the right facilities, equipment and support to create opportunities for everyone. Funding the Future helps clubs do exactly that, enabling more women and girls to get involved and stay involved in sailing for the long term."

Katy Stickland, Editor of Practical Boat Owner, said: "The entries that resonated the most with judges this year were detailed, clear and well costed. Our shortlist had tangible projects or campaigns that we could refer to and ensured women's and girls' involvement in the club wasn't a tick-box exercise, but showed how it's essential to their club's existence. We're delighted with this year's winner and runners-up; they're extremely deserving of their prizes."

Priory Sailing Club and Stewartby Sailing Club were awarded the runners-up prizes, receiving £2,000 each. Judges were impressed by both clubs' thorough and well-researched entries, which sought to increase representation and improve financial access to lessons and courses.

The winning club has over three decades of sailing history and opened in 1989 in the heart of The English Riviera with a simple goal: to create lifelong connections with the sea regardless of background or experience. Paignton Sailing Club welcomes 87 active members spanning from juniors through to adults and hosts regional events and national championships, supported by its group of volunteers championing inclusivity and community wellbeing.

Mark Jardine, Managing Editor of YachtsandYachting.com, remarked: "A really strong set of entries this year demonstrates how clubs are thinking hard about how to increase participation and reach gender balance in sailing. In an era where people's time is more stretched than ever, the UK's club network is key to attracting people to the sport and then keeping them as lifelong sailors, with all the lifestyle benefits that brings."

Lucy Castle, Marketing Executive at Sunsail & The Moorings, added: "Grassroots sailing was pivotal to developing my love of the sport and a future within the industry, so to be judging entries for Funding the Future alongside this panel is a dream come true. From experience, I know exactly what this kind of grant will do for a small club and for women and girls, and I'm proud that Sunsail spearheads such a worthwhile initiative that helps reach a new type of sailor."

Paignton Sailing Club, Priory Sailing Club and Stewartby Sailing Club join the growing list of Funding the Future beneficiaries, which includes 2025's winner Otley Sailing Club and runners-up Wilsonian Sailing Club and Henley Sailing Club.

Using its Funding the Future winnings, Otley Sailing Club has resurrected three lasers and six toppers which are in regular use as hire boats for club members, and it has also enabled the club to increase the number of children on its training programme. The dinghies have been brought back to life with new sails, rigging and control lines with Rob McCandless, Commodore of Otley Sailing Club, adding that the initiative "has made an amazing difference to the club".