Frensham Pond October Cadet Training: Big Fleets, Big Learning and Plenty of Fun!
by Frensham Pond SC Cadet October Training Organisers 21 Oct 09:31 BST
3-4, 10-11, 17-18 October 2026
Frensham Pond October Cadet Training © Rhia O’Kelly
64 boats, eight clubs, three fleets and three weekends of fantastic Cadet sailing!
Frensham Pond Sailing Club (FPSC) was delighted to welcome 64 Cadet boats from eight different clubs for its annual October Training programme, held over the first three weekends of October.
With sailors spread across Gold, Silver and Regatta fleets, the focus was firmly on developing skills, building confidence and, most importantly, having fun on the water.
This year, we were fortunate to have an exceptional line-up of external coaches, Ricky Tagg, Mike MacNamara, Alex Corby, Will Shepherd and Vince Horey, who brought a wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to the programme. From refining racing techniques in the Gold fleet to building fundamental boat-handling skills and confidence in the Regatta fleet, there was something for everyone.
And the weather certainly kept us on our toes! Across the three weekends, sailors experienced a real mix of conditions, providing plenty of opportunities to put their newly acquired skills to the test. Whether adapting to changing wind conditions, sharpening tactical decisions or simply learning to keep the boat moving, every session offered something new.
Putting New Skills to the Test
Training wasn't the only opportunity to get competitive. Saturday afternoons saw sailors take to the water for a pursuit race series, giving them the chance to put their learning into practice in a racing environment. A Sunday series, held across two of the weekends, added even more racing to the programme.
It was fantastic to see the sailors taking what they had learned in the morning sessions and applying it on the racecourse, with some excellent racing across all three fleets.
Congratulations to our series podium finishers!
Sunday Race Series:
Main Fleet - Gold & Silver Combined
- Sophia Stamp & Neve Hallett - Animal (FPSC)
- Isobel Stamp & Scarlett Bose Mallik - La Nina (FPSC)
- Isabelle Davies & Charlotte Allen - She Who Dares (FPSC)
Regatta Fleet
- Eliza Gregory & Reuben Swan - Blue Magic (FPSC)
- Joe Flood & Tom Noren Topham - Major Flood (FPSC)
- Abigail O'Dwyer & Bea Barrie - Vortex (FPSC)
Saturday Pursuit Race Series:
Main Fleet - Gold & Silver Combined
- Sophia Stamp & Neve Hallett - Animal (FPSC)
- Holly Jones & Edward Gregory - Aquillo (FPSC)
- Oscar Ward & Alex Starr - Di Maggio (SCSC)
Regatta Fleet
- Joe Flood & Tom Noren Topham - Major Flood (FPSC)
- Abigail O'Dwyer & Bea Barrie - Vortex (FPSC)
- Megan O'Kelly & Amelia O'Kelly / Edward T - Heat Seeker (CCSC)
While congratulations go to our podium finishers, the real success of October Training was seeing sailors of all abilities learning, improving and growing in confidence throughout the event.
More Than Just Sailing
One of the real highlights was simply seeing so many Cadets out on Frensham Pond. With boats from eight clubs, the atmosphere both on and off the water was fantastic.
It was wonderful to see sailors learning from each other, making new friends and enjoying the camaraderie that makes the Cadet class so special. Whether it was a first experience of racing in the Regatta fleet or an experienced Gold fleet sailor working on those marginal gains, everyone had something to take away.
As organisers, we couldn't be happier with the turnout and the enthusiasm shown by everyone involved. A huge thank you to our visiting coaches for sharing their expertise, to the parents and volunteers who helped make everything run smoothly, and, of course, to all the sailors and families who travelled to Frensham and embraced the training with such energy.
The real reward will be seeing how these skills translate into racing over the coming months. We can't wait to follow everyone's progress, see the confidence gained on the water and watch our young sailors continue to develop.
Thank you to all eight clubs for supporting Frensham October Training and helping make it such a fantastic event.
We look forward to welcoming you all back to Frensham Pond next October for more learning, racing and fun!
Full Results: