This August we have been able to enjoy a hugely successful cadet week. Fourteen cadets and almost as many adult helpers took part; each day started with breakfast in the clubhouse, followed by sailing activities and then lunch and debriefing. The first day, Wednesday gave us some challenging conditions; some of the older cadets went out in the Hartleys, in theory to practice spinnaker sailing, although this proved to be pretty impossible! The younger cadets went out in double-handers with instructors and some even enjoyed a ride in the safety boat.
Thursday morning brought calm weather, so we started to prepare to head to Layde Bay for the traditional cadet picnic on the beach. Sandwiches were made, packed into cars and driven down there. Boats were launched, the older ones again in the Hartleys and the younger ones in a mixture of Toppers and double handers. Unfortunately, as is often the case in Clevedon, conditions deteriorated very rapidly, necessitating a change in plans. The picnic was driven back to Clevedon beach and after a couple of hours sailing was devoured by hungry cadets and helpers alike!
On Friday conditions were near perfect for our regatta. The oldest cadets went out in Lasers for the fast handicap, and the next group down were in Toppers for the slow handicap. Even the least experienced cadets went out in double handers with adult instructors and all had a fantastic sail. Three races were completed. For some this was by far the most sea sailing they have done this year.
Sadly the wind picked up on Saturday and it was not safe to launch any boats. All we could do was watch the cadets mess about in the waves for a long time, before having a barbecue and prize giving back at the club.
As always, none of this would have been possible without all the amazing help we had, with instructors, safety boat crew, beach party and help in the galley with all the food preparation. Thanks to everyone who took part.
Regatta results
Slow Handicap:
1st Sam Newell
2nd Elizabeth Summerell
3rd Eddie Knott
Fast Handicap
1st Rory Stretch
2nd Josh Warren-Cox
3rd Alex East
