4 of our club RS Tera Pro sailors, made it over to Burton Sailing Club over the weekend of the 25/26 April, for their first Big one – The 2026 Start of Seasons Championships

Team Hogan / Jones only got as far as Rhuallt Hill before their trailer axle fell off!
Club members Tim, Jess hall & Alex Rogers, thankfully came to the rescue offering the use of their trailers!

It was generally a mentally tough racing weekend for all sailors (and Race Officer!), with patchy light winds and big shifts to deal with! On a plus side, the sun shone, the club bar was open 24/7 and most families camped on site!

7 races were amazingly held (2 on Saturday and 5 on Sunday), and our very own Tarquin W.J thought it was all over when he was black flagged in Race 5. But he held his nerve, to win the weekend with a Race to spare.

Harrison Hogan finished a respectable 25th, Cara Thomas her personal best (I think?) at National level in 18th, and Harry Bennell storming into the Top 10 in 8th position overall!
DA IAWN / WELL DONE Team!

Report by Dave Watkin Jones

PDSC Pathway Coaching

PDSC / CHYF has been recognised as one of four RYA Cymru Wales Pathway clubs and the only one in North Wales.  The RYA Pathway Club is aimed at encouraging and developing junior and youth sailing.  In Wales, the ‘RYA Pathway Clubs’ are replacing the previous regional ‘Open Training’ structure that was organised by RYA Cymru Wales.

Pathway Coaching is a structured programme designed to support young sailors as they progress in their journey of learning to sail competitively. PDSC have arranged a programme of coaching that follows on from our PD Pirates learn to sail and RYA Stage 1 & 2 courses (Group 1) and a more advanced programme for the more experienced sailor.

Pathway Coaching sessions are being offered over the winter and full details are available on the website – https://pdsc.org.uk/training/pathway.  Sessions are now available to book via Webcollect and are open to both club members and also the wider Welsh Junior and Youth Sailing community. 

The first of the sessions is at the end of half term (30/31 October) and we would encourage early booking as spaces are limited and will be offered on a first come first served basis

Dates for your Diary

The AGM a Laying Up Supper will be held on 22 November at the sailing club.

In a change from previous years, to allow a gap between the Laying Up Supper and the Annual Dinner and to move it away from Christmas, The Annual Dinner and prize giving has been moved to 21 February 2026.  Same location (Celtic Manor), same great company, just a different date. 

Links to book tickets for both will published in due course and further notifications sent. 

The 13th Annual Hywel Poole Memorial Race was sailed this weekend (7th June 2025), with 29 boats sailing either the ‘Long’ or ‘Short’ course watched on by Hywel’s parents Denise & Mike . 

Following application of the large pink hands to their sails / hulls in memory of Hywel’s large hands and passion for pink shirts, the fleet launched into a nice south westerly breeze.  The race started with an open line across the full width of the Menai Strait and the fleet proceeded down the straits towards Caernarfon.  Following the start, the tide turned and the flood tide started to flow making progress to Caernarfon a little more challenging.

The Junior’s sailed a shorter course and turned at channel marker B14 and headed back to the finish line off the club house, whilst the long course sailors continued on their trip to Caernarfon.  Upon reaching the turning mark laid off the castle, it was a quick run back down the straits with the tide to the finish line.  

The RS400 helmed by Jonny McGovern and crewed by June Riley took the honours for the long course, with an unusual tied second place being taken by the 29er of Ben Greenhalgh and Tom Sinfield with identical corrected times as the RS200 of Tats Greenhalgh and Phoebe Greenhalgh.  Crossing in third place was Rebecca and Jacob Knock in their RS200.  

The Short course was won by Sophie Venning in her Topper with second and third places being taken by Harrison Hogan and Ethan Watkin Jones in their RS Terra Pro and Sport respectively.

As part of the prize giving, Densie and Mike were awarded Honorary Life Membership to PDSC and presented with certificates by the club commodore.

Huge thanks to everyone who supported the race and to Funky Starfish a  Force 4 chandlery in Plymouth for their continued support and donation of prizes.