Optimist and RS Tera Red Ribbon Regatta 2024 at Hayling Island Sailing Club

Close action at the windward mark - Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island © Melvyn Cooper

Nurturing Young Sailors at HISC

Nestled on the picturesque coast, Hayling Island Sailing Club has long been a cradle for nurturing young sailing talent. Central to this is the club's Red Ribbon Training Programme, a four-day course spread over four weeks, aimed at gently introducing young sailors to the exhilarating world of dinghy racing.

Under the expert guidance of Race Coach Melvyn Cooper, the programme focuses on building children's self-esteem and sailing confidence, creating a positive and rewarding pathway to competitive sailing.

A cornerstone of the HISC Youth Pathway, the programme culminates in the highly anticipated Red Ribbon Regatta, an event which not only marks the end of the training but also leaves participants eager and prepared for future racing events, such as Youth Race Week.

Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

Racing and Learning

With blue skies overhead, this year's Red Ribbon Regatta (Sunday June 23) got under way with a warm welcome from event organiser Melvyn Cooper. The young sailors were divided into Optimist and RS Tera groups, where they received morning briefings on key racing skills such as starting procedures, race strategy, boat setup, and essential race rules from experts Julian Pearson, Rob Wilder, and Simon Hunt.

By noon the tide had flooded across West Mud enabling the launch of both fleets and a four-race series over high water. Race Officer Rob Wilder and ARO's Milly Wilder and Freddie Bartlett provided slick, no-delay racing throughout, while the Red Ribbon safety team expanded their on-water brief to support and encourage the less experienced sailors on a race course, many for their first time.

On the layline to the windward mark - Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

In the Optimist fleet Skye Lynch delivered an outstanding performance, securing first place overall with a series of four first-place finishes. Making confident starts on each occasion saw her out in the lead early on, after which consistently good decisions to sail the centre of the course and hit the lay line on starboard to round the windward mark kept her ahead of the fleet.

George White finished an impressive second, Olivia Knibb third and Lucy Shine fourth, all producing an excellent race series with only one point separating them.

Torin Aves emerged victorious in the RS Tera fleet, thanks to his early wins and focused upwind strategy. The competition was fierce, with Alice Merron finishing a close second thanks to a final race victory, and Jasper Fillery taking third. Ollie Fillery rounded out the top four with a commendable performance.

Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

A Day to Remember

A resounding success, the regatta was blessed with ideal sailing conditions and clear blue skies. For many participants, this was their first experience in organised racing, and their display of boat handling skills exceeded all expectations.

"Not knowing what to expect, we were blown away by Red Ribbon," Optimist parent Tom Webley said. "It was a truly amazing experience which my son Alexander absolutely loved. Watching all of the sailors grow so much in confidence and skill over the weeks was fantastic but it was also great to see them making so many new friends and having so much fun playing together at the end of the day."

Ossian Shine, another Optimist parent, shared: "The Red Ribbon Training was perfectly paced and pitched, allowing sailors to learn in a pressure-free, fun environment. Our daughter Lucy loved the final day regatta as it was simply a continuation of all the skills she'd picked up throughout the weeks."

Overall winner, Torin Aves - Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

RS Tera parent Steve Tinnams added: "Thank you to Melvyn and his team. The Red Ribbon training has given our son Henry the confidence and skills to start racing. He was so excited after completing the training that he has signed up for youth race week and wants to start racing on Sundays."

Not just about learning to race, the Red Ribbon Training Programme is about building confidence, forging friendships, and fostering a lifelong love for sailing.

"We look forward to welcoming more young sailors to future sessions and watching them thrive on the water," Melvyn Cooper said. "Red Ribbon has produced fabulous memories of sailing achievements, race successes, and new friendships. It's about having fun and keeping our young sailors wanting more at HISC. I think we succeeded with the brief."

Syke Lynch rounds the windward mark ahead - Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

Optimist Results:

RS Tera Results: