Optimist Red Ribbon Regatta 2025 at Hayling Island Sailing Club

Set against the scenic backdrop of England's south coast, Hayling Island Sailing Club (HISC) has a proud tradition of developing young sailing talent. At the heart of this effort is the Red Ribbon Training Programme — a four-day course delivered over four weeks — designed to gently introduce young sailors to the thrilling world of dinghy racing.

Led by expert Race Coach Melvyn Cooper, the programme prioritises building children's self-confidence and sailing ability, offering a positive, encouraging route into competitive sailing.

As a key part of the HISC Youth Pathway, the course concludes with the eagerly awaited Red Ribbon Regatta — an event that not only celebrates the progress made but also inspires participants to continue into future competitions like Youth Race Week.

Gybe mark - Optimist Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

Racing and Learning

With blue skies above, this year's Red Ribbon Regatta (Sunday 13 July) began with a warm welcome from event organiser Melvyn Cooper. The young sailors were given a briefing covering key racing skills, including starting procedures, race strategy, boat setup, and essential race rules.

By lunchtime, the tide had filled over West Mud, allowing the Optimists to launch for a four-race series held over high water. Race Officer Amanda Simpson and the AROs delivered smooth, uninterrupted racing throughout the afternoon, while the Red Ribbon safety team broadened their on-water role to support and encourage the less experienced sailors — many of whom were navigating a race course for the very first time.

Optimist sailor Tom McKenna delivered an outstanding performance, securing first place overall with a series of three first-place finishes. Making confident starts on each occasion saw him 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 him ahead of the fleet. Summer Campbell James finished an impressive second, Jack Bingham third and Lailah Griffiths fourth, all producing an excellent race series.

Upwind leg - Optimist 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.

"Red Ribbon feels like a rite of passage for HISC's young sailors and it did not disappoint," Optimist Parent Amanda McKenna said. "Our children have come away more confident, more knowledgeable (and more competitive!) sailors, but most importantly they loved being part of the pack and feel proud to have shared the experience with their new friends. It was a joy to watch them laughing and swapping war stories about capsizing after a strong wind session! Memories - and skills - for life."

Overall winner, Tom McKenna - Optimist Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

Dominica Halliwell added "Lyra thoroughly enjoyed Red Ribbon - spending time with friends and meeting new ones both on and off the water. Plus also learning what racing is all about! Thanks so much Melvyn and team - especially for making it fun while keeping the kids safe and enjoying sailing."

John Clifton, another Optimist Parent shared: "Phoebe and Eloise had a great time on the Red Ribbon course! They really developed their skills during the programme, becoming very comfortable despite some challenging conditions at times They've all developed great confidence on he water, fearless of falling out or capsizing which is so important at such a young age."

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."

Windward mark rounding - Optimist Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper

Overall Results:

Downwind to the gybe mark - Optimist Red Ribbon Regatta at Hayling Island - photo © Melvyn Cooper