Young sailors compete in Welsh Sailing Dragon Series at Gresford Sailing Club
by James Eastbury 29 Apr 09:34 PDT
26 April 2026
Gresford Sailing Club hosted the first North Wales event of the 2026 Dragon Series with sailors from across the region putting their skills to the test.
Challenging shifts and pressure changes in a 6-12 knot South Easterly breeze made for an action packed day of close racing at the club near Wrexham.
A busy schedule saw six handicap races taking place for the event on Sunday 26th April, with a Silver fleet for the more experienced sailors and a coach-supported training fleet providing competition for all levels.
Race Officer Nick Blore set a 2x beat and run course, with a long reach to the turning mark for the start line, maximising the track on the 5-acre Flash.
The competitors included 11 local Gresford SC Juniors, many of whom only had their first racing experiences in the weeks leading up to the event!
The Silver Fleet with seven entries was won convincingly by visiting Optimist sailor Fletcher Sheehy (Bala SC/Llyn Brenig SC), but with tight racing in the chasing pack and the two Topper sailors of Sammy Udal-Bell (Shropshire SC) and local Nesta Wood-Wilson rounding out the podium.
In the ten-strong Training Fleet the overall results were very close with Harry Mitchell (Optimist, Leigh & Lowton SC) winning by a single point from local sailor Esme Povey (Topper) and Jack Jones (Optimist, Llandudno SC) in third.
Event Organiser James Eastbury, of Gresford SC, said: "We're really thrilled to have hosted the first Welsh Sailing Dragon Series event in the North region!
"Gresford Sailing Club has a long-running history with the Series - being one of the original clubs to first launch it in Wales - and we were committed to make a re-appearance on the calendar in 2026. Our local Junior fleet is growing in size and it is testament to our instructors and coaches that we were able to field a strong local fleet of 11 juniors.
"Thank you to the visiting juniors and parents who made the day such a success at our Club through providing excellent competition and commitment to the Series - we hope to be able to bring our Juniors to their events later this year!
"Also, these events would never take place without the commitment and devotion of our Club members and support from RYA Cymru Wales - thank you to the coaches, safety boat crews, race team, galley and car parking volunteers, who showed what the community at Gresford Sailing Club is all about and dedicated their day to the development of our juniors in North Wales!"
The club's junior sailors are now looking forward to seeing everyone again at the next North Wales event in the Dragon Series - Port Dinorwic SC on Sunday 10th May: visit www.welshsailing.com/dragon-series for information and entry links.
Gresford SC is volunteer-run community club offering affordable family-friendly sailing and is an RYA Recognised Training Centre, providing courses and activities for all ages, including sailing, model yachting and paddleboarding.
The club has three Discover Sailing open days coming up over the May Bank Holiday weekend offering a warm welcome and an opportunity for visitors to try sailing - just see gresfordsailingclub.com/discover-sailing-at-gsc:
- Friday 1st May - Junior Sailing, 6pm to 8pm (weekly thereafter until September)
- Saturday 2nd May - Model Boats, 10am to 4pm
- Monday 4th May - Dinghy Sailing, 10am to 4pm