Solway Yacht Club's Cadet Week returns after being hit by coronavirus restrictions

It was third time lucky for Solway Yacht Club’s Cadet Week after two years of coronavirus restrictions.

Fifty cadets plus a similar number of volunteers, instructors, safety crews, race officers, galley staff and pier helpers were rewarded with a great week, all but one day in warm sunshine and mostly favourable winds.

Day one started early but, despite the poor forecast, the early arrivals were greeted with a light wind and clearing skies. Further out the Kepis Noir racers were soon manoeuvring to get the perfect start to race one, run by the expert team of principal race officer Stewart Biggar.

Onshore, the coached racers, the Kepis Bleu, were thinking about race craft with plans for timing practice starts, mark rounding in close company and learning tactics. The improvers group, Kepis Blancs, were soon picking up where they left off in the previous year’s beginners’ group. Split into two age groups, the Kepis Rouge beginners were excused the early start, letting the pier clear before starting their basic training.

Racing was split into fast and slow handicap fleets. Despite little or no wind at the start/finish line, James Bishop got the first fast handicap win in his Laser with Oliver Bennet winning both the slow handicap races in his Laser Pico. Race two for the fast fleet rewarded Sam Bennet with his first win in the Laser Radial, getting the better of Bishop.

After tea in the clubhouse, dozens of squeaky-clean cadets couldn’t wait to get covered in Solway mud in Mudlarks 2022. Sliding into the incoming salt water down the high mud bank isn’t everyone’s idea of fun but thanks to the brave adult safety supervisors, not least SYC cadet officer, Joanne Harris, and after the tug o’ war and capture-the-flag games ended,