Cadet class training 2025 at Stone Sailing Club
by Angie Meyer & Glen Karaskas 17 Apr 01:01 NZST
13 April 2025
Olympian Stuart Bithell delivers Cadet class training at Stone © Angie Meyer
Mr Holt originally designed the Cadet dinghy as a boat that only children could sail, but not an adult. Well, Olympic sailing champion Stuart Bithell proved this not to be the case as he put the Cadet boat through its paces at Stone Sailing Club on the River Blackwater in Essex.
On Sunday 13th April Stone Sailing Club opened its doors to welcome youth from five Cadet squadrons for a day of training in champagne sailing conditions. With a bright and early start (complete with the legendary Stone SC breakfast!) youth from Stone SC; Waldringfield SC; Fisher's Green SC; South Cerney SC; and Frensham Pond SC were soon rigging for the much anticipated training headed by Stuart and they were not to be disappointed.
The first coaching session of the day saw Stone Cadet Squadron leader Mathew Kimber launch the fleet into a westerly breeze, and it wasn't long before the youth hit their stride. Marks were layed by Stu and Matt and before long they had the fleet flying up and down the shore, all guns blazing. What a day for being on the water! There was fierce competition between boats from the get go with front runners Will Hancock & Alvy Jones (Thunderstruck); and Kali Karaskas & Ruby Kimber (Kiwi) leading the charge with superb boat handling, setting the bar high for the rest of the fleet.
It goes without saying that Stu left no stone unturned when it came to honing each boats performance, and his coaching from the RIB was impressive. As was his piercing whistle! With each coached race cadet boats became noticeably better tuned as helms and crews learned to pay close attention to the details that really matter in a racing boat. His patience and perception in maximising the potential of each boat paid dividends. Particularly so because it has to be said, it's not an easy job to maintain the focus and momentum of youth sailors ranging in age from 7 -15 years old!
But the commitment of the youth to training and improving was evident. Sam English & Eliza Gregory (I'm a Bullet Too) proved not to be nicknamed 'The Bullet' for nothing making some impressive starts whilst Holly Jones & Ted Gregory (Aquilo) gave a lesson in great race tactics. Mid fleet it was hard-core determination that saw Daisy Cox & Ben Smith (in borrowed boat Zephyr) make some fantastic gains with a couple of well earned 3rds.
Stu and Matt proved an excellent coaching team, and their rapport with youth was evident as they coached tactics; boat setting; and boat speed without missing a beat. The Cadet Class is an international class known for consistently producing fiercely competitive sailors, and with 78 years of history under its belt, it was fantastic to see youth pulling out all the stops to impress both Stu and Matt including newcomers Samuel Ballantyne & Ollie McHugh (9293) who pulled out all the stops.
A lot has changed since the very first boats were made back in 1947, and nowadays we are on to the mk4 design with boats such as the SYNERGY Cadets built using the latest composite technologies with more modern running gear & equipment on board. The wooden boats to still make for eye catching competitive boats, with some of the oldest wooden Cadets on the circuit harmonising pristine varnished decks with eye catching colourful and contemporary CFbyLandL carbon fibre tiller extensions. Watching the boats in action it is clear that the Cadet remains a superb small double handed boat that has stood the test of time, with a bright (and colourful!) future as a first class youth boat.
With five races in the fleet were buzzing (and it wasn't just from the chocolate Easter eggs being bombed at them as podium prizes by Matt) and finally it was time to race the coach! It is a brave man who steps into a double hander with a mini crew ramped on sugar, but so it was that Stuart Bithell accepted the challenge to race the Cadet fleet. And kudos to young Verity Ballantyne who, as the youngest and newest crew to the fleet, had quite a race on her hands with Stu (!) as they headed off in a club cadet boat aptly named Sail on The Wild Side.
What a race it was! The rest, as they say, is history, but it has to be said the Cadet class gained a real feather in it's cap when Olympic champion Stuart Bithell stepped up to coach our aspiring youngsters on Sunday. Proximity to role models in every sport plays a crucial role in supporting youth to achieve their goals, and this was certainly a training event that ticked all the boxes. For many youth in the Cadet fleet, this spring training event was an invaluable opportunity to prepare for the UKNCCA Peter Scott Trophy to be held 3-5 May 2025 at Stone Sailing Club and the progress of all the youth on the water was evident.
A big thank you to Mathew Kimber and Stuart Bithell, and the all the Stone SC volunteers who made this event possible, and well done to all the youth who participated and worked hard to achieve their goals!
Further news and event coverage of Stone SC events, including STONE CADET WEEK 2025 and all open events, can be found at www.stonesc.org.uk
Further GBR Cadet news and events can be found at www.cadetclass.org.uk/events