Cadet Week 2025 at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club
by Lindsay Rainbow 1 Sep 21:06 UTC
11-14 August 2025
Green team - Stingray Lemans Trophy Race during Thorpe Bay YC cadet week © David Maynard /
www.alleycatphotographer.com
113 cadets arrived for the annual Thorpe Bay Yacht Club cadet week from 11th to the 14th of August, greeted with a forecast of five days of glorious sunshine and light breezes, perfect for their young sailors ranging from 4 - 18 years old.
Throughout the week they split into four groups to cater for all ages and abilities. Ranging from Stingrays, primarily primary school aged children learning to sail in the club Optimists, through Piranhas, Barracudas and Sharks who had a full week of racing.
Stingrays group, led by Adam Clark saw their 53 children split into six different coloured teams lead by Pippa, Fiona, Rob, Tom, Gareth and Tim learn to sail and build confidence in the water through a mix of fun activities including sailing, survival swims, rib rides, paddle board runs, cork races, relay races and more.
Throughout the week teams could win points towards scoring for the end of week prize-giving.
But perhaps the highlight is the infamous 'Stingray Lemans Trophy Race'.
Thursday morning brought light south-westerly winds and warm sunshine, perfect for an action-packed adrenaline paced relay race spanning both water and land in a winner takes all dramatic Lemans race.
For the race, the young sailors had to run a batten from their team-coloured flag on the beach, into the water to be sailed to their buoy and back, handed to the next runner to go back up the beach to their flag before the next crew of runners and sailors took on the next lap.
After three laps it was neck and neck with only seconds separating five of the six teams. In joint fourth place were red and yellow team, joint third yellow and green team with second place taken by orange.
The only exception was the blue team, led by 22-year-old former cadet, Pippa Mintern, who had a clear half a dozen boat length lead over the pack.
Adam Clark, Stingray group leader commented "Congratulations to Pippa and her team of enthusiastic young sailors Martha, Archie, Thomas, Bodhi, Casper, Matilda, Olive, Hazel and Rufus who took the crown! And thank you to all the volunteers that helped to make the week so special, we're keeping our fingers crossed for the same sunshine and breeze next year!"
Roll on 2026 for more fun and games on the water at sunny Thorpe Bay Yacht Club.