Open up a whole new world of sailing through the Etchells Youth Academy
by Mark Jardine 11 Nov 12:00 UTC
2019 RLYC Etchells Class Youth Trials © Alex & David Irwin /
www.sportography.tv
The Etchells Youth Academy fills a vital role in helping young sailors transition from dinghies to keelboats and learn the skills necessary to compete at the highest level, regardless of the type of sailing they do.
Based at the mecca of sailing which is Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the Academy has been set up and supported by extraordinary benefactors who have seen the need, and delivered the answer. Over the past 14 years it has provided the opportunity to access coaching of the very highest standard, and then some of the best one design racing available.
Great sailors have gone through the Academy and on to great things in a number of disciplines which don't necessarily involve keels. The old adage of widening the variety of sailing you do to increase your performance holds true. Stick with just one type of sailing and you'll be missing out on much of what the sport has to offer.
The Academy is currently recruiting for its 2026 programme, set to run over five weekends between 1st January and 31st March, and includes race training, safety and seamanship, such as man overboard drills, race organisation, navigation, tactics and strategy, tuning and trim, racing rules, boat maintenance and management, and the vital teamwork which is needed to succeed in sailing.
There is simply no better way to fast-track your knowledge and skills in keelboat sailing.
David Tydeman, UK Class Secretary, is rightly proud of the Academy and the number of young people who have had their introduction to keelboat sailing. Many of whom may have been lost to the sport if they weren't given the opportunity:
"We've now had 700 sailors go through the Etchells Youth Academy, with some incredible sailors counted amongst the alumni: Olympians such as Vita Heathcote, and our kitefoiling gold medallist Ellie Aldridge, America's Cup star Bleddyn Môn, Hattie Rogers and many more.
"Of particular note are the many Grieg Academy students who have gone, and continue to go through the academy, and now regularly race on the circuit, thanks to the tireless and inspirational Jon Holt.
"The Etchells World Championship returns to the UK in 2028, and our aim is to have ten youth teams taking part, plus of course many of the alumni from over the years who are now regular sailors in the class."
Dave Bedford has been a coach at the Etchells Youth Academy since the outset in 2011, where it had just a single boat, and has watched first-hand how it has grown over the years, and seen the good that it has done in the sport, and some of the sailors who have benefitted from the programme:
"When David Franks donated three boats to the Youth Academy in 2012 things really started to grow, and it led to many introductions in the class, with owners taking the youth sailors on to their teams. We have had some fantastic coaches, such as Lawrence Mead, and Duncan Truswell joined in 2019, with alumni often coming back to help coach the next generation of sailors. We do a lot of on-board coaching, which the Etchells is well suited to, and it allows sailors to learn first-hand new skills and techniques."
The Squad culture developed in 2016, which gave things more structure as Dave explains:
"We worked on safety drills, race craft, and most importantly teamwork. We now encourage potential Youth Academy participants to arrange themselves into a team of three or four, aiming to be around the 285kg weight limit, so that they learn to work as a team from the outset."
For the successful teams in the squad the opportunities are plentiful:
"There are opportunities to be loaned a boat for the season, and we have fantastic support from the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes. We also have great relationships with Etchells fleets around the world, offering the chance to race at some of the best sailing venues abroad."
Heather Quinn has been successful in the Topper and 420 fleets, and had done a bit of match racing before gaining an opportunity to take part in an Etchells Youth Academy squad weekend:
"A friend asked me to step in for a weekend last year when they couldn't make it, and it was great, and this year I've put my own team together. It's a steep learning curve, and I've never seen so many controls on a boat, but it's a really good and friendly class to get into. The standard is really high, and I've learned so much about boat handling, the pre-start, tactics and how to dock the boat."
David Maclean has joined Cowes Etchells relatively recently, and is a huge supporter of the Etchells Youth Academy. David is now also Captain of Fleet Racing at the Royal Thames Yacht Club, which also supports and organisers a number of youth initiatives:
"It's great to be a part of the sailors' story, and their journey in the sport, helping them continue sailing where they might have stopped. The opportunities are endless, as I've learned first-hand by sailing the boat. If you can make an Etchells go, then you can make any boat go!"
So how do you get involved in the Etchells Youth Academy? Sign up! Full details can be found below, including the costs, eligibility and the key dates. Organise yourselves as a team and you'll learn like never before, and open up a whole new world of sailing.
Places are limited, so get your entry in as quickly as possible. For Keelboat Race Training contact Ted Blowers, email and for the 2026 Youth Academy contact David Bedford, email