Third time lucky! After two years of no Cadet Week 2020, and a severely Covid restricted Cadet Week 2021, finally it was almost back to normal for 2022. 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 1 Monday started early! Tide times required cadets to be on the pier at 07.15 ready to sail. The forecast had been poor, but the early arrivals were greeted with a light wind and clearing skies. Further out the “Kepis Noir” Black Cap racers, were soon manoeuvring to get the perfect start to race 1, run by the Principal Race Officer, Stewart Biggar’s expert team ashore in the Start Hut. 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, getting covered in the stuff 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, more muddy fun was assured. Parents and friends later had to try to identify their younger ones as they were finally persuaded to bring the fun to a close, coming up the slipway covered in mud, ready for hosing off with cold water before a warm shower to clean up.

Day 2 More warm sunshine, light winds and the racing and training resumed. With the Race Officers…