Waldringfield

Cadet Squadron

The Waldringfield Cadet Squadron is one of the strongest Cadet dinghy fleets in the United Kingdom. The Cadet is a small two-person dinghy, originally designed by Jack Holt in 1947 and sailed by children up to the age of 17. The class has been raced at Waldringfield since the 1950s. It is still an excellent training and racing boat which has been a proving ground for future Olympic sailors.

We currently have around 25 active Cadet dinghies at Waldringfield and we’re always keen for new members to join in. It’s a great fun in a safe environment, and the children develop friendships which can last a lifetime.

Children generally start crewing in Cadets aged between 6-9. Complete novices are welcome as older helms will teach beginners what they need to know – all you really need is plenty of enthusiasm. The Club also organises six training days during the season, all of which help the youngsters gain the confidence and improve their sailing skills. At all times there’s plenty of safety boat cover and opportunities for parents to help on the water as well.

After a few seasons of crewing, most youngsters then graduate into helming a Cadet themselves – we have four Cadets available for hire for a small fee, see Dinghies and Kayaks.

From May onwards,  Junior Sailing Club will run on five selected Saturday mornings in May, June and July.  Children can have a sail in a Cadet, helmed by an experienced sailor. It’s a fun, gentle introduction to the sport, with games and mini races and a great stepping stone to racing on Saturday afternoons. Enthusiastic crews are always in demand.  See the 2020 Timetable for dates. 

In 2020, Junior Cadet Racing Squad is providing a link between Junior Sailing Club and the Racing Fleet with an extra training session on Saturday 23^rd May to build on sailor’s experiences. 

The Cadet fleet has all standards of sailors – some are just beginning, others moving up through the fleet quickly, some are winning races at club level, whilst the top Cadets are sailing at national and international level. We are proud of all our young sailors, who are all winners in our eyes –learning new skills, gaining in self-confidence and having lots of fun along the way. We encourage everyone, whatever their aspirations.  

Once Cadet sailors have got too old or too big for their boat, the squad sees many youth sailors moving into the RS200, a double handed boat that is ideal for the youth spirit and has a very vibrant fleet at WSC.

Along with Club Racing every Saturday afternoon between March and November, and a number of trophy events, our Cadet highlight of the year is Cadet Week which is held in August. Up to 40 cadets from different clubs take part in a week of sailing, beach games, barbecues, discos and camping……whatever the weather, it’s a great week for both children and parents (who get their own social programme during the week!)

To get started please contact Jamie Whittle, Cadet Squadron Leader at jamiewhitvet@gmail.com or for Junior Sailing Club email: wsc.juniorsailing@gmail.com  (see timetable below).

Our Junior Class Captains for 2020 are Libby Bush and Hamish Collingridge.

It doesn’t cost much to have a go. Minimum requirements are a wetsuit, buoyancy aid and suitable shoes, but it is generally possible to borrow these before committing. By the age of 12 or 13, children are often ready to start helming and second hand Cadets are very reasonably priced, starting at around £500 for a starter boat. Like all things, once you catch the bug, it can get pricier, but £1500-2000 should buy you a competitive boat. As mentioned earlier, we also have four Club boats which are available to hire for a small charge (£10 p/day)

Clearly, once you’ve caught the bug, we would encourage you to apply for membership of Waldringfield Sailing Club!

Parents who aren’t sailors should not be put off – there are plenty of land-bound members, often to be seen relaxing at the club with a fantastic view of the river and sailing.

We look forward to welcoming you to Waldringfield Cadets!