Courage, Comebacks and High Drama at the Cadet Worlds
Published 14:29 on 1 Sep 2026
Two South Cerney boats represented Great Britain at the 2026 International Cadet World Championship and two in the promotional fleet held at Circolo Vela Torbole on Lake Garda from 30 July to 7 August.
The 117 boats faced an extraordinary week of weather. Calm water repeatedly gave way to violent storms, with sudden gusts of 4550 knots capsizing boats across the lake. The practice race, the opening day and a later race were all abandoned, testing the courage and resilience of every young sailor.
Bruce Ward and Alex Harker delivered a thrilling performance in GBR 8352, Master Mariner. Combining exceptional speed with confident tactics, they won three races and recorded a second place. They entered the final day fighting for 1st place and the world title.
The day before, a squall had compromised the GPS line after over twenty boats had finished the final race fairly with Bruce and Alex crossing in second. The race was abandoned when the fleet got back to shore. The decision could have knocked a lesser boat but, with great maturity and composure, Bruce and Alex went out the next morning and placed 1st and 2nd in the first two races of the final day and were leading going into the final race.
Before the decisive final race, the light northerly faded further and wiser heads were looking to the committee boat expecting an abandonment. As the winds faded and a ninety degree shift hit the fleet, the race was finished early at WW2 and Bruce & Alex were trapped on the wrong side of the rapidly changing breeze while their rivals escaped.
The cruel final swing dropped them to fourth overall—just two points from bronze—but their performance established them as the top GB boat and among the fastest Cadet teams in the world. An amazing performance given that Bruce only started sailing 3 years ago.
Will Hancock and Alvy Jones in their second year representing GB had a mixed series but showed enormous determination aboard GBR 10094, Thunderstruck. In conditions that repeatedly changed from drifting to survival sailing, they completed every race and never stopped fighting for places. Their ninth in the opening race and excellent sixth in Race 10 demonstrated their speed and potential. They finished 35th, but their resilience through eleven exhausting races was every bit as impressive as the final number.
In the Promotional Fleet, Oscar Ward and Emily Richardson mounted one of the weeks strongest comebacks. Sailing GBR 8513, Di Maggio, they put a difficult opening behind them and became faster and more confident with each race. Two fourth places and a sixth built towards a superb victory in Race 10. Their ability to regroup and attack the championship earned them an excellent 14th overall.
Rosie Hancock and Isla McCormack displayed similar courage and perseverance in GBR 10131. After a challenging start, they refused to be discouraged and made remarkable progress through the fleet. A 13th place showed what was coming before they saved their finest performance for the final race, charging to a brilliant sixth. Their 37th overall cannot capture the scale of their improvement or the character they showed in finishing so strongly.
The world title went to Ukraines David Gutiiev and Katrina Butenko, while Australians Matilda Groves and Poppy Loftus won the Promotional Fleet.
South Cerney can be immensely proud of Bruce, Alex, Will, Alvy, Oscar, Emily, Rosie and Isla. Across storms, capsizes, drifting conditions and dramatic wind shifts, all eight displayed speed, courage, resilience and outstanding team spirit on the world stage.
The Cadet Squadron
Last updated 14:29 on 1 September 2026