RYA Eric Twiname Junior Championships 2026
Big congratulations to our junior club sailors! Between 2nd – 4th May 2026, several competed in the RYA Eric Twiname Junior Championships, hosted by Rutland Sailing Club.
Jack Harding, Ayla Griffiths, Ellie Hughes and Rhys Doyle competed in the ILCA fleet. Martha Hughes and Xenia Hudson sailed in the Optimist category, with Xenia taking the title of 1st Girl. Finally, Daffydd King and Sienna Watts did their thing in the Topper class!
What a fantastic effort, and how wonderful to celebrate our younger sailors! #ryacymruwales 🤙⛵☀
Shanghai Cup 2026
Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, in partnership with Portishead Cruising Club, are proud to announce the dates for the Shanghai Cup – Bristol Channel IRC Championships 2026 and the Nimrod Cup 2026.
The Shanghai Cup, as the Bristol Channel IRC Championships, will use IRC ratings and will consist of racing over two weekends, with the first weekend taking place in Portishead on 9/10 May 2026 and the second weekend taking place in Cardiff on 23/24 May 2026.
The Nimrod Cup will use Cardiff Bay Ratings and will consist of racing on the Saturdays of both event weekends, but in Cardiff only.
There will be social events planned in both Portishead and in Cardiff on the racing weekends.
As the sponsor of RORC events, the Bristol Channel IRC Championships is sponsored by North Sails this year, who have been providing us with amazing prize packages.
Huge Congratulations - Merle Nieuwland
Huge congratulations to club home‑grown sailor Merle Nieuwland on receiving the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA) Young Sailor of the Year 2025🏆
2025 saw incredible success for Merle, together with helm Sabine Potter, as they claimed victory in both the National Championship and World Championships in the 420 Female Class.
As a club, we are hugely proud of all our young sailors, and Merle’s well‑deserved success highlights just what can be achieved through dedication, talent, and passion for the sport.
The Sailing Druid - Fundraising!
Our friend and fellow member, Stuart Lewis (AKA the Sailing Druid), is cutting off his impressive locks in support of the wonderful charity Bipolar UK!
Before 5th May, Stuart will be taking the brave step of cutting off his hair to raise much‑needed funds for Bipolar UK. He will then donate his hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs to children in need.
Stuart has set himself an impressive target of £5,000 — follow the link below to find out more and give whatever you can!
Good News Story! MND Fundraising
King of Clubs Celebration - Casino Night!
Well, it’s fair to say we had a ball at the King of Clubs Celebration Night over the weekend!
There were some sharp dressers among you! We enjoyed delicious food, tried our hand at poker and blackjack, finished the evening with a spin on the dance floor, and refuelled with a midnight breakfast.
It’s now just under two weeks until our next event, when we’ll be welcoming a fabulous UB40 tribute act — and we’re down to our last few tickets!