July 18, 2026 - 193 views
Young sailors from North Wales have achieved outstanding results on the world stage, with two boats from Clwb Hwylio Y Felinheli / Port Dinorwic Sailing Club finishing inside the top ten at the 29er World Championships in Kiel, Germany.
Jac Bailey and Ben Sinfield secured sixth place overall in the highly competitive youth skiff championship, while teammates Ben Greenhalgh and Tom Sinfield finished ninth, marking a major achievement for Welsh sailing.
The event, held on the Baltic Sea in northern Germany, attracted more than 270 entries from across the world, with challenging conditions testing competitors’ boat handling, teamwork and consistency.
Sarah McGovern, Chief Operating Officer for RYA Cymru Wales, said having two Welsh boats finish in the top ten was an exceptional achievement.
She said: "Having two Welsh 29er boats in the top 10 at the 29er Worlds is absolutely unheard of - a sign of brilliant things to come."
She also thanked Sport Wales for its continued support of the Hwylio Cymru performance programmes, which help young sailors access equipment, coaching and development opportunities.
The sailors are part of the Welsh National Sailing Team, with support from RYA Cymru Wales and Sport Wales helping them compete at the highest level.
Reflecting on their result, Jac and Ben said they were proud of their sixth-place finish after a demanding week of racing.
They said: "Kiel threw everything at us. Every day was a different day from windy to light to shifty to wavy, we had it all. We were able to stay consistent throughout the week and rely fully on our equipment."
The success follows another strong performance at the annual Kieler Woche regatta, where Ben Greenhalgh and Tom Sinfield finished third men’s team and fifth overall in a fleet of 157 boats.
Tom said the team recovered from a difficult start at the World Championships to secure their top-ten finish.
He said: "It was a rough start with a yellow flag and a big error on the first day, but we kept our heads high and results consistent to manage to climb into the top 10."
Jac and Ben will now hope to secure selection for Great Britain for the Youth Sailing World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, later this year, before progressing towards the Olympic 49er class.
The achievements come as Welsh sailing introduces new Welsh Sail / Hwyl Cymru awards, recognising athletes and coaches who represent Wales internationally.
The Welsh National Sailing Team currently supports around 70 young sailors across seven junior and youth classes, providing coaching, training camps and pathways towards international competition.
The team says the latest results highlight the growing strength of youth sailing in Wales, with North Wales clubs continuing to produce athletes capable of competing at the highest levels.
