Bosham Junior Week
Published 21:58 on 19 Aug 2026
Charlie Wade writes: What a week! Bosham Junior Week 2026 once again lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest and best-run junior regattas in the harbour, and Emsworth Sailing Club turned out in force to take it on. With more than 140 boats competing across the 420, Feva, Mirror, Topper, and Optimist classes, combined with glorious weather and champagne sailing conditions, it was suggested this could have been the best one yet.
The Oppie class was by far the largest with 50+ boats split across silver and gold fleets. The tricky conditions and famously strong tides tested our young sailors to the max, but they rose to the occasion brilliantly.
Silver Fleet: Edward B
Edward flew the ESC flag solo in the silver fleet, and what a showing it was. Across 15 hard-fought races Edward held station in the top half throughout. A genuinely excellent result against a huge and competitive turnout. He just kept getting better as the week went on, and by the closing races he was banging in regular top 10 finishes. A brilliant week of racing and a real marker for the future.
Gold Fleet: First-Timers Take the Step Up
Tobias A, William B, and Joe W all made their gold fleet debut at Bosham this year. A huge step up in class, and one they met head-on despite tricky winds and tides stronger than anything they'd faced before. All three sailors improved dramatically over the week.
Tobias A led the charge, picking up ESC's only Oppie merit mat of the week with a superb 3rd place in Race 4, and backing it up with consistent top 10 finishes across all 12 races. A brilliant, mature week of sailing.
William B earned a mid-week award recognising true grit and a never-give-up attitude - exactly the spirit that makes Junior Week what it is, and a fantastic achievement in its own right.
Joe W was perhaps the week's most improved sailor, working his way from 14th at the start of the week up to three 4th place finishes by the end. A brilliant example of what a week of hard racing and hard learning can do.
Every day brought a new lesson for the boys, reading the course, understanding wind shifts, and battling the ever-changing (and very strong) tides. It was a week thoroughly enjoyed by all, expertly run from start to finish by the Bosham Sailing Club team.
Beyond the Oppies: Theo F Dominates
Our resident Oppie star Theo F decided to mix things up this year and try his hand in an RS Feva. In a fleet of 25 boats across 14 races, and despite regularly slowing down to ask for directions, he promptly finished 2nd overall. A fantastic result from one of ESC's finest sailors. He was a joy to watch out there.
The Parents' Race
No Bosham Junior Week would be complete without the legendary parents' Oppie race, and this year saw all 50+ boats on the start line quite a sight! Some very well-known names and professional sailors from the other side of the harbour stepped in to make up the numbers, but ESC held its own, with Caroline Addison, Sophie Brigstocke, David Brigstocke, and Charlie Wade all finishing in the top half.
Special mention to David, who kept his unbeaten record against Sophie intact (now 2 from 2) in what is fast becoming one of the fiercely competitive, illustrious, and thoroughly extensive rivalries in our Clubs history.
A Week to Remember
Bosham Junior Week continues to set the bar for competitive junior racing in the harbour, and it was fantastic to see ESC so well represented, with every sailor coming away having learned something and improved. It's the perfect example of what the week is all about, and the whole Bosham crowd could not have been more welcoming or encouraging.
If you've got a junior sailor who fancies testing themselves against some of the best young racers in the harbour, coupled with a strong line up of evening activities to keep parents thoroughly entertained, put JW27 in the diary now. We'd love to see even more ESC juniors out there next year!