Neyland Yacht Club

Frostbite 2026 Roundup

Sunday 4^th January 2026 - Sunday 8^th March 2026

The 2026 Frostbite Series at Neyland Yacht Club concluded on Sunday 8th March, rounding off ten weeks of lively winter racing with a finale that happened to fall on International Women’s Day—a fitting coincidence, because the day and the series turned out to be a showcase of outstanding performances by the club’s female sailors.

Conditions throughout the series offered the usual Frostbite variety: some crisp, bright days with perfect breeze, several challenging gusty sessions, and the occasional “why do we do this in winter?” moment. Out of 20 planned races, 18 were successfully run, and one weekend was lost due to gales. Throughout, the enthusiasm on and off the water, from the sailors and our generous volunteers, made this one of the most enjoyable Frostbite seasons in recent years.

The last race day delivered a competitive but friendly atmosphere, with close racing across the fleet of Division 1. Amelia Nuttall, in her ILCA 6, took both wins in the day’s racing; her training throughout the winter as part of the Welsh ILCA squad clearly paid off.
The normal junior contingent that makes up Division 2 was missing on this final weekend as the bulk of them, 7 helms, were training in Pwllheli as part of the Welsh Tera squad.

The overall standings reinforced the theme of female success this season:
• Division 1
Alec Denny (ILCA6) sailed a consistent series through the full range of conditions in the series, obviously at home in her upgraded boat, to finish at the top of Division 1. Simon Turnbull in his RS100 finished second ahead of Geoff Turner in his Supernova.
• Division 2
Anwen Sims (RS Tera Pro) won the series by a single point over Dylan Williams (ILCA4), with 3rd taken by the duo of Liam Franz and Iolo Sims in an RS Feva.

Having all three spotlight results—the final races' winner and both division champions—claimed by women was a brilliant way to mark International Women’s Day.
Congratulations to all competitors who braved the winter months, and especially to Amelia, Alec, and Anwen for their excellent achievements.

There is now a short break in the dinghy proceedings, time for you all to complete your boat preparation for the warmer part of the season.

Upcoming dates of interest are

Dinghy Spring Series – beginning Tuesday 14th April
Junior training – beginning Monday 27th April. Sign-up evening is on the 16th March
Spring Regatta – 9th &10th May (1st event of Dragon Series West on Sat 9th).