North Sails Cowes Week Youth Sailing Program

Ensuring sailing is more inclusive and sustainable sport is a key focus for North Sails Cowes Week going forward. In 2026, we are building on our well-established annual Youth Day with a new Youth Sailing Programme to leverage existing youth sailing resources by supporting catalyst projects.

Youth Sailing Zone

The first such initiative will be the Youth Sailing Zone, intended to increase youth sailing accessibility and early participation which, in turn, has consistently demonstrated positive and inclusive benefits by building confidence, resilience, teamwork and leadership skills.

Located on Cowes Parade opposite Trinity Landing, it will be manned by a team from UKSA who will be sharing more about what they do and help families get involved. Free try-sailing sessions for under 18s will be available every day from Saturday 1st - Friday 7th August from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Each session includes 45 minutes on the water, supported by experienced instructors, with safety boats ensuring a safe, supportive, and unforgettable sailing experience. The initiative is supported by the Gosling Foundation.

The Athena Pathway's Youth Squad

The Athena Pathway is a high-performance foiling pathway, created to identify, develop, and accelerate the next generation of sailors . Providing a clear route into the GB1 America's Cup team, British Women's and Youth America's Cup teams, and Emirates GBR SailGP team, Athena Pathway gives emerging talent the opportunity to train, compete and develop alongside the best in the sport.

Supporting the Youth Sailing Program at North Sails Cowes Week reflects their passion for creating opportunities for ambitious young sailors to succeed on the world stage and building a sustainable future for British sailing.

Q & A Sessions

Sailors from Athena Pathway's Youth Squad will host a series of Q&A sessions in the Youth Sailing Zone, giving young visitors the chance to be inspired by and learn about pathways into professional sailing.

Finn Dickinson	Sun 2nd Aug	16:30-17:30
Katy Jenkins	Mon 3rd Aug	16:30-17:30
Kuba Staite	Tue 4th Aug	16:30-17:30
Kai Hockley	Wed 5th Aug	16:30-17:30

Finley Dickinson

Finley Dickinson is a member of the Athena Pathway Youth Squad and an accomplished ILCA 7 sailor. Having grown up on the water, he progressed through the Optimist and ILCA pathways before establishing himself at the top level of the class.

His achievements include 3rd at the ILCA 7 European Championships, 5th at the ILCA 7 World Championships, and becoming ILCA 7 U21 World Champion. Finley has also trained in the AC40 alongside GB1 and the Athena Pathway Women's America's Cup team, as he continues to pursue his ambitions of winning an Olympic gold medal and one day competing in the America's Cup..

Katy Jenkins

Katy Jenkins is a member of the Athena Pathway Youth Squad, currently campaigning in the Olympic 49erFX class. A two-time WASZP Ladies National Champion, WASZP 7.5m World Championship silver medallist, and 7th-place finisher at the 49erFX Junior World Championships, she has progressed through Optimists, RS Fevas, the 29er and WASZP to reach the Olympic pathway.

Katy is focused on achieving her long-term ambitions of winning an Olympic gold medal and representing Great Britain at the Youth America's Cup.

Kuba Staite

Kuba Staite is a member of the Athena Pathway Youth Squad with a passion for high-performance sailing across multiple disciplines. After competing internationally in Optimists, including the 2018/19 Optimist Worlds Team, and progressing through 420s and 29ers, he has since moved into wingfoiling, where he has achieved multiple UK National event wins.

Kuba continues to explore the limits of sailing, with ambitions to win major titles.

Kai Hockley

Kai Hockley is a member of the Athena Pathway Youth Squad and a Development Sailor with Emirates GBR SailGP. Introduced to sailing through his school, Kai quickly progressed from youth sailing into offshore racing and the ILCA pathway, becoming the youngest competitor in the Fastnet Race and building over 3,000 miles of offshore experience.

His achievements include Cowes Week Young Skipper of the Year (2023), Cowes Week Youth Trophy winner (2024) and Youth Sport Trust Young Sportsperson of the Year. Kai is now developing his foiling skills with Emirates GBR, training on the F50 alongside the SailGP team, with ambitions to progress into the highest levels of professional sailing.

Get involved

There are many sailing bodies - such as UKSA nationally and, here on the Isle of Wight, Seaview Sailing Trust - which are already delivering on this objective via schools and youth initiatives.

North Sails Cowes Week aims to support initiatives in conjunction with existing sailing and safety boats, infrastructure and facilities, and training expertise resources to maximise the leverage impact. If you are a sailing or non-sailing club, association or charity and would like more information on the Youth Sailing Program please email info@cowesweek.co.uk.

Youth Trophies

While trophies and results are part of North Sails Cowes Week, the Youth Trophy highlights something bigger: the spirit of participation, the joy of sailing, and the remarkable stories of young sailors making their mark. Each year, the Youth Trophy is awarded by the event's organising team to a young sailor who has made a notable impact on the sport - whether or not they've stood on the podium.

In 2025, the Youth Trophy was awarded to Arthur Farley, an inspiring sailor who has shown remarkable courage and drive. Having overcome cancer, Arthur is now pursuing his Olympic dream. At just 21, he recently competed in the men's ILCA7 division at the World Championships in China - a key step on his journey towards Olympic gold at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. A familiar face at Cowes Weeks, Arthur competed this year in the J/70 fleet aboard Genius. You can read about Arthur's journey into sailing in our Official Programme and he'll be competing this year on J122E Leon.

Arthur Farley (left) racing on Genius in the J70 class this year

Past recipients of the Youth Trophy include:

Kai Hockley & Jessye Opoku-Ware (2024): Joint winners who raced together in Flip Flop, a borrowed Flying 15. Kai went on to be selected by Sir Ben Ainslie for his youth development programme and now works with the Emirates GBR shore team. Jessye, praised by Scaramouche founder Jon Holt as "the unsung hero" of the project, has been the steady hand and driving force behind the team's success.
Christopher - Joel Frederick (2023): A leading force in Greig City Academy's groundbreaking Scaramouche Youth Sailing Project, which has inspired countless young sailors since its debut at Cowes Week in 2016.