Yacht charter and sailing holiday provider Sunsail has named Paignton Sailing Club as the winner of its 2026 ‘Funding the Future’ award for its Mums on the Water initiative.

The club, which was presented with a £6,000 grant during the Southampton International Boat Show, will use the funding to increase involvement among female beginners while supporting wellbeing and building confidence on the water.

The initiative will provide female-led coaching and beginner-friendly tuition, with subsidised sessions helping to make sailing more accessible.

It will also highlight progression routes into wider club membership and volunteering, helping participants stay engaged beyond the initial sessions.

Now in its third successive year, the popular Sunsail Funding the Future initiative drives funding directly to local sailing clubs, helping to elevate grassroots participation.

Mums on the Water will boost inclusivity

Attracting 85 entries, a 35% increase on 2025, it invited clubs to demonstrate how they could attract more women and girls to the sport, increase their participation levels and create more inclusive environments.

Judge’s said Paignton Sailing Club’s Mums on the Water entry clearly demonstrated how the funding would be used to deliver a meaningful, sustainable project, with a clear focus on creating opportunities that have a lasting impact for women in an under-represented group.

Vanessa Ripley, club secretary of Paignton Sailing Club, accepted the award on behalf of the club and said: “Mums are quite often the silent heroes of sailing clubs.

“They organise activities, bring people together and handle the logistics, but often don’t make time for their own passions and hobbies.

“That’s what inspired our ‘Mums on the Water campaign.

“We’re determined to support mums’ wellbeing and build their confidence on the water by providing expert-led training sessions during school hours.

“We can’t wait to get started and are truly grateful for the Funding the Future grant that’s made it all possible.”

The Sunsail Funding the Future 2026 finalists with some of the judges during the Southampton International Boat Show presentation. Credit: Sunsail

Over the past three years, Sunsail’s Funding the Future initiative has awarded £30,000 to Royal Yachting Association (RYA)-affiliated grassroots clubs across 2024, 2025 and 2026, according to Andy Crang, vice president marketing at Sunsail and The Moorings UK.

He said: “Everything we do at Sunsail is rooted in a love for sailing, whether that be helping to grow established passions or encouraging a beginner to take up a hobby, and grassroots clubs are a huge part of this.

“Every application this year had clear ambition and demonstrated its dedication to the sport in a meaningful way, and we hope it gives every club the courage and motivation to keep innovating, pushing for change and encouraging a new generation of sailors.

“We can’t wait to see how the winners and runners-up use their prize money.”

PBO editor Katy Stickland is part of the Sunsail Funding the Future judging team. Photo credit: Richard Langdon

What the judges said about the Mums on the Water initiative

All entries were assessed by a renowned panel of sailing experts, including Sunsail ambassador and round-the-world sailor Dee Caffari, Gareth Brookes from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), editors Katy Stickland of PBO and Mark Jardine of YachtsandYachting.com, and Lucy Castle, marketing executive at Sunsail.

Record-breaking offshore sailor Dee Caffari said: “As a female sailor myself, I know how important grassroots clubs are when it comes to inspiring new participants to take up the sport as they build confidence, refine skills and ignite passions.

“When evaluating this year’s entries, I was particularly impressed with the level of commitment clubs were showing when it came to attracting women and girls to the sport for the long term.

“We may be helping to nurture the next generation of competitive female sailors through this initiative!”

Round-the-world yachtswoman Dee Caffari said grassroots clubs are vital for inspiring new participants to take up the sport. Credit: Chris Ison/PA Images/Alamy

Gareth Brookes, head of regions at the RYA, added: “Sailing clubs are at the heart of our sport.

“They provide welcoming places where people can learn new skills, build confidence and become part of a community.

“To grow activity and membership, clubs need the right facilities, equipment and support to create opportunities for everyone.

“Funding the Future helps clubs do exactly that, enabling more women and girls to get involved and stay involved in sailing for the long term.”

Katy Stickland, editor of Practical Boat Owner, said: “The entries that resonated the most with judges this year were detailed, clear and well costed.

“Our shortlist had tangible projects or campaigns that we could refer to and ensured women’s and girls’ involvement in the club wasn’t a tick-box exercise, but showed how it’s essential to their club’s existence.

“We’re delighted with this year’s winner and runners-up; they’re extremely deserving of their prizes.”

The winning club has over three decades of sailing history and opened in 1989 in the heart of South Devon with a simple goal: to create lifelong connections with the sea regardless of background or experience.

Paignton Sailing Club has 87 active members, from juniors through to adults, and hosts regional events and national championships, supported by its group of volunteers.

Runners up won £2,000 each

Representatives from Priory Sailing Club collect their runners up prize from the Sunsail Funding the Future judges, at the 2026 Southampton International Boat Show. Credit: Sunsail

Priory Sailing Club and Stewartby Sailing Club were awarded the runners-up prizes, receiving £2,000 each.

Judges were impressed by both clubs’ thorough and well-researched entries, which sought to increase representation and improve financial access to lessons and courses.

Mark Jardine, managing editor of YachtsandYachting.com, added: “A really strong set of entries this year demonstrates how clubs are thinking hard about how to increase participation and reach gender balance in sailing.

“In an era where people’s time is more stretched than ever, the UK’s club network is key to attracting people to the sport and then keeping them as lifelong sailors, with all the lifestyle benefits that brings.”

Lucy Castle, marketing executive at Sunsail and The Moorings, added: “Grassroots sailing was pivotal to developing my love of the sport and a future within the industry, so to be judging entries for Funding the Future alongside this panel is a dream come true.”

Update from past winners

Paignton Sailing Club, Priory Sailing Club and Stewartby Sailing Club join the growing list of Funding the Future beneficiaries, which includes 2025’s winner Otley Sailing Club and runners-up Wilsonian Sailing Club and Henley Sailing Club.

Using its Funding the Future winnings, Otley Sailing Club has resurrected three lasers and six toppers, which are in regular use as hire boats for club members, and it has also enabled the club to increase the number of children on its training programme.

The dinghies have been brought back to life with new sails, rigging and control lines with Rob McCandless, Commodore of Otley Sailing Club, adding that the initiative “has made an amazing difference to the club”.

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