YJA Young Sailor of the Year 2026 shortlist: RS sailors named
Two sailors competing in RS classes have been named among the finalists for the Yachting Journalists’ Association (YJA) Young Sailor of the Year 2025 awards, following the announcement of the shortlist.
The finalists were revealed on 24 January 2026, with RS Sailing represented by competitors from the RS Tera and 2000 classes.
Hari Clark (RS Tera)
Hari Clark has been shortlisted following a standout 2025 season, highlighted by winning the RS Tera World Championship in the Sport class. The result came in the same year he joined the RS Tera fleet.
Clark, who comes from a non-sailing family, credits Draycote Water Sailing Club with playing a key role in his development, pointing to the strength of the club’s youth pathways. He began racing three years ago and has already secured titles at both the Topper 4.2 National and World Championships before progressing into the RS Tera.
Ben Pascoe (2000)
Also nominated is Ben Pascoe, winner of the 2000 Class National Championship 2025, held at Hayling Island Sailing Club.
Sailing with his father as crew, Pascoe became the youngest helm ever to win the 2000 Nationals, achieving the title at the age of nine. The father-and-son pairing reflects the family-oriented nature of the 2000 class.
Voting now open
The remaining nominees for the 2025 Young Sailor of the Year award are Sabine Potter and Merle Nieuwland (420 class), and Lila Edwards and Amelie Hiscocks (29er class). All four sailors won gold medals for Great Britain at the Youth Sailing World Championships.
YJA chair Katy Stickland said the standard of nominations this year had been particularly high, covering a wide range of disciplines across the sport. She described the process of reducing the entries to a shortlist as “exceptionally difficult” due to the calibre of the nominees.
Voting is open to YJA members until 23:59 on 9 February 2026. The winners will be announced on Saturday 21 February 2026 at the awards presentation during the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show.
