Celebrating 90 years of the National 12

 

The National 12 class, the boat that brought dinghy racing to the masses, celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, with a number of events planned to mark the occasion.

The celebrations begin on 18th and 19th July at Royal Harwich Yacht Club, with the fourth event of the National Series, an anniversary dinner and a special pursuit race.

For the pursuit race, boat age will determine each boat's handicap, creating an opportunity for boats from across the class's history to compete on a more even footing. With 90 years of development represented on the water, it should provide a fitting way to mark the anniversary.

The Saturday evening dinner will offer National 12 sailors, past and present, as well as friends of the class, the opportunity to come together and celebrate 90 years of National 12 sailing.

The celebrations will continue at the National Championships, Burton Week, which this year will be hosted by Shoreham Sailing Club from Saturday 29th August to Tuesday 1st September.

Burton Week is always a highlight of the National 12 calendar, with four days of racing, the Sir William Burton Cup endurance race, the Burton Week Dinner and prize-giving, alongside a full programme of social events (yet to be announced).

Shoreham Sailing Club last hosted Burton Week in 2021 and will welcome the fleet back for what is expected to be a memorable anniversary championship. The event will include racing on the sea, a large fleet, prizes across a range of boat designs and crew categories, and the annual Burton Week Dinner at Sussex Yacht Club.

Further information and entry details are available through the Burton Week 2026 website.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the anniversary events, or with National 12 sailing more generally, is encouraged to contact the class. Whether you are looking to borrow a boat, find a crew, offer crewing, or simply try a National 12 for the first time, the National 12 Owners' Association can be contacted at ntoa@national12.org.

The Clippers are coming!

The Clipper Race Fleet is on its way to Oban after departing the shores of Washington DC last week. 

The race’s 10 day stopover in the USA capital ended on June 22 with all 10 teams now a third of the way through their transatlantic sail, the penultimate leg on their year long race around the globe. 

Team Scotland have slipped to fourth in the leaderboard after 8th and 9th placed finishes across the last two legs, two points behind London Business School for a podium position. 

Skippered by Heather Thomas with support from first mate Millie Apperley, the Oban sponsored team have done incredibly well on their first race.

They will be hoping for a big finish on their homecoming leg, which is expected to result in rapturous celebrations here in Oban. And it is looking likely that will happen! 

At the moment Scotland sit in first place on this current leg, 1.8 nautical miles ahead of the chasing pack. 

Yachts are expected to sail into town between July 10 and 12, marking the start of the festival of the sea, which will end with their departure on July 19 from Dunstaffnage Marina. 

From there they complete the final leg to Portsmouth, where the winner will be crowned. 

Annandale Sailing Club celebrates its 70th anniversary

 

As Annandale Sailing Club gears up to celebrate its 70th anniversary with a weekend of racing and a party on June 27 -28, we take a look back at its history, from ‘the small band of adventurers’ who launched it at Lochmaben, to its celebrity supporters, and the passionate volunteers who are keeping it buoyant for a new generation

Seventy years ago, a small band of adventurers decided to launch a sailing club on the shores of Castle Loch, Lochmaben.

They included a farmer, a fishmonger, a roofer, a medical consultant and a car salesman - most of whom had no previous sailing experience.

One of them, Bruce Beveridge, who owned the Crown Hotel in Lockerbie, did have some sailing know-how, having been a member of Clyde Cruising Club at Bardowie Loch near Glasgow and it occurred to him that the not dissimilar Castle Loch, had great untapped potential. Annandale Yacht Club (later changed to Annandale Sailing Club) officially opened in 1956 with the main aim of dinghy racing and members learned through trial and error, with no official training. They settled on GP14 dinghies as the most suitable boat class and most members built their own.

The early clubhouse was a tiny, derelict curling bothy but that gradually developed with a major expansion in 1970, a new boatshed appearing in 2005, extended changing rooms in the mid-2000s, and most recently a new training room and balcony added to the front.

ASC has survived flooding, new housing developments growing up around it and even, in 1989, almost losing the land it sits on when the site it had leased for 20 years was put up for sale, with a price tag of about £13,000.

With only £1,000 in the bank and less than a year to raise the required sum, things were looking grim for the club. But, at the eleventh hour, thanks to the hard work and initiative of the committee, headed up by the then Commodore Alasdair Cook, enough was raised by members’ loans, to buy the site and secure the club’s future.

Like most sailing clubs, training has been key to Annandale’s longevity and, without doubt, the club’s most memorable training day rounded off the 50th anniversary in 2006, when members welcomed double Olympic gold medallist and broadcaster Shirley Robertson on a sunny September day.

Membership at Annandale SC has, like most sports clubs, ebbed and flowed over the past six decades. In 1974 it was growing so fast, the committee discussed setting a limit on the number of new members and boats and it reached a peak of 300 in 1976.

Just seven years later it had declined to 105 and finances were said to be in a ‘serious state’.

These days, membership sits at around 100 and is relatively stable, though the committee is always keen to encourage more young people and families in to safeguard the club’s future.

Current Commodore Trudie Mitchell, who joined the club in 2016, says: “Growing the club is always a challenge but over the past few years we’ve had parents coming in, following their children, realising they can learn to sail too.

“I’m so thankful to the club for being there over the years. I love the feeling of racing and being supported by a friendly club, catching up afterwards with a cuppa and a chat, and I get great pleasure from coaching, seeing our young sailors learn to sail, develop and race their own boats and knowing I have been part of that journey.

“The next 70 years will bring more change, but the club will adapt, move with the times, and can look forward to many more years to come.”

Annandale Sailing Club is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a weekend of racing and a party, on June 27 /28. For more information about membership and training see 

 www.annandalesailingclub.myclubhouse.co.uk

New sailing boats proving popular at Stanborough Park

 

Since arriving at Stanborough Park, the new fleet of sailing boats funded by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has been a great success, supporting a wide range of activities.

The boats have been in frequent use by schools, holiday programmes and community groups, and were a popular part of the recent This Girl Can Week activities, the Sport England initiative that champions physical activity for women and girls. They will also continue to be regularly used for the Youth Holiday Sailing programme, school bookings and community sessions.

Among the groups benefiting from the new fleet is Heathlands School for the deaf, whose pupils attend Stanborough Park weekly to work towards their Stage 1 Sailing Qualification. The boats are also used by Home Education Groups and students who may not be in mainstream education, helping to make sailing accessible to a wider range of people.

The 18 boats replaced the older fleet which had come to the end of its useful lifespan. The council’s total investment in the new boats came to just over £62,000.

Councillor Max Holloway, Executive Member, Community & Leisure, said:

“The sailing facilities have always been a great attraction for visitors of Stanborough Park. Now, the sailing experience will be even better, with the new boats in use for the start of the sailing season and summer holidays! We were very pleased to be able to fund and supply these new boats to GLL, our leisure partner, who do a brilliant job of running lessons and activities for many sections of the local community. This new fleet of boats should provide a lot of educational fun for many years to come!”

Emily Nicholls, General Manager, Outdoor Facilities at Stanborough Park, said:

“The new fleet of boats has been a fantastic addition to Stanborough Lakes, and their bright yellow sails look beautiful on the water. They are extremely stable and user-friendly, making our sailing courses easier and safer, and the team love using them".

Sailing club in Dorset to mark major milestone with weekend of racing next month

 

A sailing club will mark a major milestone next month with a weekend of racing.

Lilliput Sailing Club, based at the Blue Lagoon in Poole and established in 1956, will hold its 70th annual regatta on July 18 and 19, with events planned for both cruisers and dinghies across Poole Bay and the harbour.

Alex Clapperton, newly appointed commodore of the club, said: "We punch well above our weight in terms of the number of cruisers we have out racing each week, given the size of our club.

"The cruiser and dinghy sailors enjoy competing against other clubs each week during the sailing year and our regatta is an extension of that.

Commodore Alex Clapperton in Temptation (Image: Avril Young)

"We very much welcome any local sailors to join in during these two days of competition."

Cruiser races will take place in Poole Bay, including events for PHHS Class 1 and the Gentlemen's Class, under the progressive handicap system.

Three races are scheduled for Saturday, with two more on Sunday.

Dinghy handicap racing will be held inside the harbour, featuring A and B fleets and up to five races over the weekend.

The final race will be a long-distance harbour race for the Charity Cup.

Details and entry forms are available at the Lilliput Sailing Club website.

Royal Yacht Britannia exhibition featuring Uffa Fox boat 'Coweslip' coming to Cowes

 

A PRESTIGIOUS new exhibition celebrating Cowes's rich maritime heritage and royal connections is set to open in the town this summer — featuring an Uffa Fox boat that was once the world's most photographed.

Sailing Through Royal History, presented by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, will bring the story of the Royal Yacht Britannia back to Cowes for the first time in nearly three decades — marking a landmark moment in the bicentenary year of Cowes Week.

Hosted at the historic Commodores House — once the workshop of legendary Island yacht designer Uffa Fox — the exhibition highlights the deep ties between the Island, the Royal Family and one of Britain's most influential figures in yacht design.

At the heart of the display will be Coweslip, one of the most celebrated Flying Fifteen keelboats ever built, moored at Commodores House and reconnecting it with the place where it first made history.

Commodores House, as well as being Fox's base of operations, welcomed members of the Royal Family, including Prince Philip, who was both a crewmate and close personal friend of the renowned designer.

Running from July 31 to August 29, the exhibition coincides with a series of major sailing events, including the Cowes Week Bicentenary Regatta and the prestigious Dragon class competitions, the Edinburgh Cup and the Marblehead Trophy.

Visitors can explore the exhibition through photography, film and immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences — bringing to life Uffa Fox's innovations, Britannia's enduring presence at Cowes Week and the wider story of royal sailing.

Alongside the exhibition, a series of specially commissioned panels will be installed on The Parade, charting the legacy of 'Racing Royals', including Edward VII, George V and Prince Philip.

Chief executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, Franck Bruyere, said the exhibition marked a proud first for the organisation and a fitting tribute to Cowes's global standing in sailing during this milestone year.

Khumbu Claims Line Honours In Round Ireland Race

 

The Botin 56 Khumbu, skippered by Guy Gillon, secured Line Honours in the 2026 Round Ireland Race after completing the 704-nautical-mile course and finishing in Wicklow on Wednesday morning.

The powerful offshore racer rounded Ireland ahead of the fleet to become the first yacht home in the biennial challenge, one of the toughest offshore races in northwest Europe.

Khumbu arrived at the finish after a commanding performance around the Irish coast, consistently maintaining a significant advantage over her nearest rivals on the water. As she approached Wicklow from the northeast, favourable tidal conditions helped extend her lead over the chasing fleet.

Race organiser Kyran O'Grady presented the Line Honours trophy to Gillon and his crew following their arrival ashore at Wicklow Sailing Club.

While Khumbu secured the coveted distinction of first yacht home, the battle for overall victory under IRC handicap remained unresolved. At the time of her finish, French entry Courrier Pogo continued to lead the estimated corrected-time standings ahead of Johnny Murphy's J/109 Outrajeous, with Khumbu holding third place on the projected rankings.

Several leading contenders were still making their way down the Irish Sea on Wednesday morning, ensuring that the race for overall honours would continue long after the Line Honours trophy had been decided.

Enterprise Masters Championship at Wigan and St Helens Sailing Club

 

The 2026 Cock of the North Northern Series heads to Wigan & St Helens Sailing Club next month for what promises to be one of the standout weekends of the season, as the fourth round of the series combines with the prestigious Enterprise National Masters Championship.

Set on the renowned waters of Scotman's Flash, the event on 18-19 July is expected to attract a strong fleet from across the North and beyond, with seasoned championship contenders, Masters sailors and club racers all set to line up on the same start line.

Following excellent turnouts at Scammonden, Tynemouth and Ogston, the Northern Series has already delivered a fantastic mix of inland and sea racing, close competition and memorable social events. Wigan & St Helens now offers a very different challenge, with Scotman's Flash well known for rewarding tactical decision-making, sharp boat handling and consistent teamwork.

The National Masters title adds extra significance to the weekend, bringing together some of the most experienced and respected sailors in the Enterprise fleet. Open to helms and crews aged 40 and over, the Masters Championship celebrates the depth of talent and experience within the class, with years of racing knowledge on display and highly tactical, closely fought racing expected throughout the event.

However, the weekend is about far more than Masters honours. While sailors aged 40 and over will be competing for the National Masters title, the event is open to everyone, with all Enterprise sailors warmly welcomed to race as part of the Cock of the North Northern Series. Whether you are chasing Northern Series points, competing for Masters honours, or simply joining for competitive racing and great company, Wigan & St Helens offers something for everyone.

As always, the famous Enterprise social scene will be in full flow once boats are ashore, with plenty of post-race discussion, stories from the boat park and the usual friendly rivalry continuing long into the evening.

With Northern Series points on the line, Masters honours up for grabs and another fantastic host club ready to welcome the fleet, Wigan & St Helens is shaping up to be an unmissable weekend in the 2026 Enterprise calendar.

Entries are now open, and competitors are encouraged to sign up early for what promises to be another superb chapter in this year's Cock of the North series.

www.wish-sc.co.uk/open-events

2026 Fireball Worlds - Fireball legends evening open invite

 

Calling all current and former Fireball sailors.

The Fireball World Championships are returning to the UK and will take place on 21st July at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club.

As part of the evening entertainment on the 28th, at 7pm we will be hosting a Legends Evening to celebrate the most influential and decorated Fireball sailors through the decades.

For more information or to register your interest in attending, please contact Adam Whitehouse at a.whitehouse74@googlemail.com. You may even have a story to share.

Event tees are mandatory — older shirts are encouraged—and spot prizes will be awarded throughout the night.

Bridlington Sailing Coble Festival Set for August Return

 

Bridlington Sailing Coble Festival 2026 celebrates fishing heritage

The Bridlington Sailing Coble Festival 2026, organised by the Bridlington Sailing Coble Preservation Society (BSCPS), returns to celebrate the region’s rich fishing heritage. First staged in 2016, this popular free event continues to attract visitors eager to experience traditional coble boats and coastal culture.

Historic coble boats on display

The festival opens at 10am each day, with traditional cobles moored along Harbour Road near the Harbour Heritage Museum. These historic fishing vessels will then head out into Bridlington Bay for scheduled sailing sessions.

Once the backbone of the inshore fishing industry, cobles were a familiar sight along the coastline from the Humber to the Tweed. Today, Bridlington offers one of the few opportunities to see these iconic boats in action and gain insight into a bygone era.

Visitors can admire craft built by renowned boatbuilders, including:

One notable absence at the 2026 festival will be the Flamborough coble Imperialist. Built in 1934 for the Stephenson family, it is currently undergoing a full refit at the BSCPS workshop at Beck Hill.

Live music and harbourside entertainment

Alongside the sailing displays, the Bridlington Sailing Coble Festival will feature a lively programme of entertainment throughout the weekend.

Performances include:

Hornsea Shanty Lasses

Headlanders

Ramshackle Shantymen

Colleen’s Fancy

Bridlington favourite Jim Eldon will return with his wife Lynette, an award-winning clog dancer. On Sunday, the Flamborough junior long sword dance team will add a traditional touch to the festivities.

Inside the Exhibition Hall, visitors can explore a range of displays celebrating local fishing heritage. Highlights include traditional fishermen’s ganseys and educational exhibits.

The North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority will also be present, showcasing its work in protecting and managing the local coastline and fisheries.

The festival offers something for all ages, making it a perfect family day out in Bridlington. Refreshments will be provided by the Bridlington Lions, while the Harbour Heritage Museum will be open throughout the weekend with free admission.

Community support and sponsorship

As a registered charity, the Bridlington Sailing Coble Preservation Society relies on funding and community support to deliver this annual event.

Funding for the 2026 festival has been provided by:

The Lords Feoffees and Assistants of the Manor of Bridlington

Dogger Bank Wind Farm

Trevor and Janet Kidd

Additional support has come from Wold Top Brewery. The festival committee has also thanked Bridlington Harbour Commissioners and the harbour master for their continued support.

For further information about the Bridlington Sailing Coble Festival 2026, the BSCPS, or the Harbour Heritage Museum, enquiries can be made via email at:

threebrotherscoble@gmail.com

Navigators & General is new title sponsor of the Sailjuice Winter Series

 

After eight successful years, the SailJuice Winter Series bids a fond farewell to Seldén as title sponsor. The support of Steve Norbury and his team at Seldén Mast has helped the Series continue to thrive through some of the most challenging periods in recent memory, including the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic.

The Series is now delighted to welcome Navigators & General as its new title sponsor, with the 18th edition officially named the Navigators & General SailJuice Winter Series 2026/27.

For more than a century, Navigators & General has been at the forefront of pleasure craft insurance in the UK, supporting generations of sailors and boating enthusiasts. The company joined the Series during the 2025/26 season through its support of the SailJuice coaching programme led by three-time Series champion Simon Horsfield, and the partnership will now expand into title sponsorship of the UK's leading winter dinghy racing series.

John Tuckwell, Business Development Manager at Navigators & General, commented: "We're delighted to be title sponsor of the Navigators & General SailJuice Winter Series for the 26/27 season. This series brings together sailors from across the UK and from an incredible variety of classes, making it a perfect fit for Navigators & General as a specialist insurer supporting almost every type of dinghy class on the water."

Seven Events for 2026/27

The 2026/27 edition returns to a seven-event calendar (see details below), following the temporary expansion during the Covid years, when additional events provided resilience against lockdowns and cancellations.

One notable change sees the Polar Chase expand to a two-day event, while the Grafham Grand Prix is no longer included in the Series. Although hugely respected in its own right, the event's three-race course-racing format sat outside the SailJuice philosophy of mass participation handicap racing where the entire fleet races together.

The Navigators & General SailJuice Winter Series continues to offer sailors of all classes and abilities the opportunity to enjoy competitive winter racing at some of the UK's best-known venues, combining close competition, camaraderie and endurance across the winter months.

The following events comprise the series:

Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash, Draycote Water Sailing Club - 21 & 22 November 2026

Datchet Flyer, Datchet Water Sailing Club - 5 & 6 December 2026

Polar Chase, Chase Sailing Club - 12 & 13 December 2026

Yorkshire Dales Brass Monkey, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club - 27 December 2026

GJW Direct Bloody Mary, Queen Mary Sailing Club - 9 January 2027

John Merricks Tiger Trophy, Rutland Sailing Club - 6 & 7 February 2027

Oxford Blue, Oxford Sailing Club - 13 February 2027

Prizegiving at RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show, Farnborough - 20 February 2027

You can find out more about the Series here: www.SailJuiceSeries.com

 

NJO Sails and Dart Sails & Covers Regatta 2026 at Plym Yacht Club

 

After many years away, PYC Regatta returned for a weekend of mixed yacht racing. Generously sponsored by NJO Sails and Dart Sails & Covers, the plan was a weekend of competitive sailing with fun on and off the water. 14 boats entered across three fleets meaning the Race Committee took the decision to put all the boats into one YTC fleet, ranging from a Charisma to a J/122e, with a trimaran and handful of J/24s thrown in for good measure!

All week Plymouth has suffered with severe fog, and although it wasn't in the forecast, Race 1 was AP'd after the visibility dropped to only four boat lengths! A painful few hours waiting for it to clear saw several false starts, but the visibility never came, forcing the RO to abandon racing for the day. Racers were given the choice to replace Sunday's planned Pursuit Race with some fleet racing, which all were in favour of, and boats returned to the Yacht Club for drinks, barbecue and ice cream, which by now was welcomed due to the scorching heat.

Sunday came, and boats optimistically headed to the startline. A short AP from RO Mike Pearson allowed the wind to fill in across the course, and racing got under way. Racing south towards Plymouth Breakwater, boats that went left tended to benefit from the end of the incoming tide, and the bigger J/122e, Corby 35 and J/92s were leading at the first buoy. An early gybe at the windward mark from the J/24 of Caspar Barton and Jason Culmer pulled them forwards to Stitch, the Formula 28 of Dominic Hanley, which they held onto enough to win race one comfortably by just under 2 minutes.

The light winds and not insubstantial tide caught several boats out on the starts, and a third row start for the J/122e JuJu of Johnny Hearth and Tim Octon's NJOS forced them both right off the start. Stitch and Tilted went hard left, and the port lay line proved to be advantageous, with both boats coming in ahead of the markedly quicker Corby and J. A long run against the tide however did allow the larger boats to extend, and a large split opened up across the fleet.

At the finish, however, it was still the small boats that were found to have done well, with Ann & Keith Whitfield's Tilted doing just enough to take 3rd from NJOS. Mark Lewers' DanJerous When Wet came in second, with Dominic Hanley's Stitch comfortably winning by a 3 minute margin, therefore winning the Regatta by 2 points. 5th in the last race meant Violent J had to settle for third to DanJerous When Wet overall, and the top Cruiser was Chris Cload's Calypso.

The fleet returned to PYC for the prize-giving, where many prizes were dished out from NJO Sails and Dart Sails & Covers, and everyone left having had a great days sailing in the glorious sunshine. Thanks go to the sponsors and all the volunteers that make Plym Yacht Club so successful. Sailors can still enter our Friday night yacht racing, where the current wave of enthusiasm has attracted a Cork 1720 and a Backman 21.

Full results: halsail-1e484.kxcdn.com/Result/Public/96874

Sailors want to hold talks with water company over costs that make it 'cheaper to go to England'

 

Sailors and windsurfers say access to what was one of South Wales’ most popular reservoirs has been restricted and travelling to England is now cheaper.

They fear the future of water sports at Llandgefedd Reservoir could be limited as costs have also increased with tighter rules and regulations implemented.

Welsh Water, which owns the 434 acre reservoir near Pontypool, has defended its pricing and said it remains “dedicated to ensuring Llandegfedd Lake remains accessible to all”.

Regular and longstanding recreational users, who aren’t affiliated to the sailing club at the reservoir, say they want to hold talks with the privately owned, not-for-profit water firm over access and pricing following changes they say were made without consultation.