Are You Dreaming of sunshine and warm seas with a New Year Sailing Trip ?

🌞 Here are Some Top Sunny Sailing Destinations for a New Year Break

🌴 Caribbean (Trade Wind Paradise)

Best picks: Antigua, St Martin & St Barts, Grenada, British Virgin Islands, Grenadines

Why go: Classic winter-sun sailing with reliable trade winds, warm seas, and easy island hopping between beautiful anchorages, beaches and snorkel spots. 

What to expect: Daytime temps ~24-28°C, steady winds perfect for cruising. 

Tip: The BVIs (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, etc.) are excellent if you want sheltered waters and shorter hops between stops. 

✈️ Flights from the UK generally take around 9-10 hours and Barbados, St Martin, or Antigua are excellent hubs for charters. 

🌊 Seychelles & Indian Ocean Islands

Best picks: Mahé, Praslin & the Inner Islands

Why go: Winter (Dec-Feb) is warm and sunny with trade winds — island hopping here feels like sailing in postcard waters with crystalline anchorages. 

Weather: Around 29°C, calm seas, ideal for both novice and experienced sailors. 

🏝 Thailand (Andaman Sea)

Region: Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi islands, Phang Nga Bay

When: Dry season (Dec-Apr) — bright sunny days and pleasant winds. 

Vibe: Tropical beaches, dramatic limestone scenery and sheltered anchorages perfect for day sails and snorkelling. 

🐠 Maldives

Why go: A very scenic option for a charter with warm weather and calm seas in January. 

Highlights: Crystal clear water, coral reefs everywhere you anchor, and secluded little atolls for peaceful sailing. 

☀️ Canary Islands (Short-haul, Mild Warmth)

Best islands: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura

Weather: Around 20–25°C with pleasant winds — not tropical heat but reliably sunny and comfortable. 

Great for: If you want sun-soaked sailing with a shorter flight from the UK. 

Would you like help planning your next trip?

Please let us know about your sailing experiences and where you're planning to go by using our Contact Form on this Blog, with your requirements to receive immediate help and assistance and using our Vast Knowledge and Experience to Help and Guide You.

WITH 12,000 RENTAL YACHTS ACROSS 60 COUNTRIES WHICH ONE WILL YOU CHOOSE?

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Entries now open for International Paint Poole Regatta and IRC European Championship 2026

 

Entries for both the International Paint Poole Regatta and The 2026 IRC European Championship are now live at pooleregatta.co.uk. Poole Regatta takes place over the late May Bank Holiday from the 23rd to 25th May 2026, with an extra day of racing scheduled on the 22nd May for the European Championship. Be one of the first competitors to enter over the New Year break and start 2026 as you mean to go on out on the water! It's the perfect New Year's Resolution.

As one of the UK's most popular keel boat events, the regatta will also host the IRC Southern Area Championships, VPRS Championship, J80 National Championship and Sonata Southern Championship. Around 200 yachts across 28 classes are expected to compete over five racecourses in carefully matched fleets for competitive, closely fought racing. Classes competing at the 2026 regatta also include TP52, Performance40s, Cape31, J70, J24, Impala, Contessa32, HP30, Quarter Ton Class, Mini Tonners, Sports boats, RS21, Classics, Folkboat Class, Sigma 33 & 38s, Beneteau 40.7, Flying Fifteens, 2.4mR, Shrimpers, XOD and the Non-Spinnaker Class.

The regatta is set against the picturesque backdrop of Old Harry's rock and the Purbeck Hills and organised by a highly experienced committee from the combined yacht clubs of Poole, who have been successfully running the event since 2000. Decades of race organising experience means Poole Regatta receives great feedback from competitors regarding both the on-water racing and social events every evening. With the generous support of our sponsors, the prize-giving is always a bountiful affair with the overall regatta winner picking up the historic Canford Cup, which predates the America's Cup Auld Mug by 2 years, demonstrating the yacht racing heritage of the region!

The 2026 regatta sees International Paint retain their title sponsorship for the 26th year and are joined in support by the recognised brands of Haven Knox-Johnston, Poole Harbour Commissioners, Charles Stanley, Stoneways Marine, Rooster, Salcombe Distilling Co and The Knot Agency without whom, the regatta could not exist. The charity partner for 2026 is Poole Lifeboat Station.

For direct access to the entry forms, visit pooleregatta.co.uk/entry-information

EAORA kicks off the 2026 season with a new coastal regatta

 

In a non-Fastnet year, for 2026 the East Anglian Offshore Racing Association is offering a new format programme in the hope of encouraging more boats to sample the delights of racing beyond their local waters.

The season will start with a coastal regatta to make the most of the first May Bank Holiday. There will be races from Harwich to Medway (Saturday May 2), Medway to Burnham (Sunday May 3) and Burnham to West Mersea (Monday May 4). This will give seasoned racers a great opportunity to test and tune their boats a couple of weeks before the RORC’s North Sea Race (Harwich to Scheveningen on Friday May 15).

To encourage newcomers, the mini regatta will have classes for both IRC and YTC handicap systems.

YTC entrants will also be welcome to join in EAORA’s renowned Southern Holland Race Week (Monday June 22 to Friday June 26) - racing in sheltered inland waters, visiting favourite Dutch ports and with a great social programme apres race, an event not to be missed. IRC entrants can start their week with the RORC East Coast Race (Harwich to Breskens on Saturday June 20).

The 2026 EAORA programme then continues with the Round the Goodwins Race (Ramsgate, Sunday July 19), the HMS Halcyon Cup (Harwich to Lowestoft, Saturday August 15, and the Houghton Cup (Burnham, Saturday September 5) before the traditional season’s finale, The Buckley Goblets (West Mersea to Ostend (Friday September 18).

For full details visit www.eaora.org.uk

Scammonden Water Sailing Club's Freezer Open Meeting 2025

 

Ten hardy boats shrugged off truly Arctic temperatures to line up for the Scammonden Water Sailing Club Freezer Open on the 28th of December. The last race on Scammonden's 2025 calendar is always a good chance to burn off Christmas dinner. Conditions delivered a classic Scammonden challenge: a North-Easterly breeze at 8-9mph, with gusts of up to 16mph as it funnelled off the dam wall.

The 90-minute endurance test got under way promptly at 11:30, and it was the local Enterprise pairing of Ollie Boocock and Luke Hartshorn who nailed the start, launching cleanly off the line. They rounded the first windward mark locked in a tight battle with early pace-setters Mike Goodwin (SWSC) and Ian Jones (Dovestone), both flying the flag for the ILCA fleet.

As the race unfolded, Scammonden showed its teeth. The wind refused to sit still, slowly shifting throughout the race and constantly bending around the surrounding hills. The infamous Scammonden topography ensured no two laps were the same: shifts and sudden cruel gusts meant that a winning move on one lap could become a glaring faux pas on the next.

Mid-race, Ian Jones began to stretch his legs. Consistently plotting the best course, he steadily extended his advantage and looked increasingly untouchable as the clock ticked on. Over the closing stages he controlled the fleet confidently, eventually taking both line honours and overall victory.

Behind him, Boocock and Hartshorn once again demonstrated formidable pace in their Enterprise, securing second place and holding on to the title of fastest enterprise from Scammonden. Mike Goodwin negotiated the aeros well, and sailed a consistently strong race to claim third.

The battle for fourth went right down to the wire, with the second Enterprise of the two Holdaways just edging out Ben Ratcliffe's RS Aero on corrected time in a closely fought handicap duel.

As ever, Scammonden hospitality matched the quality of the racing. Competitors thawed out first with hot soup, and then an outstanding post-race spread featuring a choice of pies or lasagne, followed by an impressive selection of desserts. Huge thanks go to the galley team for keeping sailors warm and well-fed, and to the race officers and rescue crew whose commitment ensured racing could go ahead despite the Baltic conditions.

Winter racing at its very best: demanding, tactical, and hugely rewarding.

Festive Junior & Youth Race at Warsash Sailing Club

 

It was wall to wall sunshine for our 'Festive Junior & Youth Race' on Saturday as 17 boats from Optimist to 29er battled it out up and down the River Hamble in a gusty North-Easterly breeze.

It was 6 knots one minute, 20 knots the next, keeping the sailors on their toes! Despite a few capsizes everyone returned to shore smiling!

After warming up, the sailors joined club member Jacqui who hosted a Q&A session with Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team driver Dylan Fletcher.

Dylan then kindly gave out the prizes to our winners.

1st Overall - Jake D - ILCA 6

2nd Overall - Thomas M - Topper 5.3

3rd Overall - Aedan H - ILCA 4

1st Double Hander - Sam W & Max EA - Feva

Commodore Roger was pleased to present Dylan with a WSC burgee as a token of our thanks for his visit.

To find out more about joining Warsash SC please head to warsashsc.org.uk/membership

Enterprise Association 2026 National Championship and Celebratory 70th Anniversary Offer Announced

 

The Enterprise Association is delighted to announce that the 2026 Enterprise National Championships will be held at South Shields Sailing Club, from 23rd to 26th May, marking a special celebration of the class's 70th anniversary. This four-day event will bring together the nation's finest Enterprise sailors for a showcase of skill, strategy, and camaraderie.

South Shields Sailing Club's commodore, Nick Woodhouse added, "We are honoured to welcome the Enterprise Nationals and to celebrate the class's 70th anniversary. It's a fantastic opportunity for our members and the wider community to participate or witness some of the best sailing in the country, while also celebrating the rich history of the Enterprise dinghy."

The championships will feature 9 races over four days, alongside social events, prize-giving ceremonies, and opportunities to reflect on the Enterprise class's seven-decade legacy. Competitors, families, and sailing enthusiasts are invited to join in this landmark celebration of one of the UK's most enduring dinghy classes.

For registration, schedules, and event information, visit sailenterprise.co.uk. Entrants are encouraged to join the WhatsApp community.

In celebration of the anniversary the Enterprise Association is also offering a 70% discount on membership fees; new and existing members can join the class for 2026 at a price of £7.50 via the class website.

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The Lark Class looks forward to a bumper 2026

 

The Lark Class has had a really strong 2025, but 2026 already looks to be even stronger.

40 to 50 boats expected for the Lark Nationals in Fowey (26th-29th July 2026)

With 32 boats already pre-entered for the 2026 Musto Lark National Championship and over 40 boats already having booked their accommodation, it is set to be largest Lark Nationals in over a decade . People are returning to the Class who left 20 years ago, more youth teams getting boats, and lots of local interest. This will build on the 33 entries in Abersoch in 2025, and the Class has booked Looe in 2027 and Weymouth in 2028.

Newcomers to the Class can buy a competitive second hand boat that could win an Open Meeting or get you in the Top 10 at the Nationals (Yachts & Yachting Gear Guide). This is attracting a new generation of Lark sailors from youth classes, those leaving university, and others attracted by the low cost of a new boat and strong competition. The Class also has growing Club fleets at Barnt Green, Frensham, Shustoke, South Staffs, Netley, Weymouth, Waldringfield and Banbury and Littleton, and a growing interest in refurbishing old Larks found in dinghy parks and eBay/Facebook for next to nothing.

The Class is making a welcome return to the RYA Dinghy Show in Farnborough from 21st - 22nd February 2026. We will have a brand new Synergy boat on the stand, so why not come and find out how you can try a Lark and get involved.

The future is bright for the Lark Class as it looks forward to a phenomenal 2026, why not come and see what you are missing, visit larkclass.org.

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2026 IRC European Championship Notice of Race now available on the Poole Regata website

 

The enviable track record Poole Regatta has built for hosting unmissable regattas continues in 2026, and the two Notices of Race are now published on the regatta website for these prestigious events to be held in May - the IRC European Championship, and the IRC Southern Area Championship as part of the International Paint Poole Regatta.

In the IRC classes, already 100 boats have registered their interest and a total IRC entry of 125 to 150 boats is expected. Competitors have a lot to look forward to:

22 - 25 May (4 days)

IRC rated yachts with Endorsed Certificates racing for the IRC European Championship with racing scheduled in both Poole Bay and Bournemouth Bay.

23 - 25 May (3 days)

IRC rated yachts racing for the IRC Southern Area Championship

Plus a 2 Handed Class

Racing will be over 5 separate race areas and all racing will be managed to the highest standard by experienced race management teams, with a strong emphasis on fair competition and quality racing.

A full shoreside programme and preferential berthing arrangements complete the welcoming environment for competitors. Read more on the IRC website.

Entries will open soon, and you may register your interest now on the regatta website, pooleregatta.co.uk