The Musto Skiff fleet descended on Stone Sailing Club over the August Bank Holiday weekend for three days of racing as part of the Essex Sailing Championships 2026. With the Blackwater estuary providing its usual mix of challenging breeze and strong tide, the fleet was treated to a varied weekend that tested both speed and decision-making.
The four scheduled races were completed over the three days, in a social and (pleasantly) different format of racing to what the class is used to.
Ben Clegg ultimately emerged as the dominant force, winning three races and finishing second in the opening race to take the overall victory. Gareth Davies finished second overall, with Eddie Bridle third. Ben Harden and Richard Smith rounded out the Stone weekend in fourth and fifth respectively.
After three races the shore-based race committee got race 4 under way as the fleet thumped their way up to the top mark. A few seasoned Musto Skiff sailors experienced some difficulties, which led them to dropping out of the race. Interestingly, some of the newer faces in the fleet were those who stuck it out the longest. James Crook was showing some excellent form, and Ben Harden (who only joined the class earlier this year) safety-gybed his way into a very respectable second place in race 4.
Ben Clegg took the honours in this race, followed by Ben Harden, Tom Scott and Gareth Davies.
A special mention must be made for Stone Sailing Club who put on a wonderful regatta. The fine gourmet food, the lively entertainment and the friendly atmosphere shone this homely, unassuming club in a very positive light.
Overall Results:
Pos Entrant Sail No. R1 R2 R3 R4 Pts
1st Ben Clegg 657 2 1 1 1 5
2nd Gareth Davies 615 3 4 3 4 14
3rd Eddie Bridle 655 1 2 2 11 16
4th Ben Harden 294 5 7 6 2 20
5th Richard Smith 632 4 8 4 10 26
6th Andrew Whittle 588 6 5 7 10 28
7th Finbar Anderson 310 8 6 5 10 29
8th Brennan Robinson 561 11 3 10 10 34
9th James Crook 138 7 9 8 10 34
10th Tom Scott 639 11 11 11 3 36
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