Regatta Report - Bermuda International Invitational Race Week 2026
- Class Captain
- May 18
- 6 min read
Updated: May 19
The Darings in Cowes sadly do not have an international class association, but share much in common with a class known as the "International One Design". The IOD is a design from 1936 which is loosely-based and scaled down from a "6 metre" yacht from Bermuda named "Saga". The Daring, of course, is a later design closely based on "5.5 metre" designs from the 1956 Olympics.
In the 1980s two friends (Rick Thompson of the IOD fleet, and Philip Porter of Dauntless) determined that the Darings would be invited to the annual race-off between representatives of the IOD fleets around the world. Since then many Daring sailors have enjoyed the enduring hospitality of the Bermuda IOD fleet and made the pilgrimage halfway across the pond, with first refusal being traditionally granted to the winners of Cowes Week.
IODs are typically sailed by 4-6 people. This year's team was drawn from Dauntless, led by Class Captain Josh Peckham as skipper/helm and including Giles Peckham as tactician; Oliver Light as main trim; Thomas Dickson as pit/jib trim; and Conor Whelan as foredeck.
Bermuda offers summer-long steady winds, warm temperatures and blue skies...or so we thought!
Before the Regatta
Visiting sailors are usually hosted at the homes of members of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, and this was no different. Most of the team was hosted by Galen Brislane, Vice Commodore of the club, at his lovely (but apparently haunted) home while Conor stayed closer to town with Paul and Kate Wright.
In advance, Josh wrote to both hosts to ask them what they might like bringing from the UK, expecting requests for Marmite or tea bags. At 3pm on the day before flying, a request duly arrived for popper stud assemblies for headsail luff straps (the ones that keep corroding on Daring jibs)! After a rapid call to Matt at Ratsey and Lapthorn came up trumps, the team were on a high and thought they could achieve anything...
With the regatta starting on Monday, the team flew early to get settled into Bermuda and hoped to catch some of the buzz around the SailGP regatta which was taking place that weekend. The team didn't plan to attend the grandstand, but had thoughts as to good watering-holes and viewpoints to enjoy some of the action.
Mopeds wire hired (the only way to reliably and quickly get around the island, breakdowns notwithstanding...) and the team buzzed into Hamilton to meet other SailGP watchers at the Yacht Club. Over some Dark & Stormies (TM Goslings) the team watched an underwhelming weekend for Team GB.
On the Sunday, Ollie and Josh escaped early to go diving. They achieved a reef dive first, and then dived the wreck of the King George, a dredger towed out and sunk in shallow waters in the 1930s after spending years dredging Hamilton Harbour. This was followed by Josh introducing Ollie to Rum Swizzle at the eponymous Swizzle Inn. Meanwhile the others were watching SailGP from the high ground at Gibb's Hill Lighthouse.
The forecast for the week was deteriorating.
Regatta - Monday and Tuesday
After the skipper's briefing, the boats for the week were drawn. As the boats may vary in condition somewhat, the visiting crews are rotated between boats daily. The team keenly dashed off to rig Peppercorn in anticipation of a good day's racing, getting the team photo above on the way.
However, it was not to be. Successive thunderclouds were persistently striking on or close to the Island, and by 1230 it was clear that there would be no weather window for racing before the end of the day and all racing was cancelled.
All was not lost though, as the Darings team found a very entertaining mini golf course up at the Dockyard and planned/sourced some customary local wear for the prizegiving on Friday.
On Tuesday, more thunder and lightning was forecast and the team were regretting their choice of shirt design, worrying that they had angered Thor. However, they were delighted to be told by the race officer, Somers Kempe, that the fleet would go out to race for the first of three scheduled races. They jumped into Encore, their boat for Day 2, and headed for the race area.
The race started well, with a first-rank committee-vessel start. However, the team couldn't make the boat go to weather in their first race in an IOD, and the persistent lee helm (worse on one tack) was unnerving Josh on the helm. Combined with first-race boat handling issues, and they finished at the back of the pack in Race 1.
More lightning quickly put paid to any ideas of improving their score, and the fleet scurried for home with racing shortly thereafter cancelled again. They spent time that afternoon inspecting the jib cars of the other boats and seeking answers about boat trim and setup.
(It was somewhat reassuring that other teams didn't exactly impress in Encore either)
Wednesday
With much to prove after a poor start, the Darings team jumped into Vrengen on Day 3 with optimism and energy. A daunting five races were scheduled, as the forecast for the rest of the week was looking challenging.
The first two races showed much improved promise. Good committee-vessel starts and good tactics (stay right in a veering wind) let them capitalise on much improved boat speed to get a second. In the next race, the team were sitting third at the final mark until their collectively ropey boat drills led to losing three places on a spinnaker hoist - 6th place.
In the third race, buoyed by successive good starts, Josh found himself apparently shut out at the committee vessel end, but thought for a time that an opening had presented itself. As he approached though, the boat to leeward was sharply luffed and stalled, rig upright, on the line next the committee vessel.
Although opportunities could have been taken to tack out, decisions were not made in a timely enough fashion and Josh left himself with no option other than to try to thread the needle. This he did with only minor cosmetic damage on either side, but the heart-stopping moment came when his heeled-over upper rig made contact with the leeward boat, who was still upright. After a moment, the mainsheet was blown, but an inspection showed that the port jumper was badly bent and so the mainsail was lowered and the boat towed for home with three races left to sail.
One person's day, however, was not quite over yet. Hearing that another sailor had suffered a dislocated shoulder, the support boat suggested that one person might transfer over and continue racing. Giles completed two more fun races, making firm friends with the Canadian crew from Chester.
Meanwhile the remainder of Vrengen's crew opened a consolatory bottle of rum as they got the boat back to the dock and packed her away. The subsequent protest committee was attended, but not contested. No redress was available for the accrued DNF and DNC scorelines.
Thursday and Friday
The next day, it was clear that no racing would take place due to the very strong winds, and the additional rain precluded any form of outdoor activity for much of the day including travel by scooter. As the weather lifted somewhat later, Josh went to help repair Vrengen's mast down at the dock. The Bermudian class association had clearly carried out this operation many times before, and the mast was lifted; inspected; jumpers refitted; and replaced in the boat in only two hours.
Meanwhile, the others made a social call on an old friend of Giles' and her new partner at a beautiful classic Bermudian home overlooking Hamilton Harbour. They were joined a couple of hours later by Josh, in time for dinner and drinks overlooking a dramatic sunset.
Hopes for redemption were buoyed by the race officer's apparent optimism on Friday morning as boats were rigged in the morning. However, as the wind failed to moderate over the day, at 2pm the call was made to abandon for the last time that week and the sailors prepared for the prizegiving and dinner.
Final results were a first Race Week win for Gibson Island's Courtenay Jenkins, with the first award of the Royal Thames YC trophy (for best European boat) going to Martin Rygh's team from Fredrikstad.
Prizegiving and Departure
Friday afternoon was spent touring St George's and, on returning, the team dressed in the Bermudan custom and went back to the club to receive "The Paddle", as the last-placed team in the regatta and drink yet more rum (this time sponsored by Goslings, and generously so at that!)
An after-party in Hamilton town with the young Norwegian, Canadian and American sailors of the regatta cemented more friendships, and after a day nursing sore heads at the beach the team flew home.
All confess that they feel like there is unfinished business in Bermuda, and look forward to many more years of Daring sailors being welcomed by our generous friends from the IOD fleet and RBYC!
With great thanks to: Galen, Kerry, Paul and Kate (hosts); Hal Kempe and the officers and staff of RBYC; Somers Kempe, Race Officer; Ray, Craig, Sacha and of course Rick Thompson of the Bermuda IOD class; and everybody else who made the regatta happen.
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