Regatta Report - Cowes Classics Regatta 2026

Class Captain
Jun 9
3 min read

Cowes Classics Regatta 2026 was a windy affair, with racing taking place on Friday 5th and Sunday 7th June.

The race format was windward/leeward racing, in SW breezes each day. The tide on the bank was modest and needed to be taken into account but the most significant tactical factor was generally the windshifts, which were often 30 degrees and sustained. On more than one occasion I remember staring in disbelief at the compass as we came out of a tack apparently 100 degrees or even more from our previous heading!

Friday

On Friday, Dreamer set the early standard with a win in Race 1. She had good pace all weekend, but couldn't necessarily convert it into points. Doublet took Race 2 and was showing well in Race 3 until her jib tack fittings parted and her jib rode halfway up her forestay. Destroyer capitalised, showing excellent pace all weekend, and in doing so led after the first day of racing.

Friday had been a taxing affair, especially on boats not blessed that day with significant muscle-power. Over the course of 3 races and 5-6 hours on the water in Force 5 conditions, attentions were waning and there were a handful of racing incidents. Fortunately, no major damage but there were some weary-looking and chilled sailors in the bar late that afternoon!

Prizegiving that evening was sponsored by Mermaid Gin and this, combined with a hearty barbecue, was all the recovery needed however. That evening the forecast was clear - strong winds would mean a rest day on Saturday.

The pictures below are (c) Paul Wyeth Photography and may be browsed on the event website along with order reference numbers.

Sunday

Refreshed and ready to go, winds were only slightly more moderate on Sunday but at least, for most, the small spinnaker was less in demand.

In Race 4, Doublet and Destroyer were close together at the downwind mark but both ended up in trouble with spinnaker drops. Destroyer bounced back quicker with some great beating to recover third, while Doublet took longer to empty the fish from their spinnaker and had to count an 11th alongside their DNF from the previous day. Darling (1st) and Dynamite (2nd) got the best of that race.

In the middle of the fleet there was a blanket finish, with Defender; Dauntless; and Dolphin all finishing within what must have been half a length.

In Race 5, Darling made it two in a row, again beating Destroyer. In the final Race 6, sensibly shortened with a windward finish after 1.5 laps, Streak stunned the fleet with a runaway win while Doublet took second and Destroyer defended third on the last beat by a hair from Dauntless.

At the final count Darling and Destroyer were level on points with Darling's two race wins securing them the regatta in one of the most competitive series in recent years.

Chris Preston wasn't entirely without silverware, however, as he collected the "New Helm" award for Cowes Classics Regatta.

The Dauntless team won the Gower Bowl for the youngest average age crew at the regatta, and I'd like to make particular mention of Emma James (23) on the helm. At times she was handling the boat like a dinghy, although she did come to the unfortunate realisation that they don't accelerate off the start line like a 29er!

With many thanks to Tim Hancock and his excellent team for a well-run regatta in the face of strong winds.

The pictures below are (c) Paul Wyeth Photography and may be browsed on the event website along with order reference numbers.