PSUK National Offshore Sailing Championships 2026

The PSUK National Offshore Sailing Championships 2026 took place between Sunday 10th May and Friday 15th May 2026 using matched fleet Beneteau Oceanis 37 yachts chartered from Fairview Sailing at Port Hamble, Hampshire. The racing was based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The skippers and most of the crews arrived late afternoon on Sunday 10th May for boat allocation, skippers briefing and the pairs competition draw for which each skipper paid in £10.

This year there were nine teams, Tony Riordan Cleveland, Rob Savage Devon & Cornwall 1, Neil Palmer Devon & Cornwall 2, Andrew Buchanan Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Nick Mason Metropolitan PS 1, Roger Knight Metropolitan PS 2, Pete Walters Nottinghamshire, Owen Poplett Sussex and Pete Sherwood Warwickshire.

Monday morning the sun shone, we selected our spinnakers and the teams headed out for some practice before the first race at 14.30hrs. The race officer set a course round a selection of the many fixed racing marks in the Solent for a race which took the leaders 90 minutes to complete. The fleet made their way to the regatta base at Cowes Yacht Haven. The skippers and crews attended the Island Sailing Club for a Race Officers Briefing, evening meal and fund raising for the chosen charity.

On Tuesday morning it was discovered the yacht for Devon & Cornwall 2 had suffered damage to its rudder on the first day. Unfortunately, there were no matched yachts available which meant they were out of the competition but were fortunately able to enjoy the week in a different yacht.

On Tuesday the Race Officer managed to fit in three races, due to the tide and light winds. The races were shorter than planned with one of 45 minutes, another of 80 minutes and the final race of the day of 25 minutes.

Wednesday morning the forecast was not good. From the light breeze on Tuesday, the wind forecast was peaking around 30 knots, which exceeded the charter company's limit. The race officer set the first course of the day which took the lead boat 90 minutes to complete and the last boat two hours. A second course was plotted for a 12 noon start but the winds increased, and racing had to be abandoned for the day before the race started. During the evening the teams attended the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club for a supper, quiz evening and further fund raising for the charity.

On Thursday morning, the strong winds had eased but we now had to contend with sudden squalls with rain, hail and strong winds. The first race started at 10.05 and was completed by the lead boat in an hour and a quarter. The second race started well at 12.15, and we all got round the first mark without incident and chased off towards the middle of the Solent for the next racing mark. The skies grew dark, the wind increased, and the fleet raced on through a driving hailstorm which lasted until the next mark. We all rounded the second mark and hoisted our spinnakers. The three boats at the front of the fleet got round the third mark, but those of us still heading towards it had to endure a complete drop in the breeze the direction of which was swinging to and fro through a hundred-degree arc making it impossible to use the spinnakers. We all eventually made it round the third mark and the breeze settled down to a constant direction enabling spinnaker's to be hoisted once more. The leaders of the fleet managed to complete the course in just short of 90 minutes, but then the wind dropped, the tide increased, and one boat was left becalmed when trying to make it to the finish. Two boats had been washed by the tide past the line but also outside of the outer marker, so they needed to try to sail against the tide to get back to the course side of the line and cross it inside of the out marker, a challenge which with the lack of wind became impossible. All boats have to finish within 30 minutes of the first boat across the line. Unfortunately, three teams were unable to achieve this on the last race. Racing was then concluded due to the lack of wind. During the evening the teams attended the Island Sailing Club for the regatta dinner and prize giving.

The regatta completed seven races which enabled each team to discard their worst score.

Pete Walters Nottinghamshire won the overall event with an impressive score of just six points. Pete was 1st over the finish line in every race but on the first race he jumped the start and was disqualified which was his discarded result.

Andrew Buchanan Hampshire & Isle of Wight came second with a score of thirteen points.

The pairs competition was won by Pete Walters Nottinghamshire and Roger Knight Metropolitan PS 2. Both teams donated their winnings to the charity.

The charity for this year was the Royal Marsden Cancer Unit and over £600 was raised by the 53 competitors' generosity.

The racing this year was closer through the fleet than the past couple of years with boats only being timed out on the last race due to the wind dropping.

Our thanks go to Fairview Sailing, Island Sailing Club and Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club for their assistance in making this such a successful and enjoyable event.

The overall regatta scores are as below.

Owen Poplett
Secretary PSUK Sailing

owen.poplett@sussex.police.uk
 

Winners PSUK National Offshore Sailing Championships 2026 Nottinghamshire Police