Please select your home edition
Edition

Tongue Twister Triumphs in Concours d'Elegance at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show 2025

by Mark Jardine 23 Feb 08:00 PST 23 February 2025
Albacore 'Uffa Fox Sake' owned by Matt Thompson wins Concours d'Elegance at the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show © Paul Wyeth / RYA

The Concours d'Elegance for the boat of the show at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2025 has been won by Matt Thompson's Albacore 'Uffa Fox Sake' after judges Mark Jardine, joined this year by the voice of SailGP, Stevie Morrison, spent an enjoyable morning perusing every boat on display.

Stevie, who has sailed nearly every class of boat under the sun, has a penchant for wooden boats, but also a love of high performance dinghies, being a World and European champion, and Olympian, in the 49er class, so where his head and heart would go in judging was very open.

After a long browse, Stevie and Mark settled on four boats in their shortlist, with the B14 two-man skiff, the foiling Switch One Design dinghy and the A Class Catamaran eventually decided as runners-up, as the Albacore stood head and shoulders above the others in the judges' eyes.

Owner Matt Thompson was ecstatic to finally get his hands on the trophy after a 'near miss' a few years back when his boat hadn't been sailing yet, so was ineligible:

"Absolutely fantastic! I thought my chances had gone after my first attempt in 2019. I could have perhaps claimed the boat had been on the water, but it was pretty obvious it hadn't back then. I thought there's a lot of other lovely looking boats around here, but it's always worth persevering. And here we are again, six years later. Finally, the reward has come to me, and it's fantastic."

On keeping the boat looking in Concours condition Matt added:

"I probably don't sail it hard enough, truth be told. It does take a lot of patience and a lot of care. It does get wrapped up and put away in the winter. It has actually just had a little bit of a makeover by James Jarvey. There was a little bit of accident damage - not my fault, I hasten to add - which he's dealt with. This boat shouldn't need varnishing probably for ten years, but I'll get it done maybe every three or four years."

The quality of presentation of boats always impresses, and the 2025 show has proved no different, making the judging as hard as ever. The buzz around the show and on the class stands makes for an enjoyable visit for everyone, be they a seasoned dinghy campaigner or someone entirely new to the sport, and having the boats presented in their best light, reflects sailing in the best way possible.





Previous Concours d'Elegance Winners:

Related Articles

Banger Racing, Back Racing and No Racing
Racing on the cheap, a return to racing for young Aussies, and ILCA struggles We start with racing on the cheap at the Colander Cup, then focus on a return to racing for the Aussies at the Youth Worlds, moving on to a complete lack of racing at the ILCA Worlds, and then looking at how SailGP should be back out on the water. Posted on 14 May
Exposure Marine Fastnet Race Kit Video Review
A set of 3 torches specifically designed for offshore racing crews It's a huge year for offshore sailing, and arguably the biggest event of the summer is the Rolex Fastnet Race. Within an hour of entries opening the Royal Ocean Racing Club had received a record 435 yacht registrations. Posted on 14 May
Touching base with Francesca Clapcich
Francesca Clapcich on her 2028-2029 Vendee Globe campaign In late March, Italian-American sailor Francesca “Frankie” Clapcich announced that her Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing will campaign for the 2028-2029 edition of the Vendee Globe race. Posted on 13 May
How Seldén Carbon Masts are made
I took a look around the Seldén Mast factory with Richard Thoroughgood to find out more I took a look around the Seldén Mast factory with Richard Thoroughgood from Seldén to find out a bit more about how the carbon tow reels become the masts that we use when out sailing. Posted on 12 May
SAY it with intent! SAY it in carbon…
You know, you might also have to SAY it in epoxy. You know, you might also have to SAY it in epoxy. Get all that, and you are certainly someone who needs to know about SAY Carbon Yachts. It's all about efficiency, acceleration, pace, and the amount of horsepower required to get there. Posted on 8 May
Night sailing, Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup
Night sailing, encountering light airs in the Transat Paprec, Congressional Cup We bundled up as the last of the rays sunlight dipped below the Olympic Mountains and night quietly fell on Puget Sound. We'd been racing for about twelve hours in the Seattle Yacht Club's Protection Island Race (April 26), and we were getting tired. Posted on 6 May
For the love of slightly larger, even faster boats
Bring it on. No chicken chutes allowed. Celestial, the newest Cape 31 in Oz is up and racing Thank you. You have let For the love of small, fast boats run before the breeze like a superlight planning hull under way too big a kite, with immense sheep in the paddock, and the Sailing Master grasping the flare gun in his pocket... No chicken chutes. Posted on 4 May
Touching base with Erden Eruç
Erden Eruç on his 2026 Golden Globe Race campaign Adventures come in all sizes, scales, speeds, and price tags. My longtime friend and sometimes shipmate Erden Eruç was the first person to complete a human-powered solo circumnavigation. He's now turning his attention to the 2026 Golden Globe Race. Posted on 1 May
The Allure of Timber
The longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood In these days of exotic materials, high modulus carbon and ultra lightweight construction, it's possible to overlook the longevity, and sheer beauty, of boats made of wood. Posted on 29 Apr
A look inside the Spirit Yachts yard
A close look at what makes their yachts unique Traditional skills in boatbuilding could be regarded as a lost art from a bygone era. In the world of fibreglass and carbon, the joinery and laminating techniques of wood ribs and cedar strips are a thing of the past. Posted on 28 Apr