Henri-Lloyd Cowes-Lymington Weekend closes the 2025 JOG season
by Cat Platts 2 Oct 08:54 PDT
27-28 September 2025
IRC 4 start during the Henri-Lloyd Cowes-Lymington Weekend © Paul Wyeth / JOG
The 2025 JOG season concluded under shifting skies and light airs at the Henri-Lloyd Cowes-Lymington weekend, offering one last test for crews and a reminder of the fine margins in tidal racing.
Saturday brought a relatively rare southerly breeze and a 27-mile red-flag course. All boats were finished by mid-afternoon, in time for a pontoon party led by JOG President Peter Rutter, followed by supper at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club and the Henri-Lloyd prize-giving. Class wins went to Scream 2 in IRC 1, Bellino in IRC 2, Elaine Again in IRC 3 and SailFish in IRC 4, with Sanity taking the double-handed division.
Sunday was less straightforward. The first starts went away in 8-10 knots, but soon after the wind disappeared and the fleet was left to the tide. Many retired as progress stalled; only two boats reached the finish. "From there on it was a tidal drift," said Race Officer Martin Banfield, presiding over his final race weekend as JOG Secretary. On this occasion, Javelin showed patience and determination to take the win, joined by Adelie as the only other boat to cross the line. Full results from the weekend can be found here (https://myjog.jog.org.uk/results).
The weekend marked the close of a season that began in March with the familiar Lonely Tower and Great Escape openers in the Solent, both raced in brisk early-spring conditions that reminded crews the year would be no soft ride. From there, the fleet stretched its legs to Weymouth, Eastbourne and across the Channel to St Vaast and Deauville, with coastal highlights including the Yarmouth and Poole race weekends. Offshore competitors then faced the longer passages to Alderney, St Malo, Cherbourg and St Peter Port — remembered by many for its demanding tide and shifting breeze. In most cases the racing was hard fought to the finish, with margins often measured in minutes rather than hours.
Among the season's stories, few stand out more than that of Bellino. Skippers Deb Fish and Rob Craigie switched from their long-established two-handed programme to racing four-up in the coastal series, with Andy Holloway, Saoirse Reynolds and Katy Rota forming part of the core crew. Deb Fish recalled the St Peter Port leg as a test of timing, patience and tidal awareness: "It started badly, when we caught a fishing line around our keel whilst spinnakering down the Solent and we lost further ground by venturing too deep into Sandown Bay where the light winds lost us more than the relief from the foul tide. It felt like everything was going against us.
But we stuck to our plan, heading at top speed for the tidal shadow of Alderney and made it just as the tide turned. We spent a few intense but strangely enjoyable hours tacking up the back eddies near the island, the wind shifting by 45 degrees or more as we sailed in and out of the tide funnelling between the islands, while the AIS showed our competition being swept backwards at three knots by the tide. The final approach was perhaps the tensest moment of our season, being swept down the Little Russell at four knots with only a knot of boat speed and very little steerage to avoid the rocks.
The sense of relief crossing the line was enormous — and to discover we had pulled through to win Class 2 on the coastal series was hugely rewarding. But in the end, our real reason for racing with JOG hasn't changed: it's to share these experiences and then enjoy a beer with our many JOG friends at the post-race socials."
After a full campaign of passages, coastal legs and cross-Channel tests, the 2025 champions are confirmed:
Coastal Series
- Class 1 - Scream 2
- Class 2 - Bellino
- Class 3 - Javelin
- Class 4 - Adelie
- Double-Handed - Mzungu!
Offshore Series
- Class 1 - Mzungu!
- Class 2 - Jetpack
- Class 3 - Sailfish
- Double-Handed - Purple Mist
The achievements of the 2025 winners will be recognised at the JOG Annual Awards Dinner on 22nd November, marking the end of the season in true JOG style — with a celebration and a party to match.
As the 2025 season comes to an end, it will be remembered for its variety of conditions — from sparkling breezes to frustrating calms — and for the strong competition and camaraderie ashore. JOG's unique blend of Corinthian racing and fun socials continues to thrive, and 2026 promises more of the same. The provisional 2026 programme is now live at myjog.jog.org.uk/programme — make sure to mark the dates in your diary.