Schools British Keelboat League Championship 2026
by Hattie Askew 10 Mar 11:24 UTC
7-8 March 2026
Schools British Keelboat League Championship at Queen Mary © Hattie Askew
On 7-8 March 2026, Royal Thames Yacht Club hosted the Schools British Keelboat League Championship at Queen Mary Sailing Club, welcoming 22 school teams from across the UK for a weekend of close, tactical racing.
With light winds and shifting conditions, the fleet faced a challenging racecourse that rewarded decision-making and consistent boat handling. Despite the testing breeze, the race committee successfully completed 29 races, giving every team the chance to showcase their skills in the tight, short-course league format.
From the outset, Royal Hospital School Blue set the benchmark for the fleet. Demonstrating consistency and control throughout the weekend, the team secured seven race wins from their seventeen races and maintained their lead across both days of competition. The winning crew consisted of Toby Smith (skipper), Izzy Bartlett, Ottie Scott and Ralph Musto. A combination of strong starts with confident manoeuvres helped them to remain at the top of the leaderboard and ultimately claim victory.
"The racing was unmatched. It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. The amount of sailors was incredible and we really enjoyed racing them all. We're fortunate enough to get one and a half solid days of racing and we really enjoyed it." - post-victory from Royal Hospital School Blue
Behind them, the battle for the remaining podium places evolved significantly across the weekend. Hants Combined Colleges, a combined team from Peter Symonds College, Cowes Enterprise College, and Godalming College, showed impressive improvement over the two days. Sitting just outside the top three at the end of Day 1, they identified the importance of strong starts with a clear lane and worked to tidy up their mark roundings, which proved important. Their adjustments paid off as they steadily climbed the leaderboard on Day 2 to secure second place overall.
Meanwhile, Ryde on Time, represented by Finley McKinney-Lambert, Oliver Smith, Charlotte Cox and Iolo James, delivered consistent performances throughout the weekend. Sitting third at the end of Day 1, they held their position through the remaining races to finish third overall, navigating the light and shifty breeze with composure.
"Really good racing. Lots of teams. Lots of shifts. Not much wind." - post podium thoughts from Ryde on Time
After the first day of racing, Royal Hospital School Blue led the standings, followed by Claires Court Squad Starboard, with Ryde on Time in third. However, Day 2's racing reshuffled the leaderboard as Hants Combined Colleges surged forward to claim the runner-up position.
Final Podium:
1. Royal Hospital School Blue - 176 pts (10.35 pts Average) - Toby Smith, Izzy Bartlett, Ottie Scott, Ralph Musto
2. Hants Combined Colleges - 139 pts (9.27 pts Average) - Students from Peter Symonds College, Cowes College and Godalming College
3. Ryde on Time - 144pts (9pts Average) - Finley McKinney-Lambert, Oliver Smith, Charlotte Cox, Iolo James
Full results can be found at events.ksail.co.uk/RTYC/2026/BKLSchools
The weekend welcomed 22 teams of young sailors, both male and female to the start line, highlighting the growing enthusiasm for UK school keelboat sailing and the importance of encouraging young sailors to explore keelboat sailing. Queen Mary reservoir delivered competitive racing, valuable learning experiences for young sailors, and a fantastic showcase of teamwork and tactical sailing.
The Royal Thames Yacht Club and Queen Mary Sailing Club provided an excellent platform for the competition, ensuring a memorable and rewarding weekend for all young sailors involved.
Next up in the British Keelboat League is the Boisterous Cup at the Royal Southern Yacht Club on the 21/22nd March with one place still available, sign up now at scm.royal-southern.co.uk/event/boysterous-cup-2026 before it's gone!