Hartley Boats Zenith Inland Championship 2026 at Blithfield Sailing Club
by Peter Slater & David Mathews 14 May 02:48 PDT
8-10 May 2026
Hartley Boats Zenith Inland Championship at Blithfield © Sam Bunn
Sponsored by Hartley Boats
The first-ever Zenith Inland Championships burst into life at Blithfield with 21 entries, including seven home boats, and a buzz around the dinghy park that made it clear this class is going places fast. The fleet featured the first appearances of brand-new Zeniths 168 and 169, lining up alongside the now "veteran" sail number 100 at the grand old age of 13 months. With 20 boats on the water, it was the biggest Zenith fleet assembled so far — another milestone for this exciting and rapidly growing class.
Friday lunchtime brought sunshine, quick rigging and plenty of anticipation as 11 eager helms prepared for an invaluable tuning session led by Hartley Boats sailmaker Steve Graham. What followed was part masterclass, part intervention, as Steve prowled the boat park and, on the water, delivering constructively brutal tuning advice under the watchful eye of birthday boy Mark Hartley. By the end of the afternoon there had been plenty of "lightbulb moments" — and quite a few hurried rig adjustments.
More Zeniths rolled in during the evening from as far afield as Berwick-upon-Tweed and Barcelona. But as darkness fell and campervan lights flickered and dimmed around the boat park, the weather turned, with rain sweeping across Blithfield and thoroughly soaking the wetsuits hanging from halyards overnight.
Saturday morning saw 20 brightly coloured Zeniths lined up for the 11:30 start in a tricky 4-10 knot easterly breeze — an unusual direction for Blithfield and one that kept everyone guessing all weekend. Two races were completed before lunch. Race 1 went to Richard Instone of Chase SC, with Stuart Turnbull of Burton SC second and Rutland's Michael Alexander third after a tense and tactical opener.
Race 2 produced one of the closest finishes of the weekend. Home sailor Sam Watson snatched victory from Simon Johnson of Carsington SC at the final mark after both sailors expertly navigated the shifty conditions. Another Blithfield sailor, Steve Hendon in 151, completed the top three.
As the breeze built after lunch, the racing intensified. Under the watchful eye of PRO Roger Woodhead, starts were impressively clean, with just one general recall in Race 4. Mark Hartley hit back in Race 3 after spending the lunch break making rig changes that clearly paid off, taking the win ahead of Sam Watson and Richard Instone — a pattern that would define the weekend.
Blithfield, widely regarded as the spiritual home of the Zenith, had plenty to celebrate as Sam, Mark and Steve secured a dominant home-club 1-2-3 in the final race of the day.
Saturday evening delivered exactly what any great championship should: barbecue smoke, sailing stories and increasingly exaggerated bar-room analysis. Peter once again donned the famous apron to take charge of the barbecue, while Richard Instone hosted a sailing-themed quiz that included a round on the history of Hartley Boats — much to everyone's amusement when Mark Hartley managed to get several answers wrong.
Sunday dawned breezy, with a punchy 12-22 knot easterly providing the perfect finale for the championship. Sam Watson and Mark Hartley quickly established themselves at the front, putting on a superb display of boat handling and high-speed planing across the reservoir's long reaches. Sam edged out Mark in both Races 5 and 6 after two cracking battles, while the ever-consistent Michael Alexander and Richard Instone each collected a third place.
Race 6 also produced the weekend's most memorable moment. Having nailed a heavily port-biased start and opened up a 20-yard lead, Mark Hartley's charge was dramatically interrupted when a 5lb rainbow trout launched itself into his cockpit — and stubbornly refused to leave. While opinions differed on whether outside assistance had occurred, most agreed it was a fairly significant distraction.
The prize-giving rounded off a fantastic weekend, with Hartley Boats providing an extremely generous selection of prizes, alongside spot prizes for everything from brilliance to bad luck. Diane's cakes disappeared almost as quickly as the beer.
What stood out all weekend was the atmosphere. Sailors repeatedly commented on the good humour, close racing and constant banter both afloat and ashore. Despite the fleet size, racing remained astonishingly tight, with often little more than a leg separating first from twentieth. One mistake could cost five places; two mistakes could dump you at the back of the fleet altogether. It made for spectacular racing throughout.
Top Ten Results:
1. Sam Watson - Blithfield SC - 6 pts
2. Richard Instone - Chase SC - 16 pts
3. Mark Hartley - Blithfield SC - 19 pts
4. Michael Alexander - Rutland SC - 24 pts
5. Simon Johnson - Carsington SC - 25 pts
6. Steve Hendon - Blithfield SC - 26 pts
7. Martin Bunn - Blithfield SC - 30 pts
8. Stuart Turnbull - Burton SC - 37 pts
9. Tom Chadfield - Blithfield SC - 37 pts
10. Dave Watkins - Chase SC - 44 pts