IOM World Championship 2026 at Datchet Water Sailing Club

IOM World Championship 2026 at Datchet Water Sailing Club - Day 3

by Mark Jardine 19 May 14:28 PDT 15-22 May 2026

Racing on day 3 of the IOM World Championship started in a southerly with the course set in front of the Datchet clubhouse, before a heavy rain squall heralded a south westerly which was strong at times, but also had some much lighter patches. The race officials and sailors decamped to the south west course, where they remained for the rest of the day.

Alexis Carre (FRA 73) put on a model yachting masterclass, winning three races and extending his lead at the top to 21 points. He combined pure straight line speed, superlative boat handling and an almost uncanny reading of the wind, coming through the fleet on multiple occasions and showing exceptional control downwind in extremely testing conditions.

2026 IOM Worlds at Datchet Water Day 3 - FRA 73 - photo © Mark Jardine

Today would have been Ian Vickers birthday, and many in the fleet were thinking of the runner-up at the last world championship and recalling stories. Alexis is sailing Ian's V12 IOM design, so achieving three wins is a fitting tribute to his friend, as well as reinforcing the legacy that Ian has left in the class; a top sailor, designer, and most importantly friend to all.

Moving up to second was Rob Walsh (GBR 25), who is sailing exceptionally well, but is struggling to convert leads into race wins, finally taking the gun in race 10:

"It's taken a bit of time! I've led five races and it was the only one I've converted. It's tricky out there with variable wind patterns and it's difficult to cover anyone so you've just got to go the best you can and keep chipping away, and you eventually convert one.

2026 IOM Worlds at Datchet Water Day 3 - GBR 25 - photo © Mark Jardine

On the starts after two general recalls and a black flag:

"Everyone is always a little bit more wary with the black flag, and steps back a bit, and it's only in the last ten seconds that everyone starts their surge, but you've just got to make sure you've pulled the sheet in early enough to make sure you pop clear and you don't get in everyone's dirty air."

2026 IOM Worlds at Datchet Water Day 3 - Race 11 Heat A FRA 73 surfing down a wave chasing GBR 25 - photo © Mark Jardine

When I asked Rob about tactics, his focus was mainly on keeping the boat moving fast in the tricky chop:

Generally on the beat you're playing the sails a lot, trying to keep the momentum going and power through the waves, and trying not to stuff the tacks. I've already done that twice, so I don't want to do that again!"

2026 IOM Worlds at Datchet Water Day 3 - Race 11 Heat A rounding the windward gate - photo © Mark Jardine

Chuck Millican (BER 15) from Bermuda originally, and now living in Florida, and whose wife is from Birkenhead at Merseyside, England, so he knows the British weather, but doesn't particularly enjoy it. I asked him about what his sailing is like back home.

"I lived in Bermuda for 30 years, and still represent the country, but I sail in Florida almost every weekend with either the IOM or my DF95. Our local fleet pulls out 12 or 13 IOMs on a Friday and we find that on weekends when someone calls up and says 'hey, let's sail Saturday' 18 boats show up. All the guys are used to travelling and it's almost like a family. We have a great time."

2026 IOM Worlds at Datchet Water Day 3 - BRA 66 and BER 15 - photo © Mark Jardine

The cloudy weather is causing Chuck a few issues which is rarely suffers from at home and means he's really looking forward to the upcoming sunshine:

"I have cataract problems with my eyes, and when it's cloudy and flat light I have a very difficult time determining what my boat is doing. The sun helps an awful lot."

2026 IOM Worlds at Datchet Water Day 3 - DEN 93 ashore - photo © Mark Jardine

If there was a Concours d'Elegance at the IOM World Championship, then this year it would be won by Soren Andresen's yacht, DEN 93 'Vanessa'.

One of only two wooden boats in the fleet, it has been lovingly crafted, and is absolutely stunning. I spoke to Soren to find out more about its construction:

"I am very proud of it. It's hard work, but it pays off. I made it at home in the living room. It's a Nexus design, by Jeff Byerley and my good friend up in Scotland, Ian Dundas, who got the frame laser cut for me, then I made the building board myself and built the boat.

"I finished the boat last year, and it took me six months to build as I did two planks a day, which took around two hours each time. I wanted it to be perfect."

I think Soren has achieved his aim of perfection, and he's not hanging around on the race course either. Results of 7, 10, 6 in the last three races have propelled him up to 21st overall:

"I'm a little bit out of practice, so I've made some mistakes, but I've been in A heat, so that's ok."

2026 IOM Worlds at Datchet Water Day 3 - Race 11 Heat DEN 93 in the evening light - photo © Mark Jardine

The day finished with a fantastic barbeque at the sailing club, with a band playing in the lounge upstairs. With a lay day on Wednesday and sunshine forecast everyone was in good spirits, and raising a toast to Ian Vickers.

More information on the event website, www.iomworlds2026.com with provisional results so far posted on the event's Facebook page, and videos being uploaded to YouTube.

Provisional Results after Day 3: (11 races, 2 discards)

Pos	Skipper	Sail No	Club/City	Hull	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Pts
1	Alexis Carre	73	FRA	V12	2	4	2	10	1	3	4	1	1	5	1	19
2	Rob Walsh	25	GBR	Venti	6	10	12	7	6	2	2	9	6	1	2	41
3	Robert Matulja	33	CRO	K2R	2	7	10	2	4	4	8	5	5	15	5	42
4	Romain Dubreuil	77	FRA	Venti	3	6	8	4	2	7	13	8	3	4	12	45
5	Zvonko Jelacic	35	CRO	VISS	4	37	5	1	3	6	3	18	23	6	3	49
6	Peter Feldman	44	USA	VISS	3	5	4	6	16	5	6	13	2	13	9	53
7	Craig Richards	2	GBR	Proteus	3	1	15	13	9	14	5	2	17	30	24	79
8	Peter Stollery	39	GBR	BritPOP!	1	11	85	11	7	15	7	10	10	7	20	79
9	Olivier Cohen	100	FRA	GC24	8	14	14	9	12	12	14	7	4	17	27	94
10	Mark Golison	55	USA	Venti	2	3	18	29	19	19	26	6	15	2	16	100
11	Brian Shores	117	USA	Venti	5	29	20	15	10	9	15	12	12	18	4	100
12	Graham Elliott	9	GBR	BritPOP!	2	13	1	8	5	10	21	33	25	23	85	108
13	Josh King	126	GBR	POP!	1	15	11	18	37	23	9	4	14	20	85	115
14	Paul Jones	48	AUS	Venti	10	12	6	12	8	23	1	21	29	34	45	122
15	Ante Kovacevic	30	CRO	VISS	11	24	32	21	17	18	25	3	11	14	11	130
16	Aaron Farrar	37	AUS	V12	2	2	3	14	14	20	29	27	26	27	25	133
17	Steve Landeau	17	USA	Venti	6	31	13	3	11	11	17	25	24	31	23	133
18	Jan Springer	10	POL	Venti	1	8	23	17	29	13	12	17	20	23	30	134
19	Matteo Longhi	11	SUI	V11	9	40	41	48	23	1	10	11	22	11	18	145
20	Luningning Chen	12	CHN	VISS	1	21	16	22	13	8	19	26	28	24	35	150
21	Soren Andresen	93	DEN	Nexus	3	20	23	37	36	48	24	31	7	10	6	160
22	Guillermo Beltri	47	ESP	GC24	12	49	30	24	21	30	20	14	9	19	14	163
23	Barr Batzer	64	USA	V12	4	26	26	36	22	33	28	23	13	3	19	164
24	Sean Bradley	46	USA	Venti	6	27	29	19	30	31	16	16	18	28	7	166
25	Glenn Dawson	76	AUS	V12	4	17	38	46	28	24	22	20	36	9	8	168
26	Darin Ballington	98	GBR	BritPOP!	7	44	24	27	34	46	30	24	16	8	10	180
27	Alex Scapens	106	AUS	V12	9	18	7	20	39	26	11	19	37	47	41	186
28	Pierre‑Yves Mechin	67	FRA	V12	5	37	9	5	18	36	47	43	38	44	26	217
29	Pablo Walper	13	CHI	Venti	8	38	28	23	15	16	18	34	39	51	43	219
30	Carlos Beltri	121	ESP	Venti	1	9	19	26	25	85	37	47	21	37	46	221
31	Tonko Puljiz	40	CRO	VISS	11	54	55	50	55	39	23	15	8	12	15	227
32	Yann Masse	8	FRA	VISS	5	28	31	32	31	27	31	37	41	39	23	245
33	Tony Edwards	75	GBR	R2V2	3	19	25	30	32	25	33	45	43	46	39	249
34	Remco Sol	193	NED	Shuffle cl	4	16	17	34	44	44	27	30	34	52	50	250
35	Tim Hand	134	GBR	BritPOP!	7	30	27	16	20	34	52	60	44	42	34	254
36	Francisco Martinez Berzagay	116	ESP	V12	16	71	85	56	27	28	32	22	32	25	29	267
37	David Lindsay	23	NZL	V12	14	53	67	28	35	29	36	39	45	32	13	271
38	Odd Ornulf Stray	90	NOR	VISS	11	56	42	44	55	43	43	29	33	26	17	288
39	Paulo Maio Gomes	156	POR	BritPOP!	8	22	36	31	26	35	42	40	49	58	59	289
40	Elio Cavallo	113	ITA	GC24	10	46	46	45	46	37	45	28	27	23	28	289
41	Paolo Cappa	130	ITA	Venti	13	59	40	25	33	17	34	38	50	56	51	301
42	Martin Roberts	22	GBR	BritPOP!	7	37	44	53	65	55	46	46	31	29	31	324
43	Sven Forense	142	CRO	VISS	13	68	85	55	58	67	44	41	19	16	21	334
44	Kurt Camilleri Burlo	3	MLT	K2	6	23	37	41	47	52	60	52	40	40	49	335
45	Adam Barboza	21	BER	K2	9	50	56	61	51	70	35	36	30	35	39	341
46	Patricio Montero	38	FRA	V11	5	33	39	42	49	63	57	42	47	36	48	341
47	David Ramos	105	USA	BritPOP!	6	37	49	39	45	39	51	66	42	41	47	345
48	Gary McCarthy	181	AUS	GC24	11	43	43	40	40	42	39	35	55	55	57	348
49	Hrvoje Duvancic	171	CRO	K2	14	58	33	47	24	32	38	53	60	64	75	359
50	Ricardo Gonzalo Pollono	63	ARG	Venti	4	32	35	33	52	58	68	61	51	65	52	378
51	Colin Cashmore	45	NZL	V12	8	48	52	57	60	40	41	50	57	48	42	386
52	Diego Sebastian Louyer	26	ARG	Solaris	18	52	63	63	42	55	56	44	52	38	40	397
53	Thomas Enwall	50	SWE	V12	10	62	45	35	43	47	49	56	61	62	61	407
54	Gary Boell	71	USA	BritPOP!	14	85	51	43	39	51	64	85	48	45	53	408
55	Ulf Lindberg	112	SWE	Proteus	7	45	48	39	41	49	63	59	67	72	58	409
56	Vedran Vesanovic	144	CRO	K2	13	85	61	64	63	41	50	68	46	49	33	420
57	Rogivue Gerald	49	SUI	K2	14	55	60	70	73	45	55	49	63	55	32	428
58	Marin Bizjak	5	CRO	K2	10	63	69	65	75	77	40	32	35	50	65	429
59	Paolo Patrini	14	ITA	K2	8	41	47	52	56	57	67	70	58	59	56	434
60	Feliciano Ballestin	97	ESP	GC24	9	47	50	62	64	60	55	51	55	66	55	444
61	Lionel Marsaly	31	FRA	Venti	16	42	54	51	55	61	48	54	65	81	78	446
62	Stan Wallace	69	BAH	BritPOP!	7	52	59	70	67	65	70	73	59	33	44	456
63	Jean‑Pascal Morel	24	FRA	V12	5	25	34	55	70	59	69	79	85	85	66	462
64	Claes Nordin	99	SWE	ProteusEVO	13	76	66	58	48	50	62	55	62	60	62	470
65	Baron Bremer	81	USA	Polaris	12	61	62	66	62	55	59	63	64	63	60	497
66	Bengt Oldsberg	159	SWE	K2	12	60	58	60	50	66	73	78	76	70	63	512
67	Peter Tans	149	NED	K2	15	67	85	49	59	70	55	70	75	57	85	517
68	Jimmy Teo	34	MAS	VISS	9	39	53	59	68	72	80	72	80	76	73	521
69	Gary Winton	54	USA	V12	11	64	72	70	76	62	66	57	66	78	71	539
70	Richard Smith	166	AUS	ProteusEVO	13	77	74	78	79	74	72	48	55	68	64	545
71	Norbert Heinz	19	GER	Slice	10	65	57	67	71	73	71	64	74	71	70	546
72	Claudio Vaz	66	BRA	Polaris	18	75	73	72	66	76	78	65	56	53	70	548
73	Roberto Lindstaedt	20	BRA	V12	15	85	65	85	70	79	61	62	68	61	70	551
74	Pablo Alvarez	74	CHI	GC24	16	70	70	71	57	56	65	77	72	75	76	552
75	Torsten Fildebrandt	87	GER	Venti	15	79	85	85	74	71	58	67	71	43	85	563
76	Chuck Millican	15	BER	VISS	12	66	76	74	85	80	79	58	70	70	72	577
77	Rohner Ernst	120	SUI	Parabellum	12	57	68	76	78	70	76	76	73	73	80	581
78	Sam Davidson	175	JPN	Shokunin	15	73	77	77	61	64	84	71	77	79	79	594
79	Torvald Klem	147	NOR	Orca	18	74	64	73	77	84	83	74	70	74	74	598
80	Haoyu Hu	51	CHN	VISS	17	69	71	75	72	81	75	80	78	77	77	611
81	Eddie Bardgett	43	BER	V12	16	72	79	79	80	75	74	75	82	67	81	617
82	Eugeniusz Ginter	16	POL	Vihuela3	15	78	75	85	82	82	81	81	79	82	85	655
83	Wayne Correia	125	BER	V10	16	85	78	85	81	78	77	83	81	80	82	656
84	Gonzalo Ugarte	6	CHI	BritPOP!	14	85	85	85	83	83	82	82	83	83	83	678