Swallow class at Cowes Week 2026
by Paul Giles 9 Aug 12:21 PDT
2-7 August 2026
Gwaihir sails out of Chichester Harbour at the start of the passage race to Cowes Week © Paul Smith
A fabulous week with fourteen Swallows enjoying mostly benign breezes, the usual tidal current challenges, sunshine-soaked days and a full-on social programme!
The quality and competitiveness of the fleet was emphasised through seeing five different winners across the six races sailed.
Following an intensely competitive Saturday passage race, won by Skua, racing commenced on Sunday with two races started from committee boat starts in Osborne Bay. Champagne sailing conditions!... commencing with a gentle Force 2-3 Southerly, increasing to Force 4 and backing South Easterly. Spectre established a commanding lead on the final beat to take the gun in race 1, whilst a penalty turn in race 2 cost them a repeat, the win going to Svala.
Whilst Monday's single race was sadly abandoned due to confusion over the windward mark, Tuesday saw two races again in a force 4-5 West South West breeze building to 5-6. In the increasingly challenging surfing conditions and a second race (5) finish close to the Breakwater amongst many other classes, Swift took the gun for race 1 and Svala for race 2.
With Wednesday's race 6 being abandoned on the basis of forecasted 30 knot gusts, races 7 and 8 started in a shifty North Westerly which together with a strong Eastgoing tide provided challenging sailing all day. Solitude turned in a top final leg windward performance to take the first race gun whilst Osprey took the second.
Wednesday evening saw a memorable National Swallow Class dinner take place hosted by the RORC.
With race 9, the final race, being lost on Friday due to the sea breeze not filling in soon enough the fleet enjoyed a sparkling broad reach home to Itchenor as it built.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Boat Name | Team | R1 | R2 | R4 | R5 | R7 | R8 | Total |
|---|
| 1 | SVALA | Nigel Masding & Hugo Fisher | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
| 2 | OSPREY | James Hartley | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
| 3 | SPECTRE | Jonny Puds Pudney | 1 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 34 |
| 4 | SKUA | Harry Roome
Michael & Emma Arnold | 7 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 35 |
| 5 | GWAIHIR | Charles Hyatt & Keith Bliss. | 5 | 9 | 2 | DSQ | 7 | 2 | 40 |
| 6 | MARENGO | Philip Pascall | 8 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 40 |
| 7 | SOLITUDE | Andrew Reid
Diane Sherman & Adam Levitt | 3 | 5 | DSQ | 6 | 1 | 11 | 41 |
| 8 | SWIFT | Andy Fitzgerald / Paul Ward | 10 | 4 | 1 | DSQ | 6 | 6 | 42 |
| 9 | KANSU | Olly Shaw
Pete McCoy and crew | 6 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 42 |
| 10 | MIGRANT | James Leaver | 11 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 50 |
| 11 | SPREADEAGLE | George Miller | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 62 |
| 12 | ARCHON | George Wright | 9 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | NOD | 68 |
| 13 | GOOSANDER | Tim Taylor | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 72 |
| 14 | KA NYENGA | Michael Robinson | 14 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 76 |