British Soling National Championship 2026 at Lochaber Yacht Club
by Karen Dean 3 Sep 23:13 PDT
29-30 August 2026
British Soling Nationals 2026 at Lochaber © Dr Jim Douglas
The last weekend of August has traditionally seen Lochaber Yacht Club (LYC) host the British Soling National Championship, and this year was no exception. Travelling crews arrived with four boats from Tralee in County Kerry and Fleetwood in Lancashire, joining six local LYC boats sailed by members who regularly race on Loch Linnhe on Monday evenings.
Saturday morning began exceptionally quiet, with very little wind. Although the fleet hit the water, only one race could be completed before a second had to be abandoned mid-lap as the boats drifted on the tide down towards the Corran Narrows. Sailors returned ashore for an early lunch, wonderfully prepared and hosted by our LYC galley volunteers. Fortunately, the wind picked up in the afternoon, allowing Races 3 and 4 to be completed in quick succession. Race 5 finally delivered the ideal breeze everyone had hoped for, wrapping up the day with a longer, close run race of 2.5-laps.
On Saturday evening, the club hosted a lovely Surf and Turf BBQ, with laughter and stories from the day's events heard throughout the clubhouse. While everyone looked forward to another great day of racing on Sunday, the weather had other plans. With not a breath of wind by midday, the event had to be called off due to the tide times and the need to recover the visiting boats for their long journeys home.
After another wonderful lunch, the annual prize-giving took place. The visiting helm from Australia—joined by his crew—secured the top spot once again. Second and third places were proudly taken by local Lochaber boats, Solaris and So Long. It was a fantastic end to a brilliant weekend, with everyone already looking forward to gathering in Scotland again in 2027.
We would like to extend a massive thank you to all of our club members for their time, commitment, and support—whether on the water, in the galley, on the shore, or behind the scenes leading up to the weekend. We also gratefully acknowledge the Fort William BID for their partial funding through their event grant; as a volunteer-led community club, this support is invaluable to us.
If you would like to find out more about learning to sail or joining the club, please visit www.lochaber-yacht-club.co.uk or follow us on Facebook
Overall Results: (top three)
- Vera May - Gary Richardson, Karl Sloane, Andrew Ryan
- Solaris - Hamish Loudon, Victoria Kimber, Vince Dean
- So Long - Peter Watt, Marie Meldrum, Ruaridh Mills