Gaffer Revival at Hamble Classics Regatta 2026
by Jonty Sherwill 9 Sep 14:41 PDT
5-6 September 2026
The Hamble Classics Regatta has an extensive invitation list and so each year the emphasis can change, last year Spirit yachts were in town, this year it was big gaffers strutting their stuff. The sight of Jolie Brise arriving from France just in time for the first race added pizazz to the already splendid scene of twelve gaff-rigged yachts amongst the fleet of 32 boats taking part.
Hosted jointly by the Hamble River Sailing Club for race management and the Royal Air Force Yacht Club as the shore base and social venue the supporting partners are Spinlock, Classic Marine, OneSails, the Elephant Boatyard, Walcon Marine, Z-Spars UK, Hamble Yacht Services and Salcombe Gin.
While sunshine and a light to moderate wind forecast on both days might be everything that a Solent race officer dreams about, there were some surprises, and for the PRO Peter Bateson having got the first start sequence away on time in a solid but shifting 8-10 knot westerly breeze a giant hole engulfed the leading boats near the finish line at the Hamble Winter Series race mark. The decision to abandon the two gaffer class races may have puzzled a few leading boats but they were soon rewarded with a stunning second race that had everyone smiling at the Elephant Boatyard sponsored rum party and Spinlock day prize-giving at the RAFYC.
Sunday morning dawned with a brisker than expected south-easterly and a splashy ride to the starting area for the smaller boats in the ebbing tide, but it moderated to around 8-10 knots by start time. First away in the sequence on both days was the impressive class of large gaffers, comprising David Aisher's 1888 45ft Gaff Cutter Thalia, Nick and Liz Harvey's 1892 Falmouth Quay Punt Sophie, the Dauntsey School's 59ft 1913 Jolie Brise skippered by Toby Marris, Ossie Stewart's 1892 Linton Hope Thames One Rater Dorothy, and two newcomers, Josh Danziger's 52ft 1911 Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Cornubia, and Velsia, the 1890 Colin Archer Gaff Cutter that owner George Cox sailed up from Falmouth. Adding a touch of modernity was Richard and Louise Jacobs' Ed Burnett designed 'Ivy Green' built by the Elephant Boatyard in 2003, but this year yielding to Dorothy, Velsia, Jolie Brise and Sophie in the overall points.
In the IRC fleet of seven traditionally wooden-built yachts, four differently rated West Solent One-Designs, Harlequin owned by David Heritage, Suvretta by Tim Yetman, Enchanted by Claire Locke, and Erin owned by Angus Bates, were challenging the 1926 Johan Anker 6-Metre Sioma II skippered by owner Fenton Burgin, and the two magnificent Laurent Giles designed yachts, the 1952 Bermudian Yawl Lutine of Helford owned by James and Rachel Youngman and 1955 ocean racer Cetewayo steered by owner David Murrin. Harlequin would repeat her class win of last year but only one point ahead of Sioma II with Claire Locke's pale blue Enchanted in third place overall.
The Regatta Class for non-rated yachts with its simple empirical handicap method was also closely fought, Jonty and Vicki Sherwill's 1926 one-off Guernsey dayboat Cockleshell celebrating her centenary by winning the class by one point from the two GRP Nordic Folkboats, Cidron Too, James and Penny Walters, and Svenja owned by Mike Stoner, who raced singlehanded on Sunday and achieved line honours in the final race, for second overall. Other regulars in the class, the Contessa 26 Chasing Rainbows of Andrew Quicke, Simon Frost's Nicholson 35 Samiotissa and Jane Challener's Holman & Pye Hustler 30 Orthops of Warsash were joined by Graham Smyth sailing a Sea Sprite 23 'weekender' named Moppet, designed in 1958.
In the Gaffer 2 Class Alastair Garland's exquisite 1894 William Fife 24 footer Uandi was in her element, scoring 3,1,1 ahead of the consistently well-sailed 1930 WD Coode designed Wave owned by Charlie Couture, with David and Sue Pennison's 19ft Satellite third, ahead of the two pretty Nigel Irens designed Romilly 23s, Runaway and Ruby, of Ken Hickling and Tom Clay.
The XOD one-design, an evergreen dayboat class at Hamble has been mourning the loss of Peter 'Basher' Baines who set a standard of sailing for others to challenge. A departing wish of his was to present the half-model of his Cowes Week winning 'Wenda' X71 as perpetual trophy for XODs at Hamble Classics. Six boats were entered and after two races on Saturday and three on Sunday, Gary and Claire Rossall's Little X won overall from Hamble fleet newcomer Matt Hall in Lightwood and class veteran Nick Brebner in Cariad third.
Three special award trophies are presented each year, the Tea-for-Two teapot trophy for short-handed sailing went to Mike Stoner for his excellent solo boat-handling, the Kismet model yacht Trophy to Toby Marris and his keen crew aboard Jolie Brise, and the Norlethe picture trophy to Olly Bewes for his careful and good-humoured attention to processing the results including the tie-break system to maximise fairness - details in the NoR.
While the main focus of Hamble Classics is on good racing and an enjoyable time ashore the Concours d'Elegance Awards in five categories are designed to recognise dedicated yacht owners and the breadth of excellence and commitment. In 2026 the Spirit of Racing award went to Angus Bates's West Solent One-Design Erin for the effort to bring this beautiful yacht back into racing, best GRP boat at the regatta to Moppet, the American production weekender designed in 1958 by Carl Alberg and looking handy on the water. There were two awards for authenticity, to the contrasting yachts Wave and Velsia, and the overall Concours d'Elegance winner was Josh Danziger's fabulous Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Cornubia.
During the regatta weekend with the support of the sponsors and other local companies with raffle and auction prizes and the generous giving by participants, over £1000 was raised for the Wetwheels charity, which earlier this year was a recipient of the King's Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of its important work for disabled and disadvantaged people.