Contessa Regatta 2025 at Royal Solent Yacht Club
by Oliver Dewar 20 May 14:45 BST
16-18 May 2025
Toledo, Margarita, Cloudy Bay - Royal Solent YC Contessa Regatta © Christian Beasley / Beautiful Wight Photography
Some intensely close racing took place in the Western Solent between Friday 16 - Sunday 18 May during the 2025 Royal Solent Yacht Club Contessa Regatta with 27 boats competing.
Sponsored by Jeremy Rogers Ltd with Maison Louis Jadot and supported by Hall Hunter Ltd, racing included the Inshore Series 2 for the Contessa 32 class and Nationals for the Contessa 28 and Contessa 29 classes with the competition between teams tight until the final race.
The regatta opened with the Louis Jadot Reception following competitor registration with racing Contessa teams and non-racing Contessa crews mingling on the waterfront lawn of the RSYC as racing competitors looked forward to four races and the non-racing boats prepared for the 'Solent Quest'; a hybrid nautical treasure hunt devised by Guy and Sue Darby of Contessa 32 Ripple of Kyle.
There were sparkling conditions and steady breeze for the three races on Saturday with Ben Rogers (nephew of Jeremy Rogers) and Solan Goose consistently on the podium. Finishing the racing with a 2-2-3-1 scorecard in the 12-boat fleet, Rogers took the Contessa 32 Inshore Point Series 2. "Thank you from Solan Goose," messaged Rogers following the regatta. "What a great weekend," he added, signing-off with a cluster of sailing and partying emojis acknowledging Saturday night's Jeremy Rogers Ltd. Rum Punch Party hosted by Fiona and Jessie Rogers.
With four boats competing in the Contessa 28 Nationals, the racing between Cloudy Bay and Margarita went to the wire with local sailor Jamie Allen and Cloudy Bay grabbing the silverware on Sunday with a 2-2-1-1 scorecard over the 1-1-2-3 of Margarita. The fleet of seven boats competing for the Contessa 26 Nationals were dominated by local boat Samphire of Hurst skippered by Patrick Seely with a faultless 1-1-1-1 tally taking the trophy.
Each class winner was awarded a magnum of Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques with Seely and Samphire of Hurst taking home a jeroboam as the regatta's overall winner with four bullets over the weekend. "Thanks from the Samphire team," commented Seely. "So well organised on and off the water," he adds.
Organisation on the water was taken to a new level for the RSYC Contessa Regatta with the introduction of robotic, self-propelled racing marks supplied by MarkSetBot; a system that relies on GPS location technology rather than anchors for holding the racing mark's position. During the regatta, two MarkSetBots were deployed as ODM and windward mark and operated superbly with technical support from Mark Angell of Fourth Cape.
Hall Hunter Partnership has sponsored the RSYC's two MarkSetBots and the RSYC is delighted to be the first club to use this technology for an entire season.
Away from the racecourse, the 'Solent Quest' was won convincingly by Graham Ferris and team on Contessa 32 Barbie. Fiona Rogers judged a Concourse d'Elegance within the Contessa 26 Class, and Graeme Bowen's beautifully restored Whisper won this prestigious award.
Contessa 32 Inshore Series 2 results:
| Pos | Boat | Sail No | Owner | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Solan Goose | 918 | Ben Rogers | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | Drumbeat | CO 651 | Eldred Himsworth | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | Andaxi | 701 | Martin & Donna Rouse‑Collen | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 4 | Merak II | CO 401 | Nick Bradley | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 | English Rose | 926 | Peter Binning | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 20 |
| 6 | Concerto | 640 | Mark Dence | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 25 |
| 7 | Connie | GBR 6541 | Mel McQueen | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 32 |
| 8 | Corafin | GBR 2958 | Robin Holland | 6 | 7 | 7 | RET | 33 |
| 9 | Coric | 222T | John McNaughton | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 38 |
| 10 | Coh Karek | GBR 1370R | Tim Devlin | 9 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 40 |
| 11 | Blanco | CO 682 | Ray Rouse | DNC | DNC | 8 | 9 | 43 |
| 12 | Starstreak | CO 753 | Roger Shinton | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 43 |
Contessa 28 Nationals:
| Pos | Boat | Sail No | Owner | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Cloudy Bay | 1574 | Stephen Hucklesby | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Margarita | 1564 | Sykes Hucklesby Allen | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Toledo | 1541 | Kevin Sykes | 3 | 3 | RET | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | Pimms | 1501 | Allen Hucklesby Sykes | DNC | DNC | DNC | 2 | 17 |
Contessa 26 Nationals:
| Pos | Boat | Sail No | Owner | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Samphire of Hurst | 1251 | Seely Nicholson | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Quincy | CO 299 | Bob Coates | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | Belphebe | 6456 | Paul Lees | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| 4 | Chasing Rainbows | 117 | Robert Quicke | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
| 5 | Grayling | 105 | Bob & Judy McConnell | 6 | 5 | 2 | 6.5 | 19.5 |
| 6 | Alboran | CO192 | Robert Lombardelli | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6.5 | 23.5 |
| 7 | Whisper | 315 | Graeme Bowen | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 25 |