Imperial Icicle 2026 Team Racing at Queen Mary Sailing Club
by Henry Hollingworth 21 Feb 06:07 GMT
14-15 February 2026
Imperial Icicle 2026 © Milly Bond
The Imperial Icicle roared back onto the (albeit calm) waters of Queen Mary Reservoir on Valentine’s Day for a weekend-long affair of tightly fought Firefly team racing.
Racing began under clear, sunny skies and a light breeze, delivering thrilling matchups from the outset. The three flights of Imperial Fireflys ranged from freshly infused Ovington hulls to a hardy set of 2001-era boats bearing the marks of twenty-five years of institutional use. Despite the variability in vintage and possibly hull integrity, racing ran smoothly throughout. The winter’s volunteer-led boat-fixing sessions paid dividends, with the only repairs required all weekend being the replacement of a few snapped UJs. Likewise, the astonishing emergency sail repairs completed in just one day by Moatt Sails proved their worth, with this Icicle being the first in years where the sail tape stayed firmly in the toolbox.
Following a successful outing at the Brunel Badger two weeks prior, imperialicicle.com returned home. Improved race scheduling and live leaderboards created by our beloved alumni kept crews on time at the pontoon and spectators glued to the action. Drone footage was once again available, capturing Saturday’s close racing in cinematic 4K.
Thanks to the determination of volunteers ashore and afloat, the fleet pushed through an impressive 54 races on Saturday, more than any other team racing competition in the country that day.
After what was, by all accounts, a spirited Saturday social in central London, Sunday morning dawned with a lower-than-expected volunteer turnout. Undeterred, and with high winds necessitating a switch to cut-down mains, racing began on schedule. Upon launching, heavy rain set in and the breeze gradually eased into more borderline (for cut downs) conditions. Ashore, teams huddled inside conveniently placed shipping containers to escape the downpour, while places continued to trade on a tightly packed leaderboard.
After reaching a suitable breakpoint at race 95, the decision was made to enter the semi-finals and revert to full rigs. A well-oiled operation sprang into action: ICSC members directed boats in, mains were swiftly dropped, and crews were met immediately on the pontoon with full sails. In the ten minutes this took, the course team made small but crucial adjustments to account for the shifting wind.
The top four emerging from the round robin were Southampton Green, Oxford Blue, Northern RoyalT and the Castaways London Alumni Racing Team (CLART). The knockout stage was fiercely contested. A series of first-to-two showdowns kept spectators guessing as teams battled for the honour of being crowned Icicle champions.
As Southampton Green crossed the line to seal their victory, the clouds parted and competitors and volunteers alike were rewarded with the first sunshine of the day. The victors received commemorative bailers (and beer) to aid in celebrating their success.
Round Robin Results:
| Pos | Team | Wins | Losses | Avg. Points |
|---|
| 1st | Southampton Green | 10 | 0 | 7.7 |
| 2nd | Oxford Blue | 9 | 1 | 7.6 |
| 3rd | Northern RoyalT | 9 | 1 | 7.8 |
| 4th | CLART | 8 | 2 | 8.1 |
| 5th | Durham Purple | 7 | 3 | 9.9 |
| 6th | Southampton Red | 6 | 4 | 9.6 |
| 7th | St Andrews Pink | 6 | 4 | 9.9 |
| 8th | Manchester Purple | 6 | 4 | 10.2 |
| 9th | Durham Red | 6 | 4 | 11.1 |
| 10th | Oxford Pink | 5 | 5 | 11.2 |
| 11th | Durham Black | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 12th | East Fife Polytechnic | 4 | 6 | 10.2 |
| 13th | Oxford Orange | 3 | 7 | 12.4 |
| 14th | Dirty Durham | 3 | 7 | 11 |
| 15th | Cambridge Blue | 3 | 7 | 11.6 |
| 16th | UCL Purple | 2 | 8 | 12.5 |
| 17th | Brunel Backshots | 2 | 8 | 13.6 |
| 18th | Southampton Blue | 1 | 9 | 12.8 |
| 19th | TeamQM Badgers | 1 | 9 | 13.3 |
| Semis 1 (RHS) |
|---|
| Oxford Blue (Green) | Northern RoyalT (Black) |
| 1, 2, 4 | 3, 5, 6 |
| 1, 2, 4 | 3, 5, 6 |
| Semis 2 (Ovington) |
|---|
| CLART (Blue) | Southampton Green (White) |
| 3, 5, 6 | 1, 2, 4 |
| 3, 4, 5 | 1, 2, 4 |
| Petit‑Finals (RHS) |
|---|
| CLART (Green) | Northern RoyalT (Black) |
| 1, 2, 5 | 3, 4, 6 |
| 1, 2, 5 | 3, 4, 6 |
| Finals (Ovington) |
|---|
| Oxford Blue (Blue) | Southampton Green (White) |
| 4, 5, 6 | 1, 2, 3 |
| 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6 |
| 1, 5, 6 | 2, 3, 4 |