UK Finn Southern Championship at Bosham Sailing Club

by Cameron Tweedle 13 May 15:22 BST 9-10 May 2026

You're guaranteed three things when you go racing at Bosham... Finns, Shifts and a brilliant afternoon tea...

The 2026 UK Finn Southern Championships returned to Bosham, a place that feels like a spiritual home of British Finn sailing. Ever since Charles Currey won silver at the 1952 Summer Olympics, Bosham has held a special place in the story of the class. One suspects Charles would have looked out across Chichester Harbour with a quiet smile, seeing the legacy he helped shape still thriving on the waters where he once sailed.

Thirty Finns descended on the historic shoreline on Saturday morning. The hugely diverse fleet saw local Chichester Harbour stalwarts rubbing shoulders with returning former Olympic campaigners, a reminder that the Finn remains one of sailing's great magnets. Equal parts athletic challenge, tactical chess match, and an old-friends reunion, the class continues to attract sailors who appreciate its enduring prestige and unmistakable character.

Greeted by sunshine, an eager race team, and enough wind shifts to make even the most seasoned tactician question their life choices, the fleet launched and made its way to East Head, where three races unfolded as tactical enigmas.

Before diving into the results, the entire fleet would no doubt like to salute the race team for their perseverance in laying a course in such mercurial conditions. At times, certain legs bore more resemblance to the reaching starts of SailGP than a conventional Finn beat, but the scale of the challenge, and the effort required to deliver three races, did not go unnoticed.

The day began in lighter winds over flat water, creating what felt like an aquatic version of Snakes and Ladders. In the space of 30 seconds, sailors could go from hero to zero and back again, often without quite understanding how. While the conditions were difficult and deeply unpredictable, the best sailors still found a way to manufacture their own good fortune.

Matt Howard, Pete McCoy and John Greenwood traded blows at the front, swapping positions around the course as if engaged in a particularly civilised heavyweight bout. Cameron Tweedle and the ever-consistent Simon Percival remained firmly in contention, never allowing the leading trio a moment of comfort.

A day of tight racing was only separated by Pete McCoy's impressive breakaway in the second race, finishing almost two minutes in front of second place.

By Race 3, the breeze had strengthened enough for the famous Oscar flag to be hoisted, unleashing the full physical style of sailing for which the Finn is renowned. Downwind became a test of timing, technique and stamina, with sailors pumping their boats onto the plane. Pete McCoy and Cameron Tweedle demonstrated the polished pumping form that only years of practice can produce, but it was not enough to deny Matt Howard, who put together the most consistent performance of the day to finish Saturday at the top of the leaderboard.

After sailing, a BBQ was expertly cooked as sailors bonded over cooked meat and beer in the Bosham evening sun, stories of heroic lifts and catastrophic losses grew ever more dramatic with each retelling. Yet beneath the laughter, everyone knew Sunday loomed large. With the championship still finely poised and a forecast that promised classic Finn conditions, anticipation crackled through the fleet like a halyard in a stiff breeze.

As Sunday morning rolled around and the fleet made its way to the same race area, the sky was grey, a bitter wind whipped through our sails, but the direction was what we all hoped for. The wind having swung further north meant we had a much bigger runway, fewer shifts, and more breeze!

The stronger breeze allowed the fleet to showcase the full athletic theatre of Finn sailing. Upwind, sailors hiked with grim determination; downwind, they pumped with gusto, turning each run into a test of endurance as much as technique. At the front, Matt Howard and Pete McCoy resumed their private duel, once again trading race wins. Meanwhile, Richard Sharp used his local knowledge to excellent effect, posting two impressive third-place finishes.

While the race winners naturally draw the headlines, what stood out throughout the weekend was the depth of competition across the fleet. Racing from bow to stern, each place was fiercely contested, with no room for error. One poor tack, one mistimed gybe, or one flirtation with the wrong side of a shift could send a sailor tumbling down the leaderboard.

It is also worth taking a moment to recognise Jeremy Drummond. Jeremy lives and breathes Finn sailing and is a superb ambassador for Bosham Sailing Club. For many years, he has been a driving force behind this event, all while competing himself. Championships like this do not happen by accident; they happen because of people like Jeremy.

Prizes from Force 4 Chandlery, Lalizas, Harken and North Sails were generously donated, ensuring that every competitor went home with something to remember the weekend by.

At the top of the standings, Matt Howard secured the championship title after a remarkably consistent performance. Pete McCoy, returning to the class finished a close second, while John Greenwood, fresh from victory at the UK Masters Championships, completed a thoroughly deserving podium. A fitting conclusion to a superb weekend of Finn sailing.

Overall Results:

Pos	Helm	Boat Name	Sail No	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pos
1st	Matthew Howard	None	550	1st	3rd	1st	1st	2nd	1st	6
2nd	Pete McCoy	Fiftyfive	567	3rd	1st	6th	2nd	1st	2nd	9
3rd	John Greenwood	Patricia	GBR5	2nd	2nd	3rd	4th	4th	5th	15
4th	Cameron Tweedle	HYDE SAILS	GBR 64	5th	5th	2nd	6th	3rd	RET	21
5th	Simon Percival	Finn	GBR 635	4th	4th	4th	5th	5th	4th	21
6th	Richard Sharp	Rudolf	GBR 90	7th	11th	5th	3rd	6th	3rd	24
7th	Mark Cooper	Billetty	738	18th	7th	7th	8th	9th	9th	40
8th	Michael De Courcy	GBR21	GBR21	8th	9th	13th	RET	7th	6th	43
9th	Mark Spruce	Emma K	GBR 776	22nd	8th	10th	7th	12th	11th	48
10th	Martin Hughes	Martin Hughes	GBR192	14th	6th	12th	13th	8th	10th	49
11th	Paul Carrington	Finn	124	13th	19th	14th	9th	10th	7th	53
12th	Ben Davis	Jackie B	51	12th	10th	11th	14th	11th	14th	58
13th	Steven Board	Finn	710	15th	15th	22nd	10th	13th	8th	61
14th	Shaun Hopkins	Freya	772	10th	13th	17th	12th	15th	15th	65
15th	Tom Watkins	Tabby Tuffels	GBR 63	16th	21st	20th	11th	16th	12th	75
16th	Nick Mason	The Green Machine	16	19th	14th	16th	DNC	14th	13th	76
17th	Owen Davies	Finnal Fling	721	21st	25th	18th	15th	18th	16th	89
18th	Tim Carver	Tallulah	GBR8	6th	16th	9th	DNC	DNC	DNC	95
19th	Richard Phillips	Endorfinn	GBR 42	20th	17th	25th	16th	19th	18th	91
20th	RUSSELL New	Newsflash	GBR40	9th	20th	8th	DNC	DNC	DNC	101
21st	John Heyes	Olive Oly	GBR 61	11th	12th	15th	DNC	DNC	DNC	102
22nd	Jeremy Drummond	606	606	27th	27th	26th	18th	17th	17th	106
23rd	Rob Fisher	Devoti Classic	612	23rd	18th	19th	DNC	DNC	DNC	124
24th	Stephen Hart	Finn	631	28th	28th	27th	17th	RET	DNC	133
25th	Peter Blick	Finnochio	Gbr34	24th	22nd	23rd	DNC	DNC	DNC	133
26th	Brian Nixon	BN	10000	RET	23rd	21st	DNC	DNC	DNC	140
27th	Paul Metcalfe	578	578	26th	26th	24th	DNC	DNC	DNC	140
28th	Russ Ward	Finn	GBR4	17th	RET	DNS	DNC	DNC	DNC	145
29th	Dick Pratt	Air Pocket	545	25th	24th	RET	DNC	DNC	DNC	145
30th	Jonathan Pyke	Woo hoo	GBR 18	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	160
30th	Robin Grange	Faffinatbout	66	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	160